Popably Popcorn
Descripon: Learn about popcorn then make a
healthy snack using popcorn.
Supplies Needed
• Popably Popcorn Story
• Popably Popcorn Handout
• Crayon, marker, or pencil
• 1/2 cup Popcorn kernels
• 1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)
salt
• Small bowl
• Small Brown Paper Sack
Acvity Steps:
1. Read the Popably Popcorn story and have child follow along
with the handout, circling, wring, and following the instruc-
ons listed in the story. Help them write based on their ability.
2. Make microwave popcorn in a brown paper sack.
• In a small bowl, mix popcorn and oil together so that
the oil is coang the popcorn kernels. Pour popcorn in-
to brown paper bag.
• Sprinkle salt all over the popcorn.
• Seal the brown paper bag by folding it over twice. Cook
in the microwave at full power for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes,
or unl you hear pauses of about 2 seconds between
pops. Carefully open the bag to avoid steam, and pour
into a serving bowl.
Popcorn is a type of maize or corn, a member of the grass family and is sciencally known as Zea mays everta. Pop-
corn has been around for hundreds of years. It is believed that Nave Americans used to grow and eat popcorn. In the
past, there were many theories about the reason that popcorn popped, but today, it is not a mystery; it is science!
Nebraska is the number one producer of popcorn in the United States and farmers in 30 counes grow more than 300
million pounds every year. Write a number one on the state of Nebraska.
Popcorn is grown in a similar way to sweet corn and eld corn, but is the only type of corn that will pop. Popcorn is
planted in elds with a tractor, is irrigated or watered, and is sprayed just like other types of corn. Circle the popcorn
plant on your paper. Once the popcorn plant is fully grown and dried, the popcorn is harvested using a combine. Put a
star by the combine.
You might be wondering how you can tell a popcorn plant from other types of corn plants. The tassel, or the top part
of the plant that is golden in color, is more “uy” than the other corn plants. Write the word “uy” beside the pop-
corn plant’s tassel.
Once the popcorn is harvested, it is taken by grain truck to the storage facility. Some farmers store their popcorn at a
local grain elevator or the grain bins on their farm. Draw an arrow from the grain truck to the grain bins. The grain
truck is emped and the popcorn is put into the grain bin or grain elevator where it will be dried with heat and air.
Draw lines showing that there is air moving around in the grain bins.
Aer the popcorn is completely dry, it is taken to a food processing plant by a grain truck or train. Draw an arrow from
the grain truck to the food processing plant.
Because the popcorn was grown in a eld, it is exposed to dirt, rain, animals, and insects. When it comes to the food
processing plant, it is too dirty for people to eat, so it must be cleaned. Draw an “X” over the picture of the dirty corn.
Aer the corn is cleaned, it is sorted by color and packaged into bags of microwave popcorn and bags for stove top and
air poppers. Circle the packaged popcorn. Orville Redenbacher is one brand of popcorn that is grown by Nebraska
farmers. Aer the popcorn is packaged. It is transported to the grocery store where you can buy it, pop it, and eat it!
Draw an arrow from the semi-truck to the grocery bag.
Now, let’s talk about the science of popping corn. You may remember me telling you that popcorn is the only type of
corn that will pop. That is because the hull, or the outside shell of the kernel has the exact thickness that will allow it to
burst. Outline the hull of the kernel.
Each kernel contains a small droplet of water inside of it. Draw a water droplet inside of the kernel. When the kernel is
heated, the heat turns the water inside to steam. There is no room for the steam inside of the kernel, so it causes the
hull to explode turning the kernel into the uy popcorn. Draw steam coming out of the kernel of popcorn. How high
can popcorn kernels pop? Up to 3 feet in the air.
Do you know how hot a kernel of popcorn has to get before it pops? It has to be 212 degrees Fahrenheit, but the tem-
perature for the best popping results is 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Color the thermometer in to reach 250 degrees Fahr-
enheit. Aer popping your popcorn, you may noce that some kernels are le in the boom of the bowl that didn’t
pop. These are called “Old Maids”, they are the kernels that are too dry to pop. You can actually save these and add
water back into them.
Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. What is a calorie? Air popped popcorn has only 30 calories
per cup. Oil popped popcorn is only 35 calories per cup. Did you know that popping popcorn is the number one use of
microwave ovens? Most microwave ovens have a “popcorn” control buon. There are two shapes of popcorn when it
is popped. Snowake – which is used in movie theaters and microwave popcorn because it looks and pops bigger, and
Mushroom – which is used in caramel corn and candy shops because it doesn’t crumble.
Popably Popcorn Story
Popably Popcorn Handout
