The candy corn stem activity I have for you below, whether you are a team candy corn lover or team hater still makes for a fun science experiment. Also, you’ll love my pages 5 Fun Candy Science Experiments and Unit Study & Homemade Lollipops and Fall Season Unit Study {Pumpkins, Leaves, Corn, & More}.
When you are learning about fun fall topics like flint corn which was so important to the Native Americans look for fun hands-on activities.
This activity is a great introduction to science concepts like making hypotheses, observing, setting up variables, and recording data.
Giving even more value to what a history lesson would just be.
I will give you a little bit more detail about the science behind why certain liquids work so much faster at dissolving the sugar than others at the bottom of the post, after the activity instructions.
Indian Corn was one of one of three types of corn cultivated by Native Americans in the northern part of the US as a staple.
It is one of the oldest types of corn and comes in a variety of colors.
Ears can be single colors of white, red, blue, gold, yellow, or black, but most are beautiful mixes.
Candy corn comes in fun traditional colors of yellow, orange, and white representing the colors of the fall harvest.
It is a fun representation of a corn kernel and so appropriate to go along with this study.
5 Indian Corn Facts
First, look at these facts.
- “Indian corn” isn’t exclusive to the North American continent. Experts believe it also grew in China, India, and South America for centuries.
- The earliest Native Americans to cultivate corn were the Pueblo people of the American Southwest, later corn became a staple for many tribes like- Creek, Cherokee, and Iroquois.
- Indian corn can be ground to make flour (or cornmeal) or the whole kernel can be used for popcorn.
- Corn is one of “’The Three Sisters” crops, which are planted together in a shared space. They are maize, beans, and squash and are planted because they benefit one another and Native Americans believe that they nurture each other like a real family when planted together.
- Flint corn has a very low water content, making it more resistant to freezing than other vegetables. As a matter of fact, it was the only crop in Vermont to survive the winter of 1816, known as “the year without a summer.”
Also, look at some of these books about corn.
6 Books About Corn and Resources for Multiple Ages
Books for kids who want to learn about corn.
With simple prose and beautiful illustrations, award-winning author-illustrator Aliki tells the story of how Native American farmers thousands of years ago found and nourished a wild grass plant and made corn an important part of their lives. They learned the best ways to grow and store and use its fat yellow kernels. And then they shared this knowledge with the new settlers of America.
Find out everything about this versatile and important grain—its history as a crop, the four main types, and how we grow and use it to make everything from food to paper to medicine!
How does a corn seed become corn on the cob? Follow each step in nature's cycle―from planting to picking and eating―in this fascinating book!
GROW. For the best results, it's essential to cover your seeds with about one inch of soil and tamp down firmly before watering lightly.You can plant your seeds in either rows or hills. If you are planting them in rows, plant one seed every 4 inches in rows that are 18 to 24 inches apart.
Learn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman’s charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life.
How does a seed become a yummy ear of corn? A farmer plants seeds. The seeds change into plants. Plants grow. Soon cobs grow on the plants. Learn about the life cycle of corn step by step.
Also, look at some of these hands-on activities.
Indian Corn Hands-on Activities
- I love how bubble wrap gives a nice corn texture to this Corn Craft – Preschool.
- Geronimo Stilton Field Trip to Niagara Falls Summary And Fun Corn Craft
- Paper bag crafts are a super inexpensive craft base and these Stuffed Paper Bag Indian Corn are just adorable.
- Popcorn Science Mini Unit Study Which Brand Pops the Best.
- Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout.
- Gather up pinecones on your next nature walk and create a Pinecone Indian Corn Craft.
- Have you ever thought to use a whole ear of corn as a rolling pin? Check out these Harvest Sensory Ideas.
In Farm Anatomy I was able to find a section on corn, aren’t these illustrations beautiful?
Finally, look at this fun candy corn stem activity.
Fun Candy Corn Stem Activity
While this activity is simple it gives your child a chance to exercise their science muscles by learning about some basic concepts through making guesses on the outcome (a hypothesis) as well as observing and recording their findings.
You will need:
- Candy corn
- Various liquids
- clear glasses or bowls
- Timer/stopwatch
- pen/paper
First, decide what liquids you want to use for this activity, I recommend choosing 4-6 different types.
It can be warm or cold water, salt water, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, oil, and clear soda.
Place two or three candy corn in each container.
Add enough of each liquid to cover the candy corn completely.
Heat your water up in the microwave for 30 seconds or just use hot water from the tap.
Make a label for each liquid you use and place it in front of the proper containers so they don’t get mixed up.
Observe the candy corn and note what each one is doing, set a stopwatch timer and see how long it takes for the first liquid to dissolve or time each.
We noticed changes begin right away in the very warm/ hot water, it immediately.
The vinegar was just a little behind the warm water.
And the oil and the rubbing alcohol seemed to do nothing at all.
The very warm water was the clear winner.
It took about 15 minutes to become almost completely dissolved.
Now the science behind this is that water and vinegar are both polar molecules, and so is sugar.
So, when you add those liquids to the sugary candy corn it pulls away at it breaking it down quickly.
The heat makes these molecules move around even faster.
