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Serious Cereal Science

Background

•  No grains being grown on farms=empty grocery store shelves! •  We rely on farmers to produce basic

ingredients to fill factories, trucks and stores. •  Also to provide jobs like graphic designer,

packagers, engineers, and food scientists •  About one out of every five Americans (or

20%) rely on agriculture for employment.

Grains-What and Where?

•  Most common grains come from the seeds of grasses and have been around for thousands of years

•  Wheat-Middle East, Fertile Crescent

•  Rice-Ancient China, River Valleys

•  Corn-Central Mexico

•  Quinoa-South America, Andes Mountains

Quinoa-Not Just a Grain!

•  Quinoa produces seeds that can be cooked and eaten like grains.

•  It is often called a pseudocereal.

•  High in nutrients (like protein and fiber)

•  Flexible growing conditions

•  Popular alternative for wheat

Where Do They Grow?

•  Each type of grain will be a different color.

•  Color your map according to the state that produces that grain

•  Some states produce more than one!

How Does it Work?

•  There is a process to how a little grain of wheat can get to something like bread.

•  In your packet, number the order of the step 1-10 from wheat to bread.

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Careers in the Process

•  Production: Pest control advisors, agronomists, crop scouts, crop production management

•  Processing: Cereal chemist, food scientist, grain millers, product research and development

•  Transportation: Delivery drivers, facility managers, warehouse workers, packagers

•  Marketing: Accountants, advertising executives, sales managers, graphic designers, retail account managers

•  Preparation: Chefs, bakers, nutritionists, food photographers

Seed Activity

•  First, guess which seeds are which from the samples provided. Did you get it right?

•  Now-we are going to play BINGO.

•  I’m going to read a clue-you have to find it in your info sheets and match with a grain on your board. When you get a BINGO-shout it out!