Cattle Corrections      
Most kids love hamburgers, but how much do they know about raising beef cattle? In
this lesson, students will practice their proofreading and editing skills while learning
cattle and farming terminology and how cattle are raised.

City & Country Contrast Through Poetry      
Students will read and interpret poetry concerning the people and characteristics of rural and
urban Midwest communities.

Corn & Soybean Processing & Products      
Why do farmers grow so much corn and soybeans? How are these crops used?
Students will explore the wealth of products derived from these two humble seeds,
research the steps involved in their processing, and conduct experiments to discover
why they are so versatile.

Flags Are Symbolic      
Students will learn that flags represent important facts concerning the country, state,
and county they represent. They will learn about the flags of the United States, Illinois
and Chicago. They will create a flag that represents themselves.

From Bluestem & Bison to Corn & Cattle      
Have you ever stopped to think just how small 1/100th of 1% is? This activity provides
students with a perspective of how the landscape of Illinois has changed from tallgrass
prairie to fields of corn and soybeans. All it takes is a sheet of paper. Students will listen
to directions on how to fold and tear this paper to represent the Illinois prairie landscape
changes that occurred in less than 100 years. Students will use math and listening
skills.

Futures Trading      
Students will demonstrate an understanding of marketing farm commodities by selling
them utilizing M&M’s candy to represent corn scenario. They will observe and learn
about challenges farmers face when marketing commodities while learning some new
terms.

Home Grown in Illinois      
Most people would guess that Illinois farmers grow a lot of corn. But is corn the only
farm commodity produced in Illinois? What's a commodity, anyway? In this lesson,
students will review commodity cards to learn about the top farm commodities from this
state. They will then research another farm product in order to create an informational
page to share with others.

How Many Deer Are Here?      
Hunting for meat and sport can be a contentious topic. But the fact is that without
natural predators like wolves, hunting is necessary to keep the Illinois deer population at
a healthy level. This lesson will reinforce chart-reading, math, and map skills as
students work with actual deer population statistics.

illinois agriculture by the numbers      
Students will learn about a variety of information regarding Illinois agriculture through
charts and graphs.

illinois logic puzzle      
A logic puzzle is a problem that can be solved using deductive reasoning. A deduction
is a logical conclusion drawn from two or more true statements. One common type of
logic puzzle involves a tool known as an elimination grid. In this activity, students will
read about some popular Illinois destinations and then use an elimination grid to solve a
puzzle.

illinois roadtrip      
GPS mapping apps are nice, but map-reading skills are still important to use them
effectively. This lesson teaches skills such as finding coordinates, understanding the
cardinal directions, and reading an index as students use paper highway maps to
explore interesting sites across the state.

Investigate Illinois      
Illinois is known for famous figures like Abraham Lincoln and features like expansive  fields of corn. However, Illinois is home to many lesser-known but equally interesting  features as well. In this lesson, students will investigate Illinois agriculture, famous  people, historical tidbits, and sites.

Let's Gather Together      
Have you ever thought about the types of events that bring large numbers of people  together throughout history? In this lesson, students will explore some of those events,  fairs, and shows.

Let's Talk About It: Lincoln-Douglas Debates      
How can people have civil, informative conversations about important issues? Formal  debates are an organized way for individuals to express their beliefs and reasoning, and  for audiences to learn about the debaters’ views. In this lesson, students will learn about  the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates and stage their own debate on the contentious  topic of genetically modified organisms.

Mcdonald's: A chicago success story      
Students will learn about the history of McDonald’s Corporation. Use chart reading to
perform math calculations. Use of time line information to respond to questions.

Navigating the Water Highways      
How do rivers like the Mississippi impact all our lives? Our major rivers move fertilizers
farmers use to produce crops we consume, salt that melts ice on our roads, and grain
sold to other countries thereby helping our nation’s economy. In this lesson, students
will explore the importance of rivers, discover the role of locks and dams, and build
miniature dams in an experiment comparing dam construction materials.

Prairie Basics      
Illinois is now largely covered by corn, soybeans, and other crops, but it was once  covered by tallgrass prairie. This lesson conveys highlights of Illinois' prairie history and  reinforces computation skills as students solve a word puzzle about our state prairie  grass.

Prairie Passages      
How do we really know what an Illinois prairie was like in the early 1800’s? We depend
on the written accounts of explorers and settlers who first traveled into and through
Illinois. By reading their letters, journals and personal accounts, we can learn a great
deal about the people and their journey and experiences related to an Illinois prairie.

Prairie Plant Adaptations      
You look at your beautiful green lawn and there it is....a yellow dandelion! You grab a
spade to remove it. As you strive to dig out every bit of its roots, you wonder, "How far
down does this thing go?!" Dandelions are a perfect example of a plant adapted to
survive the harshest conditions. In this lesson, students will examine adaptations that
allow native Illinois prairie plants to survive drought, fire, wind, grazing, and extreme
temperatures.

Prairie State mapping      
It’s a hot summer day and the clouds are getting more grey and ominous. Your cell
phone sounds an emergency alert and you are notified that the counties of Livingston,
Grundy and LaSalle are under a tornado alert. Do you know if you live in one of these
counties and should seek cover immediately? Let’s learn about Illinois geography and
history and prominent landmarks.

Science in your shopping cart      
Have you ever wondered about the science behind items in your shopping cart?
Scientists continually research new products and improvements to current products. In
this lesson, students will take a look at some of the research being done. Utilizing the
scientific method, they will experiment with absorbency of products. Students will also
learn about exciting careers in science and technology.

skyscraper science      
Students will learn about various science concepts used in the building of skyscrapers
and put these concepts into the building of their own skyscraper.

Sprouting Success in Illinois from North to South      
Choosing plants that are best to grow in your area is an important first step in having a
successful crop. A good place to start is to research plants that are best suited for your
growing zone.

Stockyards to Skyscrapers      
A look at the land use history of Chicago from the stockyards of the 1800’s to the
skyscrapers of today.

The shape of Illinois      
Students will learn how glaciers shaped our state and how the shape of the land
impacts agriculture as they make clay relief map of Illinois.

The wealth of Illinois      
Who decides which birds, mammals, and other items become our state symbols? In this
lesson, students will learn how a bill becomes a law as they dig into the establishment
of our state soil.

Trees are for treasuring & measuring      
Trees are an incredibly important part of the ecosystem of earth. Living for hundreds
and even thousands of years and sheltering trillions of living things, trees are essential
to earth and the living creatures who inhabit the planet. This lesson will introduce
students to several ways to measure trees along with a way to measure their
importance to earth’s water cycle.

Who Are the Amish      
Learn about Amish traditions and compare them to modern non-Amish traditions of
today.