1. Importance of Corn

2. Evolution of Corn left to right: teosinte - F1 hybrid – maize
(tee-uh-SIN-tee)

3. Teosinte

6. Corn Products I am in everything! A few examples:
Packing Peanuts (over 95%)
Ethanol
Plastics
Printing Ink
Camera Film
Candles
Charcoal
Crayons
Detergents
Adhesives
Fireworks
Paper
Cardboard
I am in everything!

7. How Stuff Works: Corn Plastic
(click on picture)

8. Procedure
Place a tablespoon of cornstarch in a resealable plastic bag.
Add 2 drops of corn oil to the cornstarch.
Add 1 ½ tablespoons of water to the oil and cornstarch.
Mix the mixture.
Add 2 drops of food coloring to the mixture and mix well.

9. Observations What do you notice about your biodegradable plastic?
Is your biodegradable plastic the same as your neighbors?
What could you make with this biodegradable plastic if you let it harden?

10. Procedure Seal the bag and knead well to a uniform consistency.
Microwave your plastic for seconds on high. Unseal bag before microwaving.

11. Observations What happens to your plastic?
Form your plastic into a ball (while it is still warm) and describe what it does.

12. In your notebook…
Name 3 things that could be made from corn plastic in the future.
Why is it necessary to find other forms of plastic?
What are the pros and cons of corn plastic?

13. Lab
Design an experiment to test the biodegradable plastic to traditional plastic
Examples of Variables:
-Sunlight
-Air
You must follow the scientific method!