Live Exploration: Georgia Peanuts

In this interactive virtual learning journey, students will explore the peanut industry, history and origins of the peanut plant, various ways peanuts are used, and how peanuts impact our economy. Additionally, students will learn about a number of career opportunities in the peanut industry. Key concepts are presented through text, images, videos, and interactive elements.

With average yield information per acre, students will use paper squares/beads (each representing 1,000 lbs.) to help visualize how many pounds of peanuts are produced from one field of a set number of acres.

Student groups will each be given a certain amount of water in a container. Students will measure the amount of water they have and create an algebraic equation knowing that two inches of water are needed per plant to determine how many plants could be supported with their amount of water.

Students will label and color a map of the United States to indicate states where peanuts are commercially grown and their respective percentages of peanut production.

Students will engage in a hands-on activity, similar to a relay race, where select students act as the body’s immune system and other students act as ingested food. Students will “travel” inside the body of a large, imaginary person to experience the reaction first-hand.

The class works together (as a large group or in collaborative working groups) to move cotton balls (representing energy) from an area identified as the sun, to a peanut plant, and finally to three paper sacks labeled “Protein,” “Vitamins and Minerals,” and “Good Fats."

Students will discover the nutritional value of peanut butter and its use as an aid tool for malnutrition. Students will work in collaborative groups to build on one another’s ideas and create a community service plan to connect food pantries, and others in need, with peanut-based products.

Three short non-fiction stories are provided about families that grow peanuts. After reading or listening to the stories, students will be asked to recall key information.

In this interactive virtual learning journey, students will explore the peanut industry, history and origins of the peanut plant, various ways peanuts are used, and how peanuts impact our economy. Additionally, students will learn about a number of career opportunities in the peanut industry. Key concepts are presented through text, images, videos, and interactive elements.

George Washington Carver was a world-renowned American botanist who devoted his life’s work to helping farmers successfully grow their crops. By doing two primary source activities and watching a short video, students will explore the life of science and innovation led by George Washington Carver.

These segments from Iowa PBS’s documentary George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life tell the story of Carver’s life through footage and interviews from people who knew or were influenced by him. Interviews took place at Iowa State University, Simpson College and Tuskegee University.

The availability of freshwater is critical for farmers in south Georgia. In this video, Donald Chase in Macon County, Georgia, discusses the importance of clean freshwater and how he uses it to irrigate his crops. The Flint Riverkeeper, Gordon Rogers, explains the roles of advocacy groups when it comes to protecting and conserving freshwater sources.

Players learn about sustainable practices by growing crops, protecting them against unforeseen problems, and determining how best to conserve resources in this interactive game

Learn about the farm equipment on display at the annual Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, from massive combine harvesters to GPS-enabled tractors.

Peanuts are the most common allergy-causing foods. Researchers have discovered an enzyme solution to break down allergy causing proteins in peanuts and create a hypoallergenic peanut.

These segments from Iowa PBS’s documentary George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life tell the story of Carver’s life through footage and interviews from people who knew or were influenced by him. Interviews took place at Iowa State University, Simpson College and Tuskegee University.

Players learn about sustainable practices by growing crops, protecting them against unforeseen problems, and determining how best to conserve resources in this interactive game.

In this video segment adapted from Interactive NOVA, learn why more and more farmers are opting for sustainable, organic farming practices to help preserve the valuable topsoil that they rely on for their livelihoods and society relies on for a continuing supply of grains and produce.

How can we grow in new directions? Explore ways to reduce our impact on the environment by thinking about farming in a new direction...up!

How can we grow more crop per drop? In this video, we'll learn about the technology that some farms are using to reduce the amount of water it takes to grow food.

Learn how researchers and farmers are using drones to help figure out the future of agriculture. In this video from SciTech Now, hear from farmers who are embracing new technologies to increase crop yields while decreasing over-fertilization and water waste. It’s estimated that 90% of all drone use by the year 2025 will be in agriculture.