Appendix A – Activity's Instructions
DNA Extraction Lab 31
*Students copy/answer all questions in their interactive science notebooks.
Maize Day Game Teacher Instructions
1. Separate students into teams of 6. Have students create a name for their farm. Then randomly assign a size for their farm. I like to write several different acre sizes on index cards then have students pick one randomly without looking. Then do the same thing for a starting bank account amount. You can either hand each team fake money, or I suggest a mini white board and white board marker which could be used to easily add and deduct.
2. Display the game board on an overhead or smart board. Use a different colored game piece for each team. Every team begins on Go. As teams buy property use a corresponding marker color to show ownership of that space. All fines are to be added to the center of the board. This can be done using fake money or by just calculating the amounts and updating a sum as necessary.
3. With each roll of the dice teams will have the opportunity to grow or harm their farm in different ways. Chance cards (which you will need to create ahead of time) have an opportunity to help or harm the farm owners. This is where most of the real learning will happen as the chance cards should illustrate the advantages non-organic farming has over organic. Write your chance cards strategically to illustrate the defects. A list of recommendations is included.
4. Landing on a "SO SUE ME" space means that the farm that landed there and the nearest farm (in proximity to the left) are in legal litigation. To solve this each team must roll the dice 3x the team with the highest quantity of the three rolls wins the law suit and takes the bank.
5. Each time a team passes go that represents surviving another planting year.
6. The game ends at the end of the period where each team adds up their total acreage and is bought out by a giant corporation. The corporation pays the farms .40 per acre which is added to their bank account. The team with the largest total bank account balance wins the game. The following day students should reflect on the games challenges and their teams successes. They should strategize how they would have a better advantage and reflect upon the differences in farming techniques.
Example Game Board
Chance Card Ideas:
A. Consumer Reports Magazine reports that consumers prefer the taste of organic corn. A major news story about this is reported and read by millions. As a result sales for organic farmers increase while non-organic decrease. If you are an organic farmer add $50,000 to your bank account. If non-organic deduct $50,000
B. E. Coli outbreak traced back to corn. Consumers are outraged! Everyone deduct $100,000 in product sales from bank accounts.
C. Protestors are seen outside your farm disputing use of GMOs. They block your entrance and exit for 3 days. If organic non-GMO, you are not impacted, all other farmers deduct $3,500 for 3 days profits.
D. GM seeds from a nearby farm have infiltrated your land. If organic non-GMO you spend a week digging up these plants and ensuring the safety and non-cross pollination of your product. Deduct $8,000.
E. A drastic weed outbreak has occurred! It eats 30% of your crop. If organic, you lose $55,000 worth of product.
F. A drastic bacteria outbreak has occurred. If organic it ruins 80% of your crop. You lose $130,000 in product.
G. You are caught purposely spreading seeds to another farm. Go to Jail for 2 turns.
H. You are unable to pay your taxes. Go to Jail for 2 turns.
I. A major maker of corn syrup says your plants are not producing fast enough. They decide to not contract for work with your farm anymore. If organic deduct $200,000 from future profits.
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