Interactive Assessment for Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn
Description
A number of questions are embedded within the short film Popped Secret: The Mysterious Origin of Corn, which explores the genetic and archaeological evidence that corn was domesticated from a wild Mexican grass called teosinte.
Ten thousand years ago, corn didn’t exist anywhere in the world, and until recently scientists argued vehemently about its origins. Today, the crop is consumed voraciously by us, by our livestock, and as a major part of processed foods. So where did it come from? This film tells the story of the genetic changes involved in the transformation of teosinte into corn and the supporting archaeological evidence pinpointing this transformation to a particular time and place in Mexico.
This version of the film with embedded questions contains automatic pause points, during which students answer questions about the film to assess their understanding of the concepts presented. After answering all the questions, students can view and print their answers.
Student Learning Targets
-
Describe the genetic and archaeological evidence that suggests that corn was domesticated from teosinte.
-
Explain how changes in only a few genes can account for the dramatic differences between corn and teosinte.
Estimated Time
Key Terms
archaeology, artificial selection, crossbreeding, domestication, maize, Mexico, microfossil, selective breeding, teosinte
Primary Literature
Beadle, George W. “The origin of Zea mays.” In Origins of Agriculture, edited by C. E. Reed, 615–636. The Hague: Mouton, 1977.
Terms of Use
Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS (2013)
HS-LS1-1, HS-LS3-1, HS-LS3-3, HS-LS4-1; SEP6
AP Biology (2019)
EVO-1.F, EVO-1.M. EVO-1.N, EVO-3.F, IST-1.I, IST-2.A, IST-2.B, IST-2.D, IST-2.E, SYI-3.C; SP1, SP4
IB Biology (2016)
2.7, 3.1, 3.4, 5.1, 9.3, 10.2
AP Environmental Science (2020)
Topic(s): 2.1
IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)
5.2
Common Core (2010)
ELA.WHST.9-12.4
Vision and Change (2009)
CC1, CC2, CC3; DP1