Energy Flow-Corn to Cow
Funded by the NSF and produced by WGBH, this interactive website allows the user to explore the path that energy follows as it is transferred from one organism to another. The catchy question that immediately sets the student up for an active learning process is simple: "Why can’t 400 pounds of corn be converted into a 400-pound cow?" This NOVA interactive claims to be at a K-5 level, but the background essay is much more technical. There are also three wonderful Discussion Questions to begin the interactive: 1. Where do plants get the energy they need to grow? 2. What do plants use most of their energy for? 3. How would changing to a plant-based diet help reduce world hunger? It is interesting that the creators of the interactive chose corn rather than grass to feed the cows, which speaks to the u201cfood machineu201d in our nation. This may lead to some interesting conversations about what cows naturally evolved to eat and what we are feeding them.
