������Ƶ

If you can play BINGO, you can play FARMO! Gather the materials and follow the instructions listed below to play this agricultural spin on BINGO. You can play this game at home or in school, and you can even play it over live video with your friends, family members or classroom! If playing over video, email all the players a blank FARMO card and a list of words/pictures to get started.

Materials

• Blank FARMO Cards (one per player)
• Writing Utensil (pen, pencil, crayon, etc.)
• Scissors
• Game Markers (25 per player – can use small pieces of paper, M&M’s, Skittles, Cheerios, etc.)
• FARMO Word Bank (see below for age-appropriate ideas) or FARMO Pictures
• Glue or Tape (if needed)

Instructions

1. Print enough “Blank FARMO Cards” so every player has one (or have them draw a 5 by 5 grid of squares).
2. Start filling in the spots on your FARMO card. The museum logo in the center is a Free Space. Here are some options depending on the age level:
   1. If your players are old enough to write, provide them with a list of words to have them arrange in the boxes on their FARMO card in any way they want. Make sure to use the list of words to make slips of paper to draw for the game announcer! See the next page for some different options to use for a word bank.
   2. If your players are not old enough to write, print out one copy of “FARMO Pictures” per person and help them cut out and glue or tape the pictures in the boxes. Make sure to print out an extra set of pictures to cut out and use for the game announcer!
3. Distribute game markers to your players. Remind them not to eat their game markers until the end if you are using food!
4. Decide what type of FARMO (BINGO) you are going to play (traditional, four corners, blackout, etc.).
5. Have the announcer randomly select slips of paper with the game words on it. Continue until someone gets a FARMO (BINGO) – you can have the winner shout FARMO when they win!

Blank FARMO Card

FARMO Idea No. 1: Things found on a farm (for kids who know how to write/spell)

Have students write the following terms randomly on their FARMO cards.

FARMO Idea No. 2: Things found on a farm (for younger kids who can't write/spell)

With the help of a parent/teacher/helper, have kids cut out the squares below and randomly arrange/tape down to a FARMO card.

FARMO Idea No. 3: Livestock Terminology

Have students write the following terms randomly on their FARMO cards.

One of my favorite activities to do during museum field trips each spring is make garden gloves! When I ask, students are always eager to tell me what a plant needs to grow (soil, sunlight, water and air). I adore seeing the students get excited to start growing their gardens, but what I love even more is seeing their reaction when I tell them we are going to start growing this garden using a plastic glove and cotton balls instead of soil! By using these materials to start of your seeds, you can see how seeds germinate and start to grow roots, which you typically can’t see if your seeds are in the soil. If you are ready to start your garden for the year, gather your supplies and follow these directions!

Materials

• Plastic glove (Make sure the glove is clear so the sunlight can get to the seeds – large food service gloves work the best, and the blue or purple gloves you find at the doctor or dentist don't work. Don’t have access to a glove, no problem! Use a plastic sandwich baggie to simulate a glove. You can even use staples to make your fingers if you want!)
• Five cotton balls
• Seeds (I like to use five different types of seeds so we can grow a different plant in each finger, but you can use whatever you have on hand.)
• Bowl of water
• Pipe cleaner
• Pencil
• Paper

Instructions

1. Gather all your supplies in an area where it won’t hurt if it gets a little wet.
2. Using a pencil, trace your hand on a sheet of paper and write your name and date at the top. You will use this to remember what seeds you planted in each finger and what date you planted it on.
3. Take your first cotton ball and soak it in your water. Squeeze the cotton ball over the bowl so it isn’t dripping any water but still damp. It should look nice and flat (like a pancake)!
4. Take one of your seeds and place it in the middle of the cotton ball. Fold the cotton ball in half around the seed (like a taco) and place it into a finger in your glove. If you are having trouble getting the seed and cotton ball to the bottom of the finger, you can use your pencil to gently move it down to the tip of the finger.
5. On your paper, write down what seed you put in each finger.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 until each glove finger has a cotton ball and seed inside.
7. Using your pipe cleaner, tie your glove shut so your seeds can’t fall out. With the ends of your pipe cleaner, bend a hook shape so you can hang it in a window.

In the next few days, you should start to see your seeds sprout roots. If your cotton balls dry out, you can add a little bit of water to keep the seeds moist. In the next few weeks, you can transplant (or move) your plants to a pot with soil in your house or into your garden!

I love spring – picking out what to grow in your gardens or flowerbeds, planting some seeds and watching those tiny little seedlings poke out of the ground. It is so rewarding to see that first seedling pop up, but have you ever wondered what it looks like before they start to sprout? In this Thinking Thursday, we are making a homemade root viewer. This will allow us to see those first signs of plant life before they start to grow out of the ground! Root viewer kits can be kind of spendy, but I’m going to show you how to make one out of an old CD case! If you are ready to start your observations, gather your supplies and follow these directions.

Materials

• Clear CD Case (the older ones work best that are around ¼ inch thick)
• Soil
• Permanent marker
• Seeds (grass and bean seeds work well, but any seeds will do)
• Rubber band

Instructions

1. Gather all your supplies in an area where it won’t hurt if it gets a little dirty.
2. Take your CD case and pop out any inserts including the black part used to hold the CD.
3. Open your CD case and put a thin layer of soil on half of one side. Put the soil on the side farthest away from the hinge.
4. Place a thin layer of seeds at the top edge of the soil (closest to the hinge). If your seeds are ones you should plant above ground (like grass), you can move to the next step. If your seeds need a layer of soil on top of them, you can add that now.
5. Close your CD case and use a rubber band to secure the opening.
6. Use your permanent marker to write your name and date near the hinge.
7. Through the slit at the top, add some water. You want to keep the soil moist – not soaking wet.

Keep your root viewer on a window ledge or somewhere safe where it will get some sun and you can keep an eye on the roots. Make sure that you also check the soil to ensure it stays wet enough for the seeds to grow. In the next few days, you should start to see your seeds sprout roots. When your seeds start to outgrow your root viewer, you can transplant them.

Have you ever visited a greenhouse before? I love walking through the doors of a greenhouse and feeling the warm, humid air. We know that greenhouses let us start growing plants sooner – but have you ever wondered exactly how much impact a greenhouse has on the growing process? In this Thinking Thursday, we are going to set up an experiment so you can monitor just how much the extra warmth and moisture helps a plant to grow.

Materials

• Three plastic cups (at least one of them must be clear)
• Scissors or craft knife
• Soil
• Seeds
• Water
• Tape

Instructions

1. Gather all your supplies in an area where it won’t hurt if it gets a little dirty.
2. With the help of an adult, use the scissors or craft knife to make holes in the bottom of each cup. This will be important for extra water to go out and air to come in.
3. Fill two of your cups 2/3 to 3/4 full of soil. You will use these two cups as pots for growing your seeds.
4. Place the same number of seeds in each pot, then sprinkle a layer of soil over the seeds that is around 1/4 of an inch thick.
5. Gently water or mist your soil so the top layer is soaked through. Set one of your pots aside – it is finished!
6. For your other pot, place your third cup upside down on top of the pot so the lips of the cups are touching. Use tape to secure. This pot will act as your greenhouse.
7. Place your pots together in a window so they get plenty of sunlight and add water as necessary to keep the soil moist.
8. As you watch your plants grow, monitor their growth. Look to answer questions like:
   1. Did the seeds in the greenhouse sprout on the same day as the seeds in your uncovered pot?
   2. Do the same number of seeds sprout in both pots?
   3. Do you have to water your uncovered pot more or less often to keep the soil as moist as your greenhouse?
   4. Are your plants growing faster in one of the pots?
9. Once your plants have outgrown your pots, you can transplant them to bigger pots or to a garden.

Have you ever wondered what is below the top layer of soil outside? If you dig deep enough to see a large cross-section of soil, you might notice that the soil changes colors and is made up of different materials. Soil scientists have done a lot of research over the years, and they’ve told us that soil profiles can change from place to place depending on where you live, what your climate is, etc. Today, we are going to go over the basic layers of a soil profile – and make a tasty snack while we do so!

Materials

• Clear cup (glass or plastic)
• Sandwich cookies (one whole cookie and one crumbled cookie per cup)
• Vanilla or white chocolate pudding
• Chocolate pudding
• Sprinkles
• Gummy worms
• Spoon(s)
• Paper towel/wash cloth

Instructions

1. Gather all your supplies in an area where it won’t hurt if it gets a little dirty.
2. Before you start layering, show the students/kids a picture of a soil profile. Talk about how each layer, or horizon, is made up of different materials like rocks, sand, clay, roots, worms and much more.
3. Start layering your soil profile in your clear cup, explaining each layer/horizon as you go:
   1. Bedrock (whole sandwich cookie): The bedrock is a layer of rock that is found deep beneath some soils. In some parts of the world, the layers on top of the bedrock have been blown or worn away, so that is all that is left!
   2. C Horizon/Parent Material (crumbled sandwich cookie pieces): The C horizon is made up of rock pieces. These pieces are also called parent material, because some day they will break up to become smaller and smaller. Once they are small enough, they become soil.
   3. B Horizon/Subsoil (vanilla or white chocolate pudding): The B horizon, or subsoil, contains soil that doesn’t have much organic matter. Organic matter is all of the living things that help plants grow, like decomposing leaves, fungi, bacteria, worms, etc. This layer of soil is really hard to grow plants, trees, or crops in.
   4. A Horizon/Topsoil (chocolate pudding): The A horizon has all of the same things that the B horizon has, but it also has organic matter that helps plants grow. The organic matter makes the soil in the A horizon much darker than the soil in the B horizon.
   5. O Horizon/Organic Ground Cover (sprinkles): The O horizon has things that are growing in the soil, like grass.
   6. Lastly, you can have the students/kids throw a few gummy worms in. It is important for us to have living things in the soil like worms, bugs, fungi, and bacteria to help the plants grow and keep water and nutrients close to the roots.
4. Use a spoon and “dig” in – you’ve made an edible soil profile!  While you are eating, you can ask some of these questions to check for understanding:
   1. Sometimes, if you move soil around too much, the top layer (topsoil) can blow away. Why would it be bad if that layer of soil disappeared? (Answer: It is much harder to grow plants in the lower levers of a soil profile vs. the topsoil.)
   2. Can you name all the layers of soil? (Answer: bedrock, C horizon/parent material, B horizon/subsoil, A horizon/topsoil, O horizon/organic ground cover.)
   3. Why is the A horizon darker than the B horizon? (Answer: The A horizon has organic matter that makes the soil healthier and darker.)
   4. What layer of the soil is the most important to keeping us alive? (Answer: The A horizon/topsoil, because that is where all of our plants grow their roots.)

Did you know that there are different types of soil? You have probably seen a few different types in your lifetime, but have you ever wondered what makes each type different? Today, we are going to learn about the different soil particles and do an experiment to see how much of each particle you have in your soil. Next week, we’ll continue our experiment and learn how to use the results of this experiment to determine what type of soil you have!

Materials

• Mason jar with lid (pint or quart size will work well)
• Soil (enough to fill about half of your mason jar)
• Water (enough to fill your jar)

Instructions

1. Grab your empty mason jar and fill it about half full with loose soil (don’t pack it in). It’s best to get soil all from the same spot in your yard or garden. For example, I’m using a quart size mason jar, and to fill it half full I will need around four inches of soil in the jar. When I go out to get my soil, I’ll dig a hole about the size of my jar that is four inches deep.
2. As you put your soil in your jar, make sure you take out any rocks and break up any chunks of soil.
3. Fill the rest of your jar with water leaving about an inch at the top so you have some shaking room.
4. Close your mason jar tight, because the next step requires shaking!
5. Shake your jar vigorously until all of your soil and water is mixed together.
6. Find a place to let your jar sit undisturbed for several hours (some soils might need up to 24 hours for it to settle).
7. After a while, you will notice layers start to form. These are the different particles that are found in soil!
   1. Sand: The largest soil particle is sand. Because it is the largest, it will sink to the very bottom of your jar and form your lowest layer. Sand is very good for water drainage, but it doesn’t hold water very well. Sand is the soil particle that can heat up and cool down the fastest as well.
   2. Silt: The middle size soil particle is silt. Because of this, it will form a layer on top of your bottom/sand layer in your jar. Silt particles have a good balance of holding and draining water, but they can easily cause runoff or soil erosion.
   3. Clay: The smallest soil particle is clay. Unlike sand and silt that are round, clay is shaped more like plates. Because it is the smallest particle, it will create your top layer in your jar. Clay particles are very good at holding on to water, but they do not drain water very well. Clay is also the soil particle that heats up and cools down the slowest compared to silt and sand.
8. After your layers settle, you can determine what percentage of each particle you have. Next week, we’ll take our results and use a soil texture triangle to determine what type of soil we have!

You can find part two of the soil experiment.

Did you know that there are different types of soil? You have probably seen a few different types in your lifetime, but have you ever wondered what makes each type different? Last week, we learned about the different soil particles and did an experiment to see how much of each particle you have in your soil. Today, we’ll continue our experiment and learn how to use the results of your experiment to determine what type of soil you have!

Materials

• Results from Soil Particle Experiment Jar (last week’s experiment).
• (you can find one pictured).

Instructions

1. Grab your results from last week. Remember when I asked you to figure out what percent of each soil particle you had? You’ll need those numbers today.
2. Looking at your soil texture triangle, you will see that there are a lot of different options for what type of soil you can have. Let’s start with marking our percentages out:
   1. Across the bottom of the soil texture triangle, you will see the word “Sand”. Using your results, place a dot on this line with what percent sand you have (i.e., I had XX% sand in my jar, so I would place a dot on XX%). Once you have your dot, follow the line on the triangle toward the left side of the triangle.
   2. Across the left side of the soil texture triangle, you will see the word “Clay.” Using your results, place a dot on this line with what percent clay you have (i.e., I had XX% clay in my jar, so I would place a dot on XX%). Once you have your dot, follow the line on the triangle toward the right side of the triangle.
   3. Across the right of the soil texture triangle, you will see the word “Silt.” Using your results, place a dot on this line with what percent silt you have (i.e., I had XX% silt in my jar, so I would lace a dot on the XX%). Once you have your dot, follow the line on the triangle toward the bottom of the triangle.
3. Do all your lines intersect at one point? Great! Where that intersection is determines what type of soil you have. You can use this information when you are planning what to plant in your garden or what to use in your landscaping.

With permission from Scholastic, here is "How Did That Get In My Lunchbox: The Story Of Food" by Chris Butterworth. Illustrated by Lucia Gaggiotti.

With permission from Scholastic, here is "Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt" by Kate Messner and art by Christopher Silas Neal.

With permission from Scholastic, here is "Women in Science: Temple Grandin" by Ruby Cardona and illustrated by Isobel Lundie.

With permission from Scholastic, here is "Farm" by Penelope Arlon and Tory Gordon-Harris.

With permission from Scholastic, here is "Give Bees a Chance" with words and pictures by Bethany Barton.

I think we can all come to the agreement that the past few months have been full of interesting twists and turns – but now that summer is here, many of us are looking for ways to get out of the house find some safe activities to do while on a bike ride, drive or a walk around the neighborhood. If you are on the hunt for a fun learning activity for yourself or your family this summer, take our Traveling Scavenger Hunt out for a spin!

Materials

• Writing utensil
• Scavenger hunt list with facts (below)

Instructions

1. Before you head out on your road trip, bike ride, or walk, print out the scavenger hunt list below this instruction section. If you don’t have a printer, you can write the list out on a separate sheet of paper or have it handy on an electronic device like a smartphone or tablet.
2. Get out and explore! Try to find as many items as you can. Depending on where and how you are traveling, you’ll find some items easier than others.
3. As you check an item off the list, share the provided fact related to that item with your family or friends that are exploring with you. If you want to learn more, I’ve included the link to the source of the information!

Scavenger Hunt Items to Find

• : Did you know that our state insect is the honeybee? They help pollinate crops and flowers across the state.
• : The average hen lays around 300-325 eggs each year. In addition, an average person eats around 200 eggs each year – that means one chicken can produce enough eggs for about 1.5 people!
• : Each year in South ������Ƶ, farmers plant and harvest over six million acres (or about six million football fields) worth of corn!
• : South ������Ƶ is home to 3.9 million cows – which means we have over four times as many cows as we do people in the state!
• : In South ������Ƶ, agriculture is the number one industry. In fact, there are over 31,000 farms in our state!
• Pork is consistently the most consumed meat in the whole world.
• South ������Ƶ is the fifth largest producer of both lamb and wool in the United States.
• : Not only do we eat soybeans in a variety of different foods, but it can also be used in non-food products. Did you know that the artificial turf on the SDSU football field is made with a soy-based backing?
• : Our state consistently ranks in the top sunflower producers not only in the United States, but around the world.
• : South ������Ƶ raises over 5 million turkeys each year!
• : While a lot of food products use part of the wheat kernel, whole wheat products use all three parts: the bran, germ and endosperm!

Here at the museum, we strive to create exhibits that spark your interests and make you want to learn more. While we love putting up new exhibits, it’s always bittersweet to take an exhibit down. With technology, we are now able to make virtual/online exhibits out of the exhibits we take down. Not only does this allow us to share our work electronically, but it also allows us to share our exhibits and research with you regardless of where you are located on the planet!

For this Thinking Thursday, we’re posting a crossword puzzle that helps you explore our “Groundbreakers” online exhibit. This is great for anyone from middle schoolers to adults, and is a great way to explore or revisit a favorite exhibit of our patrons. Teachers – this is also a great activity to use in the classroom. Just use the print button located under the instructions OR have your students complete the puzzle and turn in a screenshot for a grade!

To complete this activity, visit our and our .

Here at the museum, we strive to create exhibits that spark your interests and make you want to learn more. While we love putting up new exhibits, it’s always bittersweet to take an exhibit down. With technology, we are now able to make virtual/online exhibits out of the exhibits we take down. Not only does this allow us to share our work electronically, but it also allows us to share our exhibits and research with you regardless of where you are located on the planet!

For this Thinking Thursday, we’re posting a crossword puzzle that helps you explore “The Unspun Tale” online exhibit. This exhibit focuses on the sheep industry and its impact in South ������Ƶ. This is great for anyone from middle schoolers to adults, and is a great way to explore or revisit a favorite exhibit of our patrons. Teachers – this is also a great activity to use in the classroom. Just have your students complete the puzzle and turn in a screenshot for a grade!

To complete this activity, visit our online and our .

Here at the museum, we strive to create exhibits that spark your interests and make you want to learn more. While we love putting up new exhibits, it’s always bittersweet to take an exhibit down. With technology, we are now able to make virtual/online exhibits out of the exhibits we take down. Not only does this allow us to share our work electronically, but it also allows us to share our exhibits and research with you regardless of where you are located on the planet!

For this Thinking Thursday, we’re posting a word search that helps you explore our “Groundbreakers” online exhibit. This is great for anyone from middle schoolers to adults, and is a great way to explore or revisit a favorite exhibit of our patrons. Teachers – this is also a great activity to use in the classroom. Just have your students complete the puzzle and turn in a screenshot for a grade!

To complete this online activity, visit our and our .

Here at the museum, we strive to create exhibits that spark your interests and make you want to learn more. While we love putting up new exhibits, it’s always bittersweet to take an exhibit down. With technology, we are now able to make virtual/online exhibits out of the exhibits we take down. Not only does this allow us to share our work electronically, but it also allows us to share our exhibits and research with you regardless of where you are located on the planet!

For this Thinking Thursday, we’re posting a word search that helps you explore our “The Unspun Tale” online exhibit. This is great for anyone from middle schoolers to adults, and is a great way to explore or revisit a favorite exhibit of our patrons. Teachers – this is also a great activity to use in the classroom. Just have your students complete the puzzle and turn in a screenshot for a grade!

Find a helpful video on how to start your crossword puzzle below:

To complete this online activity, visit our and our .