“Great Corn Adventure” – game about the proliferation of Corn in our Culture
Got a corn-allergic kid? How about educating him or her with an online game show?
The University of Illinois Extension has a game called the “Great Corn Adventure“ hosted by Zea Mays. It is part of a collection of educational games for kids.
Lovely Ms. Mays takes the viewer on a tour of the corn world, starting with the Native Americans in the valley of Tehuacan in Pueblo Mexico in 5000 b.c. Viewers learn that the ancient grain had only a few kernels compared to today’s varieties that hold over 800. Zea then takes us to the corn belt and explains how it is consumed: as animal feed, plastic production, aspirin making, in corn dogs, fuels, and various sweeteners. Viewers also get the opportunity to play a guessing game at the Corn Mart Sale. Various items are displayed and players must choose which ones are made with corn ingredients in them. All items listed contained corn, according to the game makers, except cheese and jam. But in my experience I have learned that even cheese and jam can contain corn…. Oh well, not 100% accurate, but informative just the same!
