Norman Borlaug, Hunger Fighter

On September 12, Nobel Prize winner Norman E. Borlaug died. Borlaug received the peace prize in 1970, primarily for his work in reversing food shortages in India and Pakistan in the 1960s. Before Borlaug introduced his high yield agriculture techniques, mass starvations had been predicted in many parts of the world. Instead, food production has expanded faster than human population in all parts of the world except sub-Saharan Africa.

Borlaug founded the International Maize and Wheat Center—located in Mexico and known by its Spanish acronym, CIMMYT—where he helped to develop the high-yield, low pesticide dwarf wheat upon which a substantial portion of the world's population now depends for sustenance.

Borlaug found many benefits to growing plants with shorter stalks. Nature favors genes for tall stalks, because in nature, plants must compete for access to sunlight. Borlaug found that equally short-stalked plants would receive equal amounts of sunlight when they did not have to compete with taller-stalked plants. In addition, dwarf wheat uses more energy growing valuable grain rather than using its energy growing tall, inedible stalks. Stout, short stalks also support wheat kernels better. Tall-stalked wheat may bend over at maturity, making it more difficult to harvest.

Borlaug particularly favored growing wheat in countries where starvation was a concern because wheat grows in nearly all environments and is resistant to insects.

Norman Borlaug, Hunger Fighter

Activity: Wheat Plant Model

1. Students will build a model of a wheat plant and determine the best stalk length for holding up the grain.
2. Provide copies of the Scientific Study Format.
3. Provide students with materials for building the model of a wheat plant: strips of card stock for the stalks, glue, and dried beans to represent the grains or use pipe cleaners and beads and predict and measure the length only.
4. Students will predict the correct width and length to cut the card stock so it will hold up the beans.
5. Students will write their predictions in the space provided on the Scientific Study Format.
6. Students will share their predictions with the class, and the class will predict the probability of success for each prediction.
7. Students will measure and cut the card stock into the widths and lengths they have predicted.
8. Students will glue 3-4 beans to each strip.
9. Students will test to see if their "wheat stalks" will hold up their "grain heads."
10. Students will adjust the dimensions of their "stalks" as necessary.
11. Students will write the results of their experiments.
12. Students will graph the results as a class.

P.A.S.S. for this activity

Grade 1: Science Process—1.1,2; 3.1,2,3; 4.3. Physical Science—1.1. Math Process—1.1,2,3,4; 2.1,3,4; 3.2,3; 4.4; 5.2. Math Content—4.1,5. Writing—2.5

Grade 2: Science Process—1.1,2; 3.1,2,3; 4.3. Math Process—1.1,2,3,4; 2.1,3,4; 3.2,3; 4.4; 5.2. Math Content—4.1ab; 5.1ab. Writing—2.2a

Grade 3: Science Process—1.1,2; 3.1,2,3; 4.3. Life Science—2.1,2. Math Process—1.1,2,3,4; 2.1,3,4; 3.2,3; 4.4; 5.2. Math Content—4.1ab; 5.1ac,2. Writing—2.1

Grade 4: Science Process—1.1,2; 3.1,2,3; 4.1,3,4. Math Process—1.1,2,3,4; 2.1,3,4; 3.2,3; 4.4; 5.2. Math Content—4.1a; 5.1b,2. Writing—2.1abcd

Related Lessons online: The Farmer Cares for the Land, A Priceless Collection

A letter to Ag in the Classroom teachers from Nobel Peace Prize winner Norman Borlaug

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom

Oklahoma Ag in the Classroom is a program of the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry and the Oklahoma State Department of Education