King Corn Viewing Guide & Discussion - Free Printable
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Step-by-step solution for: King Corn Viewing Guide & Discussion
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: King Corn Viewing Guide & Discussion
Let’s go through each question one by one, using simple language and clear answers based on the documentary “King Corn” and general knowledge about corn farming in America.
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1. Why is our generation likely to die earlier than our parents?
Because we eat too much processed food — especially foods made with high-fructose corn syrup and cheap corn-fed beef. These foods can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems that shorten life.
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2. Where does the carbon in your body originate from?
From the air! Plants (like corn) take in carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis. When we eat plants or animals that ate plants, we get that carbon in our bodies.
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3. How does corn get in your hair?
When you eat corn or things made from corn (like soda, candy, or meat from corn-fed cows), your body breaks it down and uses its parts — including carbon atoms — to build your hair, skin, muscles, etc. Scientists can test your hair and find traces of corn because of a special type of carbon called C4 carbon, which corn has.
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4. What do Ian and Curt investigate?
They grow an acre of corn themselves to understand where their food comes from. They follow the journey of corn from farm to factory to see how it ends up in almost everything we eat — even if we don’t realize it.
---
5. Where did corn originate and how is today’s corn different from original corn?
Corn originated in Mexico thousands of years ago. Original corn was small, hard, and had few kernels. Today’s corn is genetically modified to be bigger, sweeter, and easier to harvest — but also less nutritious and more dependent on chemicals like fertilizer.
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6. What is the farm program for corn? How much money were Curt and Ian paid for their 1 acre of corn?
The U.S. government gives farmers subsidies (money) to grow corn so it stays cheap. This encourages overproduction. Ian and Curt got only about $28 for their entire acre of corn — not enough to cover costs without government help.
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7. How many acres of corn do most farmers in Greene, Iowa grow?
Most farmers there grow hundreds or even thousands of acres — way more than just 1 acre. It’s industrial-scale farming.
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8. What is industrial corn?
Industrial corn is corn grown on huge farms using machines, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. It’s not meant to be eaten directly by people — instead, it’s turned into animal feed, sweeteners, ethanol fuel, and ingredients in processed foods.
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9. What is a corn elevator?
It’s a big grain storage tower at the edge of town where farmers bring their harvested corn. The elevator weighs it, tests it, pays the farmer, then ships it off to factories or exporters.
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10. How much more corn could the farmers grow with ammonia fertilizer?
Ammonia fertilizer lets farmers grow WAY more corn — sometimes double or triple what they could grow naturally. Without it, soil would run out of nutrients quickly.
---
11. Think about nutrient cycles. Why do the farmers use ammonia fertilizers?
In nature, nutrients cycle back into the soil when plants die and decompose. But on big farms, all the corn is taken away, so nothing goes back. Farmers add ammonia fertilizer to replace lost nitrogen — otherwise, the soil wouldn’t support such large crops.
---
12. Why was the corn sweetener created?
To make cheap sugar substitutes for sodas and snacks. High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper than real sugar and easy to produce from surplus corn. Companies love it because it cuts costs.
---
13. How are most cattle raised in the U.S.?
Most cattle start on grass but spend the last few months in feedlots eating corn. This makes them gain weight fast before slaughter.
---
14. Is feeding corn healthy for cattle? Explain.
No. Cattle evolved to eat grass, not corn. Feeding them corn causes stomach problems, infections, and requires antibiotics to keep them alive until slaughter. It’s unnatural and stressful for them.
---
15. What are the driving forces for having corn-fed cattle vs. free-range, grass-fed cattle?
Money and speed. Corn-fed cattle gain weight faster, so farmers can sell them sooner. Also, since corn is subsidized and cheap, it’s economically better for big agribusiness — even though it’s worse for animal welfare and human health.
---
16. What is the difference in the amount of saturated fat in corn-fed beef as opposed to grass-fed beef?
Corn-fed beef has more saturated fat and unhealthy omega-6 fats. Grass-fed beef has less saturated fat and more healthy omega-3s — making it better for your heart.
---
17. When and why did corn syrup and corn starch become popular in the U.S.?
Starting in the 1970s–1980s, after Nixon-era policies encouraged massive corn production. With so much extra corn, companies found ways to turn it into sweeteners and thickeners for processed foods — which became super common because they’re cheap and shelf-stable.
---
18. What are some culinary benefits of corn starch?
Corn starch thickens sauces, soups, and gravies without changing flavor. It’s also used in baking to make textures softer or crispier. Plus, it’s inexpensive and widely available.
---
19. What percent of the corn crops will be used for use in ethanol? What is ethanol used for?
About 40% of U.S. corn goes to making ethanol. Ethanol is added to gasoline to reduce pollution and dependence on foreign oil — though it’s controversial because it takes food away from people and animals.
---
Final Answer:
All questions answered above with clear, student-friendly explanations based on the film “King Corn” and basic agricultural science.
---
1. Why is our generation likely to die earlier than our parents?
Because we eat too much processed food — especially foods made with high-fructose corn syrup and cheap corn-fed beef. These foods can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other health problems that shorten life.
---
2. Where does the carbon in your body originate from?
From the air! Plants (like corn) take in carbon dioxide from the air during photosynthesis. When we eat plants or animals that ate plants, we get that carbon in our bodies.
---
3. How does corn get in your hair?
When you eat corn or things made from corn (like soda, candy, or meat from corn-fed cows), your body breaks it down and uses its parts — including carbon atoms — to build your hair, skin, muscles, etc. Scientists can test your hair and find traces of corn because of a special type of carbon called C4 carbon, which corn has.
---
4. What do Ian and Curt investigate?
They grow an acre of corn themselves to understand where their food comes from. They follow the journey of corn from farm to factory to see how it ends up in almost everything we eat — even if we don’t realize it.
---
5. Where did corn originate and how is today’s corn different from original corn?
Corn originated in Mexico thousands of years ago. Original corn was small, hard, and had few kernels. Today’s corn is genetically modified to be bigger, sweeter, and easier to harvest — but also less nutritious and more dependent on chemicals like fertilizer.
---
6. What is the farm program for corn? How much money were Curt and Ian paid for their 1 acre of corn?
The U.S. government gives farmers subsidies (money) to grow corn so it stays cheap. This encourages overproduction. Ian and Curt got only about $28 for their entire acre of corn — not enough to cover costs without government help.
---
7. How many acres of corn do most farmers in Greene, Iowa grow?
Most farmers there grow hundreds or even thousands of acres — way more than just 1 acre. It’s industrial-scale farming.
---
8. What is industrial corn?
Industrial corn is corn grown on huge farms using machines, chemical fertilizers, and pesticides. It’s not meant to be eaten directly by people — instead, it’s turned into animal feed, sweeteners, ethanol fuel, and ingredients in processed foods.
---
9. What is a corn elevator?
It’s a big grain storage tower at the edge of town where farmers bring their harvested corn. The elevator weighs it, tests it, pays the farmer, then ships it off to factories or exporters.
---
10. How much more corn could the farmers grow with ammonia fertilizer?
Ammonia fertilizer lets farmers grow WAY more corn — sometimes double or triple what they could grow naturally. Without it, soil would run out of nutrients quickly.
---
11. Think about nutrient cycles. Why do the farmers use ammonia fertilizers?
In nature, nutrients cycle back into the soil when plants die and decompose. But on big farms, all the corn is taken away, so nothing goes back. Farmers add ammonia fertilizer to replace lost nitrogen — otherwise, the soil wouldn’t support such large crops.
---
12. Why was the corn sweetener created?
To make cheap sugar substitutes for sodas and snacks. High-fructose corn syrup is cheaper than real sugar and easy to produce from surplus corn. Companies love it because it cuts costs.
---
13. How are most cattle raised in the U.S.?
Most cattle start on grass but spend the last few months in feedlots eating corn. This makes them gain weight fast before slaughter.
---
14. Is feeding corn healthy for cattle? Explain.
No. Cattle evolved to eat grass, not corn. Feeding them corn causes stomach problems, infections, and requires antibiotics to keep them alive until slaughter. It’s unnatural and stressful for them.
---
15. What are the driving forces for having corn-fed cattle vs. free-range, grass-fed cattle?
Money and speed. Corn-fed cattle gain weight faster, so farmers can sell them sooner. Also, since corn is subsidized and cheap, it’s economically better for big agribusiness — even though it’s worse for animal welfare and human health.
---
16. What is the difference in the amount of saturated fat in corn-fed beef as opposed to grass-fed beef?
Corn-fed beef has more saturated fat and unhealthy omega-6 fats. Grass-fed beef has less saturated fat and more healthy omega-3s — making it better for your heart.
---
17. When and why did corn syrup and corn starch become popular in the U.S.?
Starting in the 1970s–1980s, after Nixon-era policies encouraged massive corn production. With so much extra corn, companies found ways to turn it into sweeteners and thickeners for processed foods — which became super common because they’re cheap and shelf-stable.
---
18. What are some culinary benefits of corn starch?
Corn starch thickens sauces, soups, and gravies without changing flavor. It’s also used in baking to make textures softer or crispier. Plus, it’s inexpensive and widely available.
---
19. What percent of the corn crops will be used for use in ethanol? What is ethanol used for?
About 40% of U.S. corn goes to making ethanol. Ethanol is added to gasoline to reduce pollution and dependence on foreign oil — though it’s controversial because it takes food away from people and animals.
---
Final Answer:
All questions answered above with clear, student-friendly explanations based on the film “King Corn” and basic agricultural science.
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of king corn worksheet answers.
