Celebrate Earth Day with the Lorax!

We're talking about trees and the Lorax this month—which makes perfect sense with Earth Day just around the corner! Now here at our Wooster, Ohio, campus, we're celebrating Earth Day with on April 17 with our Scarlet Gray and Green Fair.

Source: wcsen.org via Oardc on Pinterest

And while we'd love for you to come join the fun, some of you just might not be close enough to join us for the day. If not, have you considered hosting an Earth Day celebration with the Lorax?

Stop by Suessville for plenty of fun, fabulous and hands-on ideas for celebrating Earth Day the Lorax way!

Source: bigplastichead.com via Oardc on Pinterest

Who Speaks for the Trees?

Last week we talked about the new Lorax movie based on Dr. Suess's classic book. Trees and tree health are certainly intertwined with the lives of humans throughout history. Whether for firewood, tools, paper, shelter or something else, humans rely on trees. And that means this renewable resource needs to be replenished as well!

Source: google.com via Oardc on Pinterest

Project Learning Tree has put together a series of cool lesson plans based on the Lorax book and subsequently the movie. They are targeted to a variety of age levels and are a lot of fun—not to mention very timely with the new movie coming out in theaters!

In their Who Speaks for the Trees activities, students in grades 2-8 read the book (or watch the movie) and investigate questions why the Onceler did what he did, how the environment changed and the impact one person can have on changing the status quo. There are variations for older student and follow up activities as well.

We're actually doing a variation of this lesson plan later this month, and we were fortunate enough to receive a large pack of Lorax bookmarks from IHOP—one for each child in our group.

Source: Uploaded by user via Jenney on Pinterest

How fun is that? We are loving the Lorax here and excited to share the tale with our preschool programming this spring!

Source: grandoptimist.tumblr.com via Brittany on Pinterest

Don't let the bed bugs bite!

The thought might send a shiver down your spine, but bed bugs are real—and a real problem. OARDC us a leader in bed bug research. Here's the scoop:




Want to find out more about bugs? Be on the look out! Soon we will be opening registration for our 10TH ANNUAL A BUG'S WORLD program. This is a fun, fabulous and free educational program that will take place April 11-12 this spring. Stay tuned!

AgBC's: Z is for BuZZZZZ

I love being outdoors and hearing all the sounds during the warm summer months—including the buzz of the insects. Bees certainly aren't the only insects that buzz, but they are certainly the 1st insect that pops to mind when we think of buzzing, aren't they?

Photo from the Honeybee Conservancy

But did you know there are a whole host of bee species in addition to the honeybees and bumblebees we normally think of? There are 4,000 known species of bees native to the United States. Some of their common names include plasterer, leafcutter, mason, carder, digger and carpenter. Others earned their names by lapping up perspiration or humming loudly as they fly. 


Want to know how you can meet science standards for your students by teaching them about bees? Check out this archived video.

Learn how pollinators, particularly bees, can be used to teach standards-based science and get students actively engaged with their work and the outdoors.

• See this Web Seminar's Archive
• PowerPoint Presentation (19.7 MB)
• Presentation - PDF version (5.66 MB)
• Add this Web Seminar Archive to your NSTA Learning Center Library

This is the second of two Web Seminars in a series from PollinatorLIVE. The presentation includes a definition of pollinators and the tasks they perform as well as information about Bee Hunt—a program that allows educators to access and contribute to a large cache of images of various species of pollinators from across the country. You can also comprehensive curriculum for grades 3-6 that addresses plant pollinator relationships and related concepts and the Zaagkii Wings & Seeds Project.

AgBCs: Y is for Yams

Yams aren't just for holiday meals—they are fun for science, too!

Even though most Americans use the terms interchangeably, did you know yams and sweet potatoes are not the same thing? In fact they are not even related. Who knew, right?


Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.


Want to have some REAL fun with yams? Try out this lab for converting the starch in yams to sugar. Pretty cool, huh?

AgBCs: V is for Vegetables

When we think go growing vegetables, we think of soils and summer gardens. But have you ever considered learning more about how vegetables are grown hydroponically? In water?

Here's a look at how some of our OARDC researchers are investigating hydropnic production:





Do hydroponic vegetables sound cool to you? Here are a ton of fun lesson plans for incorporating hydroponics into your science lessons. 


Enjoy!

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick; The Biggest Tomato Ever

Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: What's the biggest tomato ever?

A. The biggest tomato ever in weight – the heaviest, that is – weighed an amazing 7 pounds, 12 ounces. That's actually just a little bit more than the average weight of a newborn baby born in the United States! 

Whoa. Big tomato ...

Scientists at Cornell University say tomatoes come in a huge range of sizes. One wild type grows tiny fruit that weigh less than a tenth of an ounce: way less than even a blueberry or cranberry.
Other types – ones bred especially to crank out whoppers – grow tomatoes that weigh nearly a thousand times more than that!

The variety called Brandywine, for instance, grows fruit that weigh about 2 pounds each. Dutchman and Gian Beligan tomatoes can tip the scales at up to 5 pounds. The record tomato, the baby-sized one, came from a type called Delicious.

Giant tomatoes tend to look like soccer balls with the air half let out. Big, but caved in on tom. Also juicier.

Kickingly,

Twig

P.S. Plant scientists call the tomato a fruit. But in general we call it and use it as a vegetable.


Notes: The record tomato was grown by Gordon Graham in Oklahoma in 1986. Read about him and it in Southern Living. Learn more about growing giant tomatoes in Organic Gardening. Sources included Guinness World Records 2006 and "Dissecting the Genetic Pathway to Extreme Fruit Size in Tomato ..." by Lippmann and Tanksley, Cornell University. Note, too, the "World's Largest Tomato" (artificial category),  Leamington, Ontario, Canada, which Twig in fact has had the pleasure of staring in open-mouth wonder at.

Using this information in the classroom:

Want to have more fun with tomatoes? Have dun growing them together with your students in your classroom or home.

AgBCs: Terrific Tomatoes

It's the most popular edible plant grown in the home garden. The National garden Bureau has even designated this year as the year of the tomato. Who knew, right?

But what most Ohioans don't know is that Ohio is a tomato mecca, ranking second nationwide in tomato production. Tomatoes are even Ohio's official state fruit. And our state drink? Tomato juice.


Want to have fun learning more about tomatoes? Check out Ohio State's interactive tomato model.


Want to learn even more cool tomato facts? See what OARDC scientist Esther van der Knapp is doing with her award-winning research on the shape of tomatoes.

AgBC's: S is for Sensational Soil

Soil is so important, yet we hardly think about it! Soil anchors plant roots, holds water for plants, and even provides air spaces for plant roots to grow.

Image from the Extreme Pumpkin Store

But for all that, did you know soil is basically made of of 3 sizes of particles? Sand is the larges, clay is the smaller, and silt falls in the middle size-wise. The proportion of each of these particles varies from soil to soil, giving each soil unique characteristics. Some solid drain more quickly (sand), while others hold water or become saturated with water (clay). Many plants, trees and shrubs prefer to grow in a balanced mixture of these particles called "loam." Loamy soils hold a moderate amount of water, air and nutrients while supporting the plant.

A vineyard in Lake County, Ohio

Because characteristics of the soil can affect plant growth, farmers and gardeners often test soil to determine if it's good for growing specific plants. Two such simple tests include the ribbon test and the "soil shake" test. The results are a good predictor of whether or not the soil is good for growing specific plants. More accurate assessments can be sent to soil testing labs, and today it is increasingly common for farmers to have their cropland grid sampled and have the results of their soil testing GPS mapped to improve the efficiency of their farming operations.


Here are some simple instructions for conducting the ribbon and "soil shake" tests with your students:

• Ask the students if they've ever heard of the ribbon test. The explain that is can help determine what kinds of particles are in their soil. 
• Demonstrate the text by moistening a handful of garden soil or silt in the palm of your hand until it has the consistency of putty. Work the soil into a ball about 1/2" in diameter. Press the ball between your forefinger and thumb to form a ribbon (see below).
• If the soil will not form a ribbon, it is sand. If it makes a ribbon 1-2 inches long, it is loam. Ribbons longer and 2 inches are clay. Here is a more detailed description.
• Explain that each of the three types of soil particles forms a different type of ribbon. Repeat the test with clay and sand.
• Ask the children to describe the difference between the three ribbons.
• Pass out different kinds of soil without telling the students what soil type they have; let them each conduct their own ribbon test and hypothesize about what type of soil they have.

Making a soil ribbon.

Students can also conduct a "soil shake" test:

• Fill a jar 1/3 full with soil.
• Fill the jar 1/3 full with water.
• Add a tablespoon of alum (alum speeds the settling process and can be found in the spice section of the grocery store.
• Ask the children to predict what will happen when the jar is shaken. 
• Divide the children into groups of 3-4. Ask them to collect soil from outdoors or give them some soil you have collected.
• Tighten the lid and shake for 3 minutes. Make sure all the lumps have broken apart. Tell the children to observe the jar after 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes and 3 minutes and write down what they observe.
• Have them report their findings to the class. Discuss how the soil separates by particle size and identify the particles int he layers they see. The larger sand particles will be on the bottom, with the silt in the middle and any clay particles on top.

For more fun, investigate what kinds of plants grow best in various kinds of soil.

AgBC's: R is for Roots

Last week we talked about ducks and their wetland habitats. But did you know one of the other important functions of wetlands is that they help to stabilize the soil and hold it in place? This  helps to prevent erosion and trap sediments, which helps to create a rich, fertile habitats for plants and animals. But how do they do this?

The roots of the plants in this interior wetlands in North Carolina help protect the soil.
Photo from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration.

The roots of wetland plants play a critical role in protecting the soil from erosion and keeping it in place. Want to see hands-on for yourself if and how roots hold soil in place? Try this simple experiment. Here's what you'll need:

• 5 radish seeds
• 5 mustard seeds
• 2 glass or plastic contains, about 1-cup volume
• earth/soil free from lumps
• water

Fill both containers roughly 2/3 full of soil. Then plant the radish seeds in one container and the mustard seeds in the other. Cover the seeds very, very lightly with soil. Add 1/4 cup water to each container and place in a sunny area or near a bright light. Make sure the soil stays slightly damp.

After 2 weeks, empty the container with the radish seeds onto some newspaper. Do the same with the mustard seed container. What shape does the soil have? Why? Talk about the impact of this discovery. What would happen to the soil if a fire burned all the plant material from a hillside if there was a heavy rain?

Students will have fun with this simple experiment, and you will, too!

AgBCs: Q is for Quack

Quack, quack! There are lots of cool resources available for learning about ducks! Now duck farming is not a HUGE business here in Ohio, but it IS in our neighboring state of Indiana. But not only do farmers raise ducks on farms, here at OARDC we do a lot of research about natural resources and the environment, and ducks are a key component of our natural environment—especially wetlands!

This photo of Brian Blight Canvasbacks is from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Did you know wetlands rank with tropical rain forests in the diversity and productivity of plants and animals that they support? Or that they are found in every part of the world except Antarctica? Mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, fish and invertebrates all use wetlands for food, water, breeding and nesting grounds, resting areas and shelters.

This photo of ducks in a wetland habitat is from the US Fish & Wildlife Service

Wetlands are the water filters of nature. Many wetland plants and animals remove harmful impurities from our water and keep it naturally clean. Some communities and businesses even use managed wetlands to purify their wastewater. And when spring runoff and heavy rains create too much water for the land to absorb, wetlands can sore that excess water and slow its flow, reducing both the risk and severity of flooding.

But despite all of these benefits (and many, many more), wetlands are also one of the world's most vulnerable and threatened ecosystems. Here at Ohio State University, we're even doing research on the differences and similarities between man-made and naturally occurring wetlands.

This photo of wood ducks in a wetland habitat is from the
US EPA & US Fish & Wildlife Service photographer Tim McCade

Considering how important wetlands are to not only animals like ducks but to our ecosystem as a whole, this may be a great area for you and the young people in your life to get involved in by participating in an action-based learning experience! These types of experience can be custom tailored and developed to your group's interests and age level:

• Younger students may enjoy writing a poem, story or play about animals in their wetland homes, creating a poster or storybook about the wildlife who rely on wetlands or even building a diorama of a local wetland.
• Middle elementary students can construct nest boxes, conduct a wetland cleanup, grow & plant native trees and shrubs stream side, write letters regarding a local wetland issue or share their wetland knowledge through science projects and displays.
• Older students can build wetland trails and boardwalks, work with others to restore a wetland, research and plan ways to address a local environmental concern, or even contribute to research through bird banding.

The possibilities are limitless! There's no need to rack your brain to come up with a new and novel idea—there are many great ideas already out there. Ducks Unlimited Canada has some great ideas plus FREE educational resources and lesson plans! Local conservation groups are another great source for information on local issues and ideas.

Kids of all age will love learning about an important issue like this while "getting their hands dirty" in the process—especially when they feel like they've made a difference in the real world!

By the way, did you know May is American Wetland month? Go celebrate!

AgBCs: P is for Pumpkin

Did you know the pumpkin actually originated in Mexico over 9,000 years ago? American Indian tribes grew pumpkins long before any European explorers arrived in the Americas. Columbus actually carried pumpkin seeds on his return trip to Europe, but the resulting melons weren't used to feed people—they were used to feed pigs!

Pumpkins come in many varieties—including this yogurt pumpkin!

Even the early New England settlers were not big fans of using pumpkins for food—until the first long, cold winter set in and food became very scarce. Then they changed their minds in a hurry! One common cooking method wa to let the fire die down and place a whole pumpkin in the ashes. Once it was baked soft, she pumpkin was cut open and honey or maple syrup (along with some animal fat) was poured on top.

Pilgrims often cooked their pumpkins whole! You can learn how here...

The early settlers also made pumpkin pies, but they looked nothing like the pumpkin pies of today! They simply cut off the pumpkin top and scared out the seed. Then they placed apples, sugar, spices and milk inside. Finally, they put the top back on the pumpkin and baked it in the fire's ashes.

So have fun trying out some of the early recipes the Pilgrims used to cook their pumpkins, or here are some other fun ideas to try:

Pumpkin, Pumpkin: What Comes Next?
See what happens this fall after Halloween is over!


Halloween is over, so now what?
Check out these great reads on the life cycle of a pumpkin!

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Now THAT would be a great pumpkin!
Ever wonder what would happen if there really were flying pumpkins? Get Twig's take on this unlikely phenomenon...

AgBCs: O is for Onion

Onions are such a fun and accessible food to experiment with and learn about! Plus they have a long history. In fact, people have used onions for so long (before recorded history!) that no one is really sure where onions actually originated.

What we do know is that by 3000 BC several types of onions were grown in gardens, and writing on one ancient Egyptian pyramid wall even complained about the expense of providing slaves with onions and garlic! Other sources suggest Egyptian priests looked at the onion as a symbol of the universe with its round shape and the layers of the onion symbolizing the layers of heaven, earth and hell. In fact, onions are pictured on more pyramid tombs than any other plant!

Onions were even used in the creation of mummies in ancient Egypt.

Of course, the first thing most people think of when they think of onions is the aroma, which originates from an ail within the plant and escapes into the air as an irritating vapor when the onion is peeled or cut.

The release of oil from inside the onion is what brings tears to your eyes!

Early people thought onions with stronger scents had more power. In fact, early Romans often ate breakfasts of raw onions on bread, and Roman gladiators were often rubbed with onion juice to make them strong. Even Greeks in training for the early Olympics were told to eat 2 onions a day to make them strong.

Gladiators like these ate onions and rubbed their bodies with the oil from onions to improve their strength.

In North America, wild (meadow) onions grew long before the arrival of settlers, and Native Americans ate them raw after dipping them in salted water and dried them for food use during the winter. The first large yellow onions came over on the Mayflower in 1620, and they were a staple in Colonial gardens. Our nation's first president George Washington even said they were his favorite food!

George's favorite food? Onions!

Besides learning about the history of onions, how can you turn them into a learning lesson? Simple! Here's what you'll need:

• 3 large onions (you may want to try 3 different varieties—some are easier to grow than others)
• 3 jars/drinking glasses large enough to hold each onion without it rolling over
• water

Simple put the onion in each had with the rounded side down and add enough water to wet the bottom of the onion. Don't use too much water or your onion may rot. Then just put your jar in a bright area with plenty of light.

Within a week or so, you should see white roots coming from the bottom of the onion. A week or two later and you should start to see long green leaves coming from the top of the onion. The food for the leaves is being supplied by the bulb of the onion. Just make sure to keep enough water in the jar to cover the bottom of the onion.

When the leaves get about 4 inches tall, have an adult cut open the onion to see how the leaves have grown from the center of the bulb.

For a special treat, cook your onion in a dish for everyone to enjoy!

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Backyard Fruits that You Can Grow

Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: OK, here's another kiwifruit. So what did you mean, "more cool backyard fruits" last month?

A. Thank you. Chomp, chomp. I meant that you can grow a lot of other fruits in your own backyard, not just kiwifruits. (And you can grow those, too, if you want to.)

Like what? Well, in most places you can grow apples.

And peaches.

And pears and plums.

And grapes and cherries and peaches and apricots.

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries.

Plus weird ones, too, that you might not find in a grocery store: pawpaws, currants, mulberries, Juneberries, gooseberries, even ground cherries.

Sweet.

Next: Why would you want to do this? A good way to learn how to do this. And a chance to win that good way free.

Berrily,

Twig

P.S. Q. Why do elephants hide in strawberry patches? A. The research is inconclusive.

Notes from Twig:

The fruit types listed are for Midwestern growing conditions (like in Ohio, where I live). Others include quince, medlar, bush cherry, Cornelian cherry, persimmon and highbush cranberry.

Source: If you're eager to learn, check out Ohioline and start to dig around.

Q. Why do elephants paint their toenails red? A. To hide in a strawberry patch or in plantings of certain kinds of grapes, apples, cherries, currants, raspberries, gooseberries, mulberries, bush cherries or highbush cranberries depending on the shade they use.

Using this information in the classroom:

There are many, many cool ways to incorporate plants into your classroom. Here are two of our favorites:

Check out Growing Together, which you can buy at the Ohio State University Extension E-Store for $13.50. There are tons of cool activities and lessons inside and we use them in our program all the time. Love it!

And secondly, I bet you don't think of using plant to teach math, do you? Check out Math in the Garden for $29.95 from Gardening with Kids.

Lots of fun, hands-on ways to heat up your outdoor summer learning in the coming months of spring and summer. Enjoy!

AgBC's: L is for Land

Without land, nothing can grow. No green grass under your feet, no shade from the trees, no flowers in your garden and no food on your table. Ouch! Land is pretty important, huh?


Today's farmers use the latest technology to care for their land and ensure it's fertility is maintained.  After all, 91% of America's farms are considered "small family farms" with even more considered "large family farms." It just makes sense that farmers would want to take care of their livelihoods as well as their homes!

Many times we tend to romanticize "the way things used to be" and imagine that old methods were simpler and better....but that's not necessarily true. Remember all those old-fashioned methods? Remember the dust bowl?

Soils hold natural water and resources for plants and ultimately animals. All the food we eat and the materials we use (like paper, wood and clothing to name a few) depend on soil and land. It's important to understand the importance of land and it's role in the ecosystems and agriculture.

The physical properties of soil affect the type and amount of vegetation that can grow in a given location. The water-holding capacity affects the plants than can survive....some plants need well-drained desert soils while others grow in heavy clay and wetland soils.


Have you ever taken the time to feel and explore the texture of soil? The way it feels? The amount of sand, silt and clay particles in soil all affect the way the soil feels because of of these particles are different sizes. Sand particles are the largest and clay particles are the smallest. Most soils have a mixture of sand, silt and clay.


Here's a fun way to determine the texture of your soil:

1. Take approximately 2 tablespoons of soil and add enough water to moisten it. It should make a ball when squeeze.
2. Using your thumb and forefinger, try to make a "ribbon" of soil.
3. If the soil will not hold together in a ball at all, the soil is sand.
4. If the soil makes a ball but will not make a ribbon, it is loamy sand.
5. If it makes a ribbon less than 1 inch long before breaking, it is loam. If it feels gritty it is a sandy loam. If it is equally gritty and smooth, it is loam. And if it feels smooth, it is silt loam.
6. If the soil makes a ribbon 1-2 inches long before breaking, it is a clay loam. It it feels gritty, it is a sandy clay loam. If it is equally gritty and smooth, it is a clay loam. If it feels smooth, it is a silty clay loam.
7. If the soil forms a ribbon 2 inches of longer before breaking, it is a clay soil. If it feels gritty is is a sandy clay. If it feels equally gritty and smooth, ti is clay. And if it feels smooth it is a silty clay.

Have fun and enjoy getting your hands dirty!


Questions to to think about:

• What kind of soil did you have?
• Why would it be important to know what kind of soil you have?
• What might be some good uses for your type of soil? Poor uses?

These are just some of the questions farmers ask themselves about the land they have and some of the factors they have to consider when making the decisions about what crops to plant on their land.


And it's just about that time of year for spring crops to be going into the ground!


This series is inspired by the book The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Kiwis Can't Fly; Neither Can Kiwis

Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: Where do kiwis come from? The fruit, not the bird.

A. The grocery store, right? Right? Kidding. First they have to grow somewhere. And where they grow is on woody vines that farmers grow in orchards. The farmers grow them on sturdy poles or trellises. Reason: Kiwi vines grow like crazy.

Most of the kiwis sold in stores come from Italy, Chile, New Zealand, California and a half dozen or so other places.

People call kiwi fruit "kiwifruit," too. Reason: to not mix it up with the kiwi bird. The kiwi bird lives in New Zealand. Neither kiwi can fly. They have that in common. They're both also brownish and fuzzy. But inside they're different. The kiwi bird isn't bright green. Nor sweet nor juicy nor good for breakfast nor rich in vitamin C.

Next: If you give a Twig a kiwi – the fruit, not the bird – he'll tell you how to grow your own kiwis – the fruit, not the bird.

Kiwi me,

Twig

P.S. "Kiwi" can also mean a person from New Zealand. Note: Also not bright green inside.

• Notes from Twig:
• Kiwifruit's other names include Chinese gooseberry (though it's not a real gooseberry), melonette and yang tao (in China) plus the fun to say but rarely used goat peach, sheep peach, monkey peach and hairy pear.
• Sources included two fact sheets, both called "Kiwifruit," one from where I call my home, Ohio State University, and one from our neighbor to the west, Purdue University.
• Cool: The kiwi bird is the national symbol of New Zealand.
• Not cool: All five kiwi bird species are endangered. Why? Imported predators, habitat loss, even cars.
• Cool site: http://www.squidoo.com/kiwibirds.

Using this information for education:

Interested in learning more about the kiwi bird?

Here are some cool cross-curriculum lesson plans about the kiwi bird that cover social studies, phyisical geography, reading graphs, science, art, web-quests, history, volcanoes, culture, language arts, music, physical education, gender roles, economics, math, money and banking and much more.

AgBC's: C is for Carrot

For over 2,000 years, carrots have been growing their roots in the underground. These root vegetables are related to beets, radishes, turnips and parsnips.

In the supermarket, you will find carrots both with and without their green, leafy tops or even baby carrots. Regardless, all carrots should be firm and smooth. Avoid those that are cracked or that have begun to soften. The best, tastiest carrots are young and skinny. Tiny baby carrots are very tender, but don't have as much flavor as their full-grown siblings. And if you buy carrots with tops, be sure to remove the tops right away so your carrots will keep longer.

Carrots originated in Central Asia and the Near East, where they grew in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, green or purple...but not orange! And, their first use was medicinal, not for food. Physicians prescribed using carrot juice to treat cancer, indigestion, snake bites and skin ulcers. Grimmway Farms, the world leader is carrot production (and located in Californic) has a cool "Fun Zone" on their site as well as lots more interesting history, recipes and buying tips for carrots.

In the Middle Ages, ladies used green, leafy carrot tops as decorations in their hair. Although you may not be willing to make that style leap, you can grow a leafy plant from a carrot top. Just keep in mind that since carrots grow underground from seeds, this plant will not grow a carrot to eat. This experiment can also be done with the tops of beets, turnips and parsnips. Here's what to do:

1. Cut a 1/2-inch slice from the top of a carrot.
2. Wet a paper towel with water. Lay it in the bottom of a plastic container.
3. Place the cut side of the carrot on the wet paper.
4. Put the container near a sunny window. Give it a little water every day or so to keep the paper wet. Leaves should begin to grow in about a week.

Looking for a good read for your young reader? Try The Carrot Seed.

This 1945 classic book has been in print continuously since its initial publication over 60 years ago. It was one of the shortest picture books ever published when it was first released, and it follows a little boy's hope and hard work as he plants his carrot seed and wait patiently for it to grow.

This series is inspired by the book The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.

AgBC's: B is for Banana

Ever wonder what fruit Americans love best? You guessed it, the banana!

Cool banana fact: Did you know banana's don't grow on trees? What we commonly refer to as banana trees are actually herbs. But these herbs up to 25-feet high!

Bananas grow in bunches, and a bunch of bananas is called a hand with each banana called a finger. One banana plant can have as many as 100 fingers! What makes bananas different is that though most fruit is picked when it's ready to eat, bananas are cut down when they're still green. Bananas actually ripe off the plan...they turn yellow and become tasty and sweet.

There are actually hundreds of kinds of bananas...some even have red skin! Others are small chubby bananas called dwarf bananas. The banana apple has an apple-like taste. Plantains, which are not sweet, are used for cooking. But in the United States, the most popular kind of banana is the yello Cavendish.

Want to try a new banana treat? Try Monkeys in a Blanket!

For each person, you will need the following ingredients:

• 1 slice of whole wheat bread
• Honey or fruit-sweetend preserves
• 1/2 banana
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• cinnamon

Directions:

1. Set the oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the crust off of the bread and flatten the bread, wither with a rolling pin or by "smooshing" it flat with your hand.
3. Spread a thin layer of honey or preserves on the bread.
4. Place the banana half on the bread, then roll the bread over the banana so that it is completely covered.
5. Place the butter in a baking dish and put it in the oven or toaster oven to melt.
6. Roll each "Monkey in a Blanket" in the melted butter, then put them side by side in the baking pan.
7. Sprinkle with a lot of cinnamon.
8. Bake 15 minutes until the outside is crisp and the banana is hot and creamy. Let the "monkey" cool down a little before you take a bike.

Time for a little learning: Why not make a chart of the most popular fruits eaten in the United States?
We mentioned bananas are the most popular, with the average American eating 26 pounds of bananas a year....that's an average of 150 bananas! The next most popular fruits are apples, watermelons, oranges and cantaloupes. Do some research to find out how much Americans eat of the other fruits and graph your results.

This series in inspired by the book The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond, which is also where the Monkeys in a Blanket recipe is from.

AgBC's: A is for Apples

For the first half of this year, we're going to try something fun: a look at the ABC's (or AgBC's as we'll call them) of various agricultural products, mainly fruits and vegetables. We'll look at the history of our featured products, share some simple experiments and maybe even some recipes to share with the kids in your life.

So first on the list: A is for apple.

Did you know that the apples we eat today come from apples that were grown more than 2 million years ago! Wow! When people first started eating apples, they just picked wild apples in the forest. These wild apples were small...only about the size of a strawberry....and they tasted bitter. Then about 10,000 years ago, during the Stone Age, people started planting and growing better apples.

Today's apples are related to those Stone age apples—only they are much bigger and sweeter. Apples can have skins that range in color from red to lemony-yellow to yellow-green. To me, apples taste yummy year-round, but the best, freshest ones can eb found in the fall just after they are picked. When buying apples, select firm, bright-colored apples with a fresh smell, andd they can be kept for a long time as long as they are stored in a cool place.

Now in this part of Ohio, Johnny Appleseed is pretty famous. John Chapman, as he was born, is responsible for introducing apple trees to large portions of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. This American legend was famous because of his kindness, his generosity, and his conservation efforts and use of the apple in symbolism. He's a fascinating historical character and well worth a second look.

And now, for a little experiment on how to keep apples from browning after they are cut:

Have you ever notice how apples turn brown right after they are cut? Ever wondered how to stop that from happening?

Supplies needed: an apple, lemon juice, and lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7-Up)

What to do:

1. Cut an apple into quarters.
2. Eat one quarter, because they are delicious.
3. Sprinkle one quarter with lemon juice, dip one in the soda, and leave one untreated.
4. Lay them on a plate on the counter and see what happens. Which turns brown first?
5. Have an extra apple? Repeat, only put the 3 quarters of one apple in the refrigerator. Compare what happens with those apples that are in the fridge to those that are on the counter.

Looking for a good read? Check out First Apple by Ching Young Russell, a story of a young Chinese girl's dream to taste an apple and buy one as a gift for her grandmother.

 This series is inspired by the book The ABC's of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.

Smart Stuff with Twig Walkingstick: Where do deer sleep during winter?

 Twig Walkingstick lives in and around the Wooster campus of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center. His alter ego is Kurt Knebusch, one of our super-talented writers and editors on campus. Each month, look for Twig to answer a reader questions and some additional interesting facts below. After Twig's post, we will be providing some ideas and suggestions on how to incorporate the info in Twig's column into fun science learning for your students and children.

Q. Dear Twig: Where do deer sleep during winter?

A. In two kinds of places. The choice depends on whether it's daytime or nighttime. (I assume here a cold, snowy winter where the deer is. Are.)

At night, deer tend to sleep near coniferous ("kuh-NIFF-er-us") trees. (Coniferous trees you know might include pines, firs, spruces and hemlocks.) A usual spot is next to a trunk under thick, low, sheltering branches. The branches serve as a roof and a blanket. They keep out the wind, slow down how fast heat gets lost and help the deer save energy. A key for a deer to survive winter is to save energy.

During the day, deer sleep more in the open, away from deep, dark woods, a lot of times on a fill facing south or west. Why: To be in the sun. The sun's heat makes them warm. Or at least not as cold.

The technical term for both places is "bed sites." Deermay "bed" —lie down, sleep, or just hunker down and relax—at times throughout the day or night.

Long winter's nappilu,

Twig

P.S. Ohio's native deer is the white-tailed deer. Out west look for mule deer. Also, mules.

Notes from Twig: 

• Mules, but not mule deer, like in Ohio too of course. And in many other places, such as "Hee Haw."
• Subspecies of the mule deer (note: not a mule) are the Sitka deer (ditto) and black-tailed deer (ditto ditto). White tailed subspecies are the Coues (said "cooze." "cows" or "coos," depending on who says it) deer and Florida key deer.
• Sources included "Winter Bed-site Selection by White-tailed Deer in Central Ontario," Journal of Wildlife Management, 1983.
• Ohio State's experts on deer and wildlife management in general, but not mules, work in the School of Environment and Natural Resources, specifically in the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Laboratory.

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Using this information for education:

Many students are preparing to celebrate the holiday season and dreaming of what they may find under the Christmas tree. Unlike the Christmas trees inside homes which have presents underneath them, nature's Christmas trees (pines, hemlocks and firs to name a few) are often a present to wildlife in and of themselves. 

Written by Colleen Monroe, A Wish to be a Christmas Tree is a fun holiday read that recounts the tale of a pine tree that has grown too large to ever be picked by a family as a Christmas tree. As he begins to cry, his woodland-creature-friends share how important he is to them...how he provides shelter from the storms with his branches, bedding for deer, and many other important benefits. Still sad, the tree is cheered when the animal s decorate him on their own and make him their own special Christmas tree.

This is a fun book to read during the holiday season, because it teaches the importance of friendship and helping others, but children can also learn about the important ecological functions of trees for wildlife in a fun way. And that includes providing cozy beds for deer in winter. Thanks, Twig!