This year Megan chose to do a project near and dear to her heart....and stomach. She found an idea online for a project involving popcorn and she LOVES popcorn. What could be better than eating lots of popcorn as part of homework? NOTHING!
Megan decided to find out which brand of microwave popcorn popped the best. In other words, which brand had the fewest percentage of old maids (unpopped kernels). Megan guessed Orville Redenbacher's brand because the box claimed Mr. Redenbacher said he wanted to do one thing and do it better than anyone else. Do you think she guessed correctly?
We popped 3 bags each of 5 different microwave popcorn brands. We counted the popped kernels and the unpopped kernels, then calculated the percentage of unpopped kernels. And then poor Megan and her sisters had to eat all the popcorn. They were very sad about that, let me tell you. Ha Ha
As part of the project we had to do some research on what makes popcorn pop and the history of popcorn. Below is some fun popcorn trivia we learned from the Popcorn Board website:
* Popcorn kernels pop when water (moisture) in their center heats up. The steam causes the kernel to expand, cracking open the hull and popping.
* The ideal moisture content is 15%. If the water level is much higher or lower, the kernel either won't pop at all or won't pop completely. Popcorn growers actually dry the corn to create the ideal moisture level.
* The oldest ears of popcorn were found in a Bat Cave in New Mexico. (This shouldn't be confused with the Bat Cave used by Batman and Robin.) These ancient ears of corn are believed to be about 4,000 years old!
* The Aztec Indians used popcorn for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and ornaments on statues of their gods.
* Popcorn was always popular with street vendors and such, but during the Depression popcorn gained even more popularity. It was an inexpensive treat that even the most down-and-out families could enjoy. It was also one of the businesses that did well during the Depression.
* During World War II, sugar was rationed. That meant production and sale of confections like candy went way down. As a result, people ate three times as much popcorn as they had before.
* Americans today consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year. (Much of that is eaten while watching a movie, either at the theater or at home. Megan can't seem to watch a movie without a bowl of popcorn in her lap. "What's a movie without popcorn?" she says.)
* The average American consumes 54 quarts of popcorn each year. (I don't eat popcorn but Megan eats enough for both of us!)
* Popcorn is a whole grain food: 3 cups of popcorn count as a 1-ounce serving of the grain food group. That means it is healthy so eat up!
Megan decided to find out which brand of microwave popcorn popped the best. In other words, which brand had the fewest percentage of old maids (unpopped kernels). Megan guessed Orville Redenbacher's brand because the box claimed Mr. Redenbacher said he wanted to do one thing and do it better than anyone else. Do you think she guessed correctly?
We popped 3 bags each of 5 different microwave popcorn brands. We counted the popped kernels and the unpopped kernels, then calculated the percentage of unpopped kernels. And then poor Megan and her sisters had to eat all the popcorn. They were very sad about that, let me tell you. Ha Ha
As part of the project we had to do some research on what makes popcorn pop and the history of popcorn. Below is some fun popcorn trivia we learned from the Popcorn Board website:
* Popcorn kernels pop when water (moisture) in their center heats up. The steam causes the kernel to expand, cracking open the hull and popping.
* The ideal moisture content is 15%. If the water level is much higher or lower, the kernel either won't pop at all or won't pop completely. Popcorn growers actually dry the corn to create the ideal moisture level.
* The oldest ears of popcorn were found in a Bat Cave in New Mexico. (This shouldn't be confused with the Bat Cave used by Batman and Robin.) These ancient ears of corn are believed to be about 4,000 years old!
* The Aztec Indians used popcorn for ceremonial headdresses, necklaces, and ornaments on statues of their gods.
* Popcorn was always popular with street vendors and such, but during the Depression popcorn gained even more popularity. It was an inexpensive treat that even the most down-and-out families could enjoy. It was also one of the businesses that did well during the Depression.
* During World War II, sugar was rationed. That meant production and sale of confections like candy went way down. As a result, people ate three times as much popcorn as they had before.
* Americans today consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year. (Much of that is eaten while watching a movie, either at the theater or at home. Megan can't seem to watch a movie without a bowl of popcorn in her lap. "What's a movie without popcorn?" she says.)
* The average American consumes 54 quarts of popcorn each year. (I don't eat popcorn but Megan eats enough for both of us!)
* Popcorn is a whole grain food: 3 cups of popcorn count as a 1-ounce serving of the grain food group. That means it is healthy so eat up!
Megan and her science fair board 
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