Land Cover and Corn Maze Locations

Grades: Upper elementary through university.

Examine the USGS Land Cover map of the conterminous U.S., or purchase a paper copy from the USGS Store. This map shows cropland, scrub, forests, urban areas, grassland, and other land cover types. Examine the map key. How many land cover classifications exist on this map? In which areas of the U.S. would you expect to find corn mazes? Why? What is the influence of climate and soil on the growing of corn? Browse Web sites for corn maze locations. How well do the locations match your predictions? What are factors that influence the locations of where corn is grown? What are factors that influence the locations of where corn mazes are constructed? Compare a map of corn maze locations to the location of cities. What influences do cities have on the locations of corn mazes? Where else in the world besides the U.S. is corn grown?