Lessons in parliamentary procedure from Chex Mix?

Week 3 Theme: Ecology
Week 4 Theme: Environment

Would you want M&Ms in your Chex Mix? What if it came to a group decision? Well, the Indiana Farm Bureau and Marion County Farm Bureau came and illustrated how sometimes we must make concessions and the majority wins through parliamentary procedure.

As soon as the process was over, the students asked to do it again! I figured I’d share the instructions from a Farm Bureau affiliate website here (might be a fun weekend activity!):

Display the ingredients and talk about the importance of using parliamentary procedure to insure a successful business meeting.
Explain that by using the process of making Chex Mix, members will learn how to make a motion.
As members go through the process of deciding what ingredients they will put in the Trail Mix, they will need to correctly make a motion for each ingredient they want to add. (“I move that ____be added to the Chex Mix.”)
Then ask for a second, discuss, and a take a vote.
Continue for each ingredient to be added.
Once the Chex Mix has been completed, the members can eat it for a snack.

Additionally, Dr. Kathryn Orvis and Dr. Theo Nzaranyimana from Purdue University’s Depts. of Agricultural Sciences Education & Communication and Horticulture & L.A. came and gave a lesson on the farm’s ecology. The students were tasked with intently walking around outside and taking inventory of what they were seeing. It’s amazing what fun creatures we can find when we stop and take a second to really, really look!

Happy a happy and safe holiday weekend!