Rice Activity Instructions
If you are in an area of the country where there is no local EWB chapter, your students can still participate in the 'Food for Thought' workshop by delivering the interactive activity yourself.
A central part of the presentation is a hands-on activity where groups of 4-5 students process a sample of paddy rice into a marketable finished product. The students are grouped into different countries and are provided with differing starting quantities and qualities of rice, dependent upon their country's natural resources and national wealth. Through this activity, students are challenged to think critically and creatively, while collaborating with their peers.
This interactive activity takes about 30 minutes, and can accommodate 10 to 30 students fourteen years old and up.
Materials
The following is a list of materials needed for this activity:
- 15 tsp unhulled rice (rice paddy)
- 2 tsp poppy seeds
- 3 tsp sand
- 2 tsp gravel
- 8 feet of 2inch x 4inch wood
- 1 sheet 80D grit sandpaper
- all purpose white glue
- 1/4 inch mesh
- 1/16 inch mesh
- electrical tape or duct tape
- 12 balloons
- 6 sheets of black construction paper
- monopoly money
- country profiles and instructional handouts
- teaspoon
Advance Preparation
- Construct rice huskers (x 6): The rice husker is used to remove the outer layer of the rice grains. It is made out of a slotted piece of wood and a polishing block that moves along the slot. To assemble the rice husker, glue sandpaper to the surfaces of both pieces of wood for added friction. For the slotted block, glue the sandpaper to the bottom of the slot. For the polishing block, glue the sandpaper across the bottom of the block and partway up the front and partway up the back of the block.
- Prepare sieves (6 x 1/4 inch mesh and 6 x 1/16 inch mesh): Use electrical tape or duct tape to cover sharp edges of the metal mesh.
- Make impurity mixture: Mix together poppy seeds, gravel and sand.
- Assemble country packages: Each group will receive a handout that includes a country profile, instructions on how to process the rice, and a quantity and quality of raw paddy based on the table below.
| Country (Click for country profile) |
Paddy | Impurities |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | 4 tsp | 0 tsp |
| Botswana | 5 tsp | 1 tsp |
| Indonesia | 1 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Cuba | 3 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Ghana | 2 tsp | 2 tsp |
| Afghanistan | 1 tsp | 3 tsp |
Activity Procedure
- Divide the students into 6 groups (4-5 students per group). Distribute a country package to each group.
- Explain to students that they are to process their rice as outlined on their instructions sheet.
- After about 20 minutes, measure each group's rice sample in front of the class. Give each group the equivalent amount of monopoly money based on the quantity and quality of the finished rice.
- Follow-up the activity with a discussion on how it relates to the real world using the slide show and script provided.
We would love to hear your feedback on this activity! Please email sarahtakaki@ewb.ca to let us know what you and your class thought about the activity.
