🍚 Week 3: Rice Consumption Calculation

Unit 10: Kai, Culture and Climate — Surviving Scarcity
Calculate and compare annual rice consumption for a New Zealand family vs. an Asian family.

🔢 Numeracy Integration: This activity uses multiplication, division, and comparison. It connects to Mathematics Level 4: Number and Algebra, and Statistics.

📊 Step 1: Average Consumption Data

Country/Region Average Annual Rice Consumption per Person Notes
New Zealand ~10 kg per person Rice is not a staple food
China ~90 kg per person Rice is a daily staple
India ~80 kg per person Rice is a daily staple
Bangladesh ~170 kg per person Highest consumption in the world
Thailand ~100 kg per person Rice is central to meals

🧮 Step 2: Calculate Family Consumption

A. New Zealand Family (4 people)

Annual consumption per person: 10 kg

Number of people: 4

Total annual consumption:

10 kg × 4 people = _____ kg per year

Monthly consumption:

_____ kg ÷ 12 months = _____ kg per month

B. Asian Family (4 people) - Choose a country

Country chosen: _________________

Annual consumption per person: _____ kg

Number of people: 4

Total annual consumption:

_____ kg × 4 people = _____ kg per year

Monthly consumption:

_____ kg ÷ 12 months = _____ kg per month

📈 Step 3: Comparison & Analysis

Difference in annual consumption:

Asian family: _____ kg

NZ family: _____ kg

Difference: _____ kg - _____ kg = _____ kg

How many times more rice does the Asian family eat?

_____ kg ÷ _____ kg = _____ times more

🤔 Reflection Questions

  1. Why is rice consumption so different between countries? (Think about culture, climate, history)


  2. What would happen if rice became scarce in a country where people eat 100+ kg per year?


  3. How does this connect to our unit's Big Question: "What Will We Eat Tomorrow?"


💡 Extension: Research how much rice costs in New Zealand vs. in Asian countries. Calculate the annual cost difference for each family.