๐ Week 3: Rice โ Global Staple & Trade
Students explore why rice is the world's most important food crop and what happens when it becomes scarce. Through mapping, calculations, and a trading simulation, they understand global trade and its impact on food security.
Focus Question
Why is rice important, and what happens when it is scarce?
๐ฏ Learning Intentions
- Understand why rice is a global staple food
- Map major rice-producing regions and trade routes
- Compare rice consumption across different countries
- Experience trade-offs through a trading simulation
โ Success Criteria
- I can identify major rice-producing countries
- I can calculate and compare rice consumption
- I can explain trade-offs in the trading game
- I can reflect on how scarcity affects choices
๐ Curriculum Links
- Social Studies: Understand global trade and food systems
- Mathematics: Calculate and compare consumption rates
- English: Write journal reflections
Ngฤ Mahi - Week 3 Activities
1. Geography: Rice Production Mapping (25 mins)
Activity: Use the Rice Production Mapping Activity handout. Students map major rice-producing regions and compare to NZ imports.
- Identify and label major rice-producing countries on a world map
- Mark trade routes from producers to New Zealand
- Research: How much rice does NZ import? From where?
- Discuss: What happens if trade routes are disrupted?
2. Numeracy: Rice Consumption Calculation (20 mins)
Activity: Use the Rice Consumption Calculation handout. Students calculate annual rice consumption for a NZ family vs an Asian family.
- Calculate daily rice consumption per person
- Multiply by 365 to find annual consumption
- Compare NZ average (low) vs Asian average (high)
- Reflect: What does this tell us about food culture and scarcity?
3. Trading Game: Rice, Water & Money (30 mins)
Activity: Use the Trading Game handout. Groups trade rice, water, and money to experience scarcity and trade-offs.
- Groups start with different resources (some have rice, some have water, some have money)
- Goal: Each group needs all three resources to survive
- Students negotiate trades and make decisions
- Debrief: What trade-offs did you make? What was fair?
4. Literacy: Journal Reflection (15 mins)
Activity: Students write a journal entry reflecting on the trading game and rice scarcity.
- What trade-offs did you make in the game?
- How did scarcity affect your decisions?
- What does this teach us about real-world food trade?
5. Video: Rice as Global Staple (15 mins)
Activity: Watch videos about rice as a global staple food.
Rice: Feeding Billions
Additional resource: Rice Short Video
Before, During & After Watching
Before watching: How many people in the world eat rice? Why is it so important?
During: Note where rice is grown. How does trade connect different places?
After: Think-Pair-Share: What happens if rice becomes scarce? How does this connect to our unit?
๐ก Differentiation Strategies
- Lower support: Provide scaffolded reading, pre-labeled maps, work in pairs
- Extension: Challenge groups to find NZ import data, research rice price fluctuations
- Cultural connection: Research how different cultures use rice, connect to food traditions