1"

Brief"discussion"about"being"responsible"with"rice"on"tables."
"
I"want"you"to"think"about"where"you"think"this"rice"came"from."How"did"it"get"here?"
Did"it"always"look"like"this?"
Distribute"rice"bowls,"one"white"rice,"one"brown"rice"per"table"
2"minutes"to"observe"and"interact"with"rice"
Collect"responses"to"these"ques>ons"(Where"is"their"historical"thinking"before"the"
lesson?"What"aspects"of"agriculture"are"they"focusing"on?"What"countries"do"the"
emphasize?)"
"

2"

Today"were"going"to"talk"about"the"history"of"these"two"bowls"of"rice."Both"come"
from"the"same"plant"and"have"gone"through"the"same,"basic"sequence"of"events."But,"
their"histories"are"unique."They"are"from"dierent"places"and"they"were"cul>vated"
with"dierent"tools"and"technology."
""
In"learning"about"where"these"two"bowls"of"rice"came"from"we"are"going"to"learn"
about"both"the"tradi>onal"and"modern"ways"of"plan>ng,"harves>ng,"and"processing"
rice.""
What"do"you"think"I"mean"by"tradi>onal?"
Old"fashioned?"The"rst"way?"The"way"passed"down"in"genera>ons?"Old"way?"
""
So,"the"tradi>onal"way"is"how"rice"has"been"being"cul>vated"for"thousands"of"years,"
there"prac>ces"were"passed"down"from"genera>on"to"genera>on"and"involve"basic"
tools,"animals,"and"doing"a"lot"things"by"hand."Whereas,"modern"cul>va>on"uses"new"
technologies,"machines,"very"precise"prac>ces"to"massMproduce"rice"as"eciently"as"
possible."Both"processes"are"valuable"and"eec>ve.""
""
So,"just"as"we"saw"in"Everybody"Cooks"Rice"that"there"are"lots"of"ways"to"prepare"
rice"and"lots"of"dishes"to"make,"well"learn"today"that"there"are"lots"of"dierent"places"
that"grow"rice"and"diverse"ways"of"cul>va>ng"it."And,"as"you"can"see,"rice"can"even"
look"dierent"depending"on"how"it"was"harvested"EVEN"though"it"is"the"same"plant!"
"
"
3"

Before"rice"can"be"planted,"the"soil"should"be"in"the"best"physical"condi>on"for"crop"
growth"and"the"soil"surface"is"level."Land"prepara>on"involves"plowing"and"harrowing"
to">ll"or"digMup,"mix"and"level"the"soil."
""
Tillage"allows"the"seeds"to"be"planted"at"the"right"depth,"and"also"helps"with"weed"
control."Farmers"can">ll"the"land"themselves"using"hoes"and"other"equipment"or"they"
can"be"assisted"by"dra]"animals,"such"as"bualo,"or"tractors"and"other"machinery."
""
Next,"the"land"is"leveled"to"reduce"the"amount"of"water"wasted"by"uneven"pockets"of"
tooMdeep"water"or"exposed"soil."Eec>ve"land"leveling"allows"the"seedlings"to"
become"established"more"easily,"reduces"the"amount"of"eort"required"to"manage"
the"crop,"and"increases"both"grain"quality"and"yields."
"

4"

Transplan>ng"is"the"most"popular"plant"establishment"technique"across"Asia."PreM
germinated"seedlings"are"transferred"from"a"seedbed"to"the"wet"eld."It"requires"less"
seed"and"is"an"eec>ve"method"to"control"weeds,"but"requires"more"labor."Seedlings"
may"be"transplanted"by"either"machine"or"hand.""
"
WHY"MIGHT"IT"BE"HELPFUL"TO"PUT"THE"RICE"PLANTS"IN"THE"FIELD"AFTER"THEYVE"
GROWN"A"LITTLE?"AFTER"THE"SEED"HAS"GERMINATED,"ANY"IDEAS?"
"
Exemplary"response"might"be:"because"when"the"plants"are"really"small"and"young"
they"might"be"weaker"or"more"prone"to"damage"from"weeds."So,"growing"them"rst"
in"a"seedbed"gives"more"seeds"the"chance"to"become"strong,"healthy"plants."

5"

Describe"rice"eld"layout""ooding,"water"reten>on,"weed"and"pest"control."Farmers"
carefully"monitor"the"water"levels"of"their"elds."Bunches"of"2"to"6"seedlings"are"
pushed"into"the"soil,"and"the"elds,"or"paddies,"are"ooded"with"water."Low"muds"
walls,"called"dikes,"surround"the"elds"to"keep"the"water"inside"the"paddies."The"
elds"will"be"drained"at"harvest">me."
"

6"

Timelapse"video"of"rice"growing"in"the"eld."

7"

Harves>ng"is"the"process"of"collec>ng"the"mature"rice"crop"from"the"eld."Harves>ng"
ac>vi>es"include"cugng,"threshing,"cleaning,"and"hauling."Good"harves>ng"methods"
help"maximize"grain"yield"and"minimize"grain"damage"and"deteriora>on."
"
Manual&harves,ng"is"common"across"Asia"It"involves"cugng"the"rice"crop"with"
simple"hand"tools"like"sickles"and"knives."Then,"the"rice"is"manually"collected"and"haul"
o"the"eld."Next,"the"rice"is"threshed,"tradi>onally"this"is"done"by"hand"where"
workers"bang"bundles"of"rice"against"a"log"or"mound"of"earth."This"separates"the"
grains,"or"pieces"of"rice"were"familiar"with,"from"the"stalks"they"grew"on."
""
Mechanical&harves,ng"using"reapers"to"cut"all"the"rice"plants"from"the"eld"and"then"
thresh"them"by"hand"or"machine."Or,"these"processes"can"be"combined"into"one"by"a"
machine"called"a"combine"harvester"that"both"cuts"the"rice"plants"and"threshes"the"
grains"from"the"stalk"at"the"same">me."
"
"

8"

9"

Start"at"14"seconds,"go"through"1:15"
"
TURN"AND"TALK"with"partner."Partner"1,"explain"in"your"own"words"the"tradiSonal"
harvesSng"and"threshing"process."Then"SWITCH."Partner"2,"describe"in"your"own"
words"the"modern,"mechanical"method"of"harvesSng"and"threshing"rice."
"
Share"out"to"the"class"what"was"the"same"and"what"was"dierent."
"
Same:"Rice"is"cut,"grain"is"separated"
Dierent:"use"of"machinery,"labor"intensity,"amount"of">me"it"takes,"doing"both"at"
the"same">me"(combine"harvester)"

10"

Drying"is"the"process"that"reduces"grain"moisture"content"to"a"safe"level"for"storage."
It"is"the"most"cri>cal"opera>on"a]er"harves>ng"a"rice"crop."Delays"in"drying,"
incomplete"drying"or"ineec>ve"drying"will"reduce"grain"quality"and"result"in"losses."
"
This"can"be"done"by"hand,"raking"the"rice"in"the"sun,"or"by"a"machine"that"brings"rice"
to"high"temperatures"so"that"the"moisture"evaporates."
"
TALK"ABOUT"HOW"THIS"IS"LIKE"USING"A"HARIDRYER"VERSUS"COMBING"YOUR"HAIR"
AND"LETTING"IT"DRY"IN"THE"SUN."SAME"RESULT,"DIFFERENT"TECHNOLOGIES."

11"

The"rice"must"be"husked"and"polished"in"order"to"remove"the"husk"and"leave"the"
edible"rice"grain"that"you"see"before"you.""
"
By"hand:"Tradi>onally,"rice"is"husked"by"pounding"the"grains"using"a"wooden"mortar,"
or"bowl,"and"pestle."The"pestle"breaks"the"hull,"and"it"is"removed"from"the"grain"by"
winnowing,"or"blowing"air"on"the"grains."A"mortar"and"pestle"are"also"used"to"polish,"
or"remove,"the"bran"layer.""
"
At"the"mill:"Can"be"shipped"to"large"processing"plants"called"mills,"where"it"is"husked"
and"polished"by"machines."Here,"the"rough"rice"passes"through"rubber"rollers"they"
crack"the"rice"husk."Large"fans"blow"away"the"husks."The"rice"is"then"polished"using"
machines"that"grind"the"grains"un>l"the"white"endosperm"and"germ"are"exposed.""
"
"

12"

If"only"the"husk"is"removed"then"brown"rice"is"the"product."If"the"rice"is"further"
milled"or"polished"then"the"bran"layer"is"removed"to"reveal"white"rice.""
"
QUESTIONING"ABOUT"WHICH"ONE"STUDENTS"THINK"WAS"POLISHED"OR"NOT"of"the"
rice"bowls"on"their"table,"why"or"why"not?"Pick"up"and"compare"rice."Can"you"see"
the"bran"layer?"
"

13"

Once"milled,"rice"is"packed"and"transported"to"point"of"sale,"which"may"be"local"
or"interna>onal."
"
Reference"back"to"circular"map"used"during"Everybody"Cooks"Rice"read"aloud"where"
a"neighborhood"is"your"block,"street,"city,"state,"country,"conSnent"

14"

Compare"with"Everybody"Cooks"Rice"map"where"countries"are"labeled"for"dierent"
families"country"of"origin""we"see"where"rice"is"typically"grown"and"bought/
traded/and"transported"from."Lets"also"look"at"where"the"dierent"families"were"
from"in"ECR."We"can"see"that"rice"goes"to"all"dierent"kinds"of"places""all"over"the"
world!!"Ask"for"a"few"observaSons"about"the"maps."
"

15"

Reference"homework"readingM"we"know"1/3"of"the"worlds"popula>on"eats"rice"
everyday."Rice"is"bought"and"sold"on"the"world"market"and"the"a"global"commodity!"
Discuss"trade"between"countries,"rice"is"a"good"sold"on"the"world"market."And,"it"is"in"
our"communi>es,"you"can"get"rice"at"all"kinds"of"stores"in"all"dierent"forms."
"
"

16"

Emphasize"modern"v"tradi>onal"prac>ces""as"technology"changes"the"process"itself"
stays"the"same,"it"is"aided"by"technology."Both"ways"work"in"their"own"way"and"are"
valuable."
"
Not"only"do"people"cook"all"kinds"of"dishes"with"rice,"but"they"get"it"from"all"kinds"of"
places"and"it"is"grown"and"harvested"dierent"ways."Underneath"though,"it"all"comes"
from"the"same"plant!"Next"week,"when"we"have"a"Rice"science"lesson"we"will"explore"
this"plant"more"and"learn"about"its"life"cycle."
"
"

17"

Introduce"worksheet."

18"