Math Connections

    This book could be done as a unit because a teacher would be able to incorporate all different subjects through One Grain of Rice.  Its main focus, though, is mathematics.  Throughout the story rice is doubled each day for thirty days.  So Rani starts with one grain of rice on the first day and on the second day it doubles to equal two, than you multiply two by two and get four, and four by four and you get sixteen and so on. 

The way that the rice is delivered changes through the story because of the increase in rice.  Figure out the exact amount of rice for each animal for the different days.  On the twenty-fourth day eight royal deer carried the rice, so how much rice did each deer carry?  Do this for each of the following days.

 

Explain what  it means to double a number.

 

Explain how to raise a number to a power and what that means.

 

Use rice as counters to explain concepts in the book.  Count with rice to make the lesson more interactive and hands on.

 

You can calculate the distance from your location to India.

 

Read the book up to the part where Rani is explaining her plan to the raja, then have the students make a poster to show what the results will be after doubling the rice for a month.  This can be the project for the unit, then after the students turn in their projects read the book in its entirety.  Allow the students to figure the outcome before telling them the answer and showing them the table in the back of the book.

Math Chart