In this podcast, Laura Bradlee introduces listeners to the book One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi.
Introduction
The book I chose, One Grain of Rice, is another example of children's literature that exposes students to another culture. This classic mathematical folktale allows children a glimpse into another era of time through incredible illustrations that are full of exquisite detail and beauty that portray life in ancient India. This book would be an excellent way to begin a lesson about the concept of doubling and exploring large numbers. I hope that this book, along with my other book choices, will encourage children to become interested in different countries and cultures, opening their eyes to the great big wondrous world that we live in.
Related Books
How Much Is A Million? by David Schwartz
If You Made A Million by David Schwartz
More Information
Try this activity sheet for use with the book.
Here is an economics lesson on scarcity for use with this book.
Try this lesson on finding patterns using this book.
Cynthia Lanius's Million Dollar Mission lesson plan would directly complement this book in an advanced fourth or fifth grade classroom that has had a lot of experience with manipulating numbers.
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