One Grain of Rice

Title: One Grain of Rice

Author: Demi

Illustrator: Demi

Recommended Grade Level: 2-4

Common Core Mathematics Standards Addressed: Operations and Algebraic Thinking, Number and Operations in Base Ten

Summary: A long time ago in India there was a raja who believed that he was very wise and treated his kingdom very fair. But every year he kept nearly all the people's rice for himself. He said that he would distribute it as it was needed. Then the famine came, and the raja refused to share the rice leaving the people in the village to go hungry. A young village girl named Rani was walking behind his delivery of rice when the rice began falling to the floor grain by grain. She picked up each grain that fell, and when the raja stopped her and accused her of being a thief she told him she was no thief, and planned to return the fallen rice to him. He wanted to reward her for being honest, so she asked him for one grain of rice, doubled everyday for thirty days. Through the surprising powers of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice, leaving the raja rice less at the end of the story. He thought she was foolish for choosing such a cheap reward, but she ended up richer than he was at the end.

Rating: **** This is an excellent book to use because of the wonderful story and the amazing illustrations. Children will be in awe when the see how much rice the young girl accumulates. Not only does it focus on the power of doubling, but also teaches about real life and the importance of sharing.

Classroom Ideas: This book can be used with mathematical topics such as addition and multiplication. In the class you can do activities that are related to money. Start on day one with one penny, and double that penny for ten days to show how the amount grows when you double. As an activity you can have students figure out a problem such as, " If you were given a dollar by the President, and everyday you received double the amount of the dollar you received the day before. How many dollars would you have at the end of thirty days?" This will engage them in problem solving, and can work in pairs or alone.