Asian rice

High school (ages 12+)
Food & Cooking

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/asian-rice

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Oryza sativa
2. What is the estimated origin of domestication?Yangtze River valley, China, potentially as early as 13,500 years ago
3. What is Asian rice and why is it so important?Asian rice is a tiny seed called Oryza sativa that feeds more than half of the world. It gives lots of energy and helps keep people from going hungry.
4. Where did Asian rice first grow?It first grew in the Yangtze River basin in China, about 13,500 years ago.

Domestication: The long-term process of selective breeding of plants or animals for human benefit, leading to genetic changes.
Staple Food: A food item that is consumed regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes the dominant part of the diet.
Paddy Field: An irrigated or flooded field used for growing rice, characterized by its waterlogged conditions.
Aerenchyma: Plant tissue containing large air spaces, facilitating gas exchange in submerged or waterlogged roots.