Cassava

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/cassava

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 classification?Genus: Manihot, Species: esculenta
2. What is the geographic origin?South America, likely the Amazon basin
3. Why do we have to soak or boil cassava before eating it?Cassava naturally contains a small amount of a toxin called cyanide. Soaking, fermenting, boiling or roasting helps remove most of that toxin so it is safe to eat.
4. Where does cassava grow best?Cassava likes hot, tropical places and can grow in soils that are low in nutrients or have little rain. It is a favorite crop in Africa and Asia because it keeps growing even when other foods fail.

Euphorbiaceae: A large and diverse family of flowering plants, which includes cassava and rubber trees.
Cyanogenic Glycosides: Chemical compounds found in plants that can release toxic hydrogen cyanide when broken down.
Food Security: The condition of having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food.
Marginal Environments: Areas of land that are difficult to farm due to poor soil quality, low rainfall, or steep slopes.