Free Rice
Free Rice is a learning app that incentivizes correct responses by donating ten grains of rice for every correct answer. Students as young as second or third grade can benefit from answering the questions. There are several categories, including the environment, English grammar and vocabulary, geography, humanities, foreign languages, math, and science. The questions start off easy and become harder and harder as you go on.
Free Rice is gamified as well, where students can earn badges as they work through the questions and categories. Using Free Rice is a great way to have students feel connected to a good cause. They participate in something that benefits others and as they are learning.
1) Download the Free Rice App
2) Create an account.
3) Choose a category and set your difficulty level.
4) Proceed with the questions.
5) Change categories if desired.
6) Earn badges as you go along.
Alignment with the iTECH Model
- Inspire: Introduce Free Rice by highlighting the dual benefits of learning and contributing to a global cause. Discuss the importance of education and social responsibility. This will show how students can make a real-world impact through their learning activities.
- Try: Get students started with Free Rice. Help them choose categories and familiarize themselves with the game mechanics. Encourage initial exploration and the answering of questions to understand the app’s functionality.
- Expand: Introduce more complex categories as students become comfortable, challenging them with harder questions in their areas of interest or curriculum alignment. Use Free Rice to supplement classroom lessons to reinforce concepts covered in class.
- Create: Set up a class goal or competition, such as reaching a certain number of grains of rice or competing against another class. This adds a collaborative and competitive element to the learning experience. Encourage students to create study teams or partnerships to tackle various categories.
- Huddle: Host a classroom discussion or reflection session on their experiences with Free Rice, focusing on both their learning and the impact of their contributions. Share and celebrate milestones achieved, such as badges earned or rice donated.
Class Goal
Students could use Free Rice, while logging on through any device. Having a Free Rice class goal would be a fun, competitive way to get students engaged and doing something good. You could compete with another class or get donations to match what the students earn.
Fast Finisher Activity
When students finish their assigned work, Free Rice is a great fast finisher activity. Students are still learning, but they are choosing their category and earning badges at the same time.
Tips for Effective Implementation
- Regular Use: Incorporate Free Rice into the daily or weekly classroom routine. Use it as a warm-up, transition, or wrap-up activity.
- Track Progress: Regularly check in on students’ progress and contributions, using it as an opportunity to discuss both academic and philanthropic achievements.
- Encourage Autonomy: Let students choose their subjects on Free Rice, to foster autonomy and personalized learning.
Role of Educators
Educators can guide the use of Free Rice in the classroom, integrating it with curriculum goals while emphasizing the social impact of students’ participation. Make sure to support and motivate students to engage with the app consistently.
Free Rice offers a unique platform that merges learning with social responsibility. By integrating Free Rice with the iTECH Model, educators can engage students in a meaningful learning experience that extends beyond academic achievement to include global awareness and social contribution. This tool reinforces subject matter expertise and instills values of empathy and global citizenship.
Click here for a presentation you can use with your staff. It is completely editable so feel free to make any changes you need.