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Free Rice
Pros: This quiz site teaches kids about global hunger through a range of challenging and interesting subjects.
Cons: You won't get explanations for wrong answers, making it difficult for kids to learn from mistakes.
Bottom Line: Free Rice inspires social responsibility through careful learning.
A storehouse of information and relevant quizzes, Free Rice can be a way to yank kids into a variety of topics. The World Hunger category in particular could inspire kids to do more in-depth research. You could use the questions as jumping-off points for discussion and lessons. A question like, "What animals helped deliver food aid during the Russian Famine of 1921?" could lead to further reading on the Russian Famine, and a question about the average annual income in India could lead to a discussion of that country's economy, diet, and challenges. You could also have kids write down missed questions and review them later. High schoolers could use the SAT prep section, but most of the content is best-suited for late elementary and middle schoolers.
Published by the World Food Programme, Free Rice is a quiz site that donates grains of rice to needy countries when kids answer questions correctly.
First, users create a profile so their "score" gets tied to their online identity. Eight subjects are offered: Humanities, English, Math, Chemistry, Language Learning, Sciences, Geography, and Test Preparation. Each has two to five subsections; for example, Math includes Multiplication Table and Basic Math, and Geography includes World Landmarks, Identify Countries on the Map, World Capitals, and Flags of the World. The Test Preparation category offers SAT prep, with questions from Kaplan.
The first thing kids see is a question, four possible answers, and an image of an empty wooden bowl. As questions are answered correctly, the bowl fills with grains of rice. Each correct answer yields 10 grains. Questions progress in difficultly depending on whether accurate answers are given, and a running tally tracks how many grains of rice kids have raised. The rice gets donated to a country in need.
Kids can create profiles and work in teams as they climb and descend levels depending on whether they give the right answers. The site tracks their progress, making it a great way to challenge kids to reach certain goals. A wealth of new facts is reflected in the questions for subjects like Literature, Famous Paintings, and World Hunger. Other subjects such as Language Learning, Human Anatomy, and Math offer the opportunity to review basic lessons. The site repeats questions that are answered wrong but gives no explanations; in this way, it misses the chance to increase understanding of some valuable material. Also, aside from the World Hunger category, information isn't otherwise integrated into the site.
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Free Rice: Educational Review and Food Donation
This is a terrific program that can be used by an individual student or with a group of students. The various subjects that are available can be used for review (multiplication facts, basic language reviews, identify countries) and for exploration of new information (learning a new language, famous paintings). My students have used it for both review and personal exploration, especially in regards to language. They have enjoyed filling up their bowls with rice to help others while having fun. It is engaging, individualized and motivating even when you get the wrong answer.
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