Free Rice

[Mannequin]

Free Rice is a website I came across this week that I wanted to share with you all. For every set of words you match, 10 grains of rice are donated to the United Nations World Food Program. Since the site went live a month ago, nearly ONE BILLION grains of rice have been donated to feed hungry people around the world.

I added this link to my school webpage and played the game with my students today. My classes donated over 500 grains! I teach 12 year olds who can''t always find a way to donate time or money to a worthy cause, but through this site, they can learn some new vocabulary AND make a difference for others.

Please play and pass this link along!

 

[FireGoddess]

Cool site!!! But your 12 year olds were doing it? How does the site pick words? I got through 10 words, was at a vocab level of 40, and could barely guess what some of those words meant!!! LOL.

ETA: I just did 340 grains of rice, and my vocab level is 37. What does that even mean?!

Besides the rice donation, I get that, hehehehe.

 

[Mannequin]

Date: 11/7/2007 10:52:03 PM
Author: FireGoddess
Cool site!!! But your 12 year olds were doing it? How does the site pick words? I got through 10 words, was at a vocab level of 40, and could barely guess what some of those words meant!!! LOL.

If you don't guess correctly, the vocab level stops going up and/or drops until you start choosing the right word again.

340 grains! Fantastic, that's like one whole bowl. You just fed a meal to a hungry person, FG!

 

[Dee*Jay]

What a great site! I just did 1,000 grains of rice and my score went up to 42 at one point (but I ended up lower than that... ) I can get addicted to things like this--if I don''t go to bed now I will be here all night!

 

[Skippy123]

Date: 11/7/2007 11:46:03 PM
Author: Dee*Jay
What a great site! I just did 1,000 grains of rice and my score went up to 42 at one point (but I ended up lower than that... ) I can get addicted to things like this--if I don't go to bed now I will be here all night!

hehehe me too; I got 610 grains of rice. Lots of fun; off to bed

 

[Kaleigh]

I got up to 3030 grains of rice. Needed to stop, some of the questions started to repeat. Great cause and great brain exercise. Now I am pooped.

 

[E B]

Cool site! I donated 1,000 grains this time around. I'll try to donate more tomorrow!

 

[Mara]

2220 for me! what a fun site.

its interesting how many of these words aren''t ones we use in our daily lives but somehow you manage to remember hearing them used or read in a book or something. i got up to vocab 41 but was typically more around 37 on average.

 

[Deelight]

Phew what an awesome idea I had to give up though my brain got tired

You have now donated
3010 grains of rice.

I love the idea of how you could incorporate this into a lesson for a classroom and really develop awaressness while building language skills

 

[FireGoddess]

I will definitely bookmark the site! I think it''s great that you can help a good cause AND expand your vocabulary. It''s also interesting how, even though you may not have heard a word before, you can deduce what it means by breaking it down into things you might know the meaning of, which is a great lesson for kids as well!

 

[belle]

cool site equestrienne!

thanks!

 

[sap483]

Thanks for sharing this! What a great way to help those in need, that doesn''t cost a thing! I just sent the link along via email to a bunch of my friends and family members!

 

[poshpepper]

Wow, what a cool site. Definitely addicting and I am definitely adding this to my favorites

Just did 1,000 grains ending @ level 32... its really cool that they show you a level... makes you want to keep going

 

[snlee]

Cool site! Although vocab isn''t my strong point so I''ve only donated 350 grains so far! I will add it to my favorites though and keep playing. Thanks equestrienne!

 

[CaptAubrey]

I got up to 46 and 400 grains before I had to get back to work. Very addictive.

 

[Selkie]

Just what I need, another addictive time-waster! Thanks, Equ, that''s a lot of fun for a word nerd like me, and I''m glad it goes to a good cause. I got 2380 grains, level 47. Many of those words were either really archaic or scientifically oriented.

 

[Delster]

Love this site, thanks equestrienne! Level 42 after 400 grains... something tells me I''m gonna be playing this game for hours tonight!!!

 

[erica k]

what a great site! i admit, i was a bit fatigued after 3420 grains of rice. i noticed they started repeating words or using the same answer for very similar words. i will have to try again after my brain has recovered. it''s been a long time since i''ve played vocabulary games, and i love it!

 

[somethingshiny]

Okay, either it's going REALLY well, or they're screwing us. I just did 1280 and it said "sorry, we are unable to process rice donations so fast. Please click BACK on your browser and try again."

It wouldn't even let me keep playing.

ETA- I got up to level 50 a couple times!! I knew all the agricultural and livestock words!!

 

[gingerBcookie]

2010 for me! I got up to 47, but mainly hung around 40. Knowing medical terminolgy was very helpful.

 

[AGBF]

Great game.

My gripes are that I can sometimes guess a word and that I then do not learn the word''s meaning and that I do not have time to process the meaning of word even when the "game" gives it to me because I have given an incorrect answer. (I could stop and take the time to write it down; I just get caught up in the game and do not want to!)

It also bothers me that after I have gotten up to what is, for me, a relatively high level (for example 44) that I cannot earn grains of rice as quickly. If I fall down to a 41 or a 40, I can really pile them up. There should be something that makes one want to stay at the higher levels. Isn''t it an inducement to do poorly if he can earn grains more easily at lower levels? Maybe not, because one has to fail to go down a level. The reason I cannot figure this out (or don''t want to) is why I am a verbal person, not a mathematical person!

Deb

 

[sera]

I had to search to see if anyone here has played... I got so addicted when someone gave me the link, I left my computer on so I could continue playing, and when I just went back to it, where I left off was gone and I had to start over. Bummer. So, I''m not sure what level I left off at or how many grains were donated (I do know it was a few thousand).

Another friend (who lives in a developing country) was a bit surprised by the game saying making a game out of the food staple millions depend on to live is offensive and that it wasn''t that much being donated (this friend is very sensitive about some issues- I don''t think it would be the typical response). I see the point but don''t agree; I see the game as a positive thing... those playing strengthen their vocab. while each time we click correctly (displaying another ad), rice is donated. Sure it''s a small amount, but if a lot of people were playing it would add up... it might make a difference to someone.

I think it''s great idea for classes! I love hearing about classes doing things to learn and for a cause!

 

[bee*]

This looks so cool-off to play for the day in a minute