WHAT’S IN THE PANTRY?

Maize, wheat, rice, and potatoes are four of the most common staple crops in the world. But how common are these foods in your home? How much of what you like to eat depends on these four top crops?

› To begin, take an inventory of the food in your kitchen pantry, cabinets, and refrigerator. Make a list of everything you find.

› After you have a list of food, place each into a food category: corn, wheat, rice, and potato. You can add some additional categories, such as dairy, fruits and vegetables, and meat. Look at the list of ingredients on boxes and cans to determine if there are any staple foods in the food.

› Once you have sorted the food by category, think about the following questions.

» What staple food did you find the most?

» What staple food did you find the least?

» Did you find any foods that did not fit into any of your categories? What were they?

› Based on what you found, how much does your family rely on staple foods?

Consider This!

If one of the four top crops was no longer available, what foods would you not be able to eat? How would you replace these foods in your diet? What substitutions could you make?

Essential Questions

Each chapter of this book begins with an essential question to help guide your exploration of gravity. Keep the question in your mind as you read the chapter. At the end of each chapter, use your science journal to record your thoughts and answers.

Essential Question

Why do we rely on so few staple crops in a world of agricultural diversity?