School: Mar-Lan Primary School
    Taitung, Taitung, Taiwan

15 students, ages 10-12 worked together to complete this CyberFair project on February 10, 2003. They have participated in CyberFair in the following year(s): 2003

Classes and Teachers: Mr. Wu Nen-Chou and Mrs. Yang Su-Chen are teachers.plus 15 five to six-graders(names are in the website's TEAM Members page.)

E-Mail contact:

Our School's Web Site: http://www.mlps.ttct.edu.tw/project/2003/rice/english/

1. Description of Our Community

Chihshang Rurual Township is located at the north point of Taitung longitudinal valley. It is located at the parting of Hsiukuluan River and Peinan. We got abundant water resources with even terrain. The total area of Chihshang Township is 80 square kilometers, which is the widest terrain at Taitung longitudinal valley. Becasue of its special natural environment and climate, rice grown at Chihshang is sweet and with fragrant smell. Moreover, during the Japanese occupation era, "Chihshang rice" was called the "Emperor rice." "Chihshang" really deserves the name of "Home of rice" at Taitung County.

2. Summary of Our Project

"Rice" is our main food, but in fact we don't know it much. This study is to have a nvestigation on rice. We are going to present you the whole growing process of rice, from the seedling to husking and milling process. In the investigation, we found that not all brands of rice labled as "Chihshang Rice" do come from Chihshang. Thus we made a survey on the small package rice on the market, and wish to have a better understanding of the label. Besides the survey, becasue of the issue that the application for a patent on Chihshang rice has been truned down, we also made a questionnaire. We gave out the questionnaire to six different counties and cities. By this questionnaire we tried to figure out whether customers satisfy the rice on the market, and to find out why the application for a patent on Chishang rice was turned down. Also in the study we provide some tips for choosing good-quality rice for customers.

3. Our Computer and Internet Access

A. Percentage of students using the Internet at home:more than 50%

B. Number of workstations with Internet access in the classroom:more than 6

C. Connection speed used in the classroom:dial-up modem

D. Number of years our classroom has been connected to the Internet:more than 6

E. Additional comments concerning your computer and/or Internet access (Optional):

Our school is installed ADSL for internet use. The upload speed is 384K, and download spped is 1.5 MB. Every computer classrooms are wired to internet, and through the central server, students can contact with the international network easily and quickly. Each student is provided a e-mail address, which helps us a lot in the study.

4. Problems We Had To Overcome

(1) Traffic problem It takes about one hour to go from Chihshang to Taitung city, and our crew is not small. Therefore how to get to the markets at Taitung city to have investigations is a big problem. Fortunately, with the help of those passtionate and warm-hearted angels we overcome the traffic problem and finish our study. (2)The problem of scheldue After school, most of our crew have to go to cram schools, thus we don't have much time to get together. In order to finish the investigation, each of our crew re-arranges his/her scheldue for cram schools. Finally we finish the investigation without anyone absent. Besdies this, when at school, we can only have meetings at nap time. Physically this is a great challenge to each of our crew and advisers, but with great perseverance and patience, we overcome this difficulty and finish the study. (3) Problem about the photo shots In order to take shots of transplanting process, we have to wait until the middle ten days of January. Moreover, becasue non of our aquaintance is farmer, we decided to go to the growing seeds center. Fortunately, a passionate and warm-hearted farmer agreed to let us take pictures of transplanting work at his farm. Also, we meet the problem of presenting the rice mill. The rice mill is too huge to present in one singal photo, thus we can only introduce it step by step with joint hotos. (4) Problem on the content of the study: When we decided to make a website, we didn't have any idea about the content. Our crew and advisers brainstormed at several meetings, we had an tentative outline of our study project. After each interview we would discuss and analyze the information we got, and figured out what else we should get to finish our study. Over and over again, we repeat the procedure, finally we have the final outline of our website.

5. Our Project Sound Bite

"With each bowl of gruel or rice you should recall that its production is not easy; With each half length of silk or hemp, always remember "to make a thing is very hard." In the modern society, people can easily get everything they want. People have forgotten the virtue of frugality. During the investigation, we experience the hardish of being a farmer, and realize that the rice we eat everyday comes from many people's hard work, which makes rice be called "thousand people's rice". Moreover we also have a deeper realization about the proverb, "Each bowl of rice, who knows, is the fruit of hard toil?" and have a greater gratitude for and respect on all that are given to us

6. How did your activities and research for this CyberFair Project support standards, required coursework and curriculum standards?

Our Curriculum puts the focus on how to integrate every individual cources, and study project is the best way to exame students' ability to use all knowledge learning in the shcool. In the study project,students not only learn how to cooperate with each other, but learn to use the knowledge they learn in the school to solve problems. When doing the study, we have several meetings to do brainstorming, to share what we learn from the interview, and by these meetings each of us learn how to demonstrate a study report. Also when we have problems, we learn to search data through internet. Moreover, during the study students of 6 grade help to lead students of 5 grade. We learn together, help each other, and overcome problems together; we have overcome many difficulties such as the problem of schedule, physical strength. Finally we finish the study. This is a great experience for us to learn and to grow up. As for the filed in school learning, through the interview with Agricultural Improvement Station, we learn things about crossbreeding, which we have learned in natural science; by making the statistical chart with computer, and the disscussion on this chart, we realize the importance of those chart, which we learned in math cleasses; by recording and writing down the interivew, and putting it on the website, we practice composition.All of these experiences help us to integrate and present all the knowledge we learned in school. Through the case study on "Chihshang rice", students learn to integrate their knowledge, and throught the presentation of the website, we hope to promote Taitung's specialty, and to provide some informations about Chihshang for people to understand it.

1) What information tools & technologies did you used to complete your CyberFair project?

Digital voice Recorder : We record interviews with it. Digital camera : We use it to photo all the pictures on the website. Internet : Through internet, we search for contents and related informations about our topic. Software: (1) Frontpage, Dreamweaver to creat pages. (2) Photoimpact to deal with digital photos. (3) Word to deal with daily record and words on every page. (4) Excel to make statistical chart. (5) Swish to create animation. (6) Panorama Maker to joint divided photos. (7) Internet browser softwar to search related informations. Scanner : We use it to scan photos we take and photos on books. Books and pamphlets : Through reading books and pamphlets to understand our topic. Telephone:We contact with students, their parents, and teachers by telephone.

2) In what ways did you act as "ambassadors" and spokespersons for your CyberFair project both on-line and in person.

This website is finished under the help of many warm-hearted people.Those people are the "ambassadors" of our study, becasue they extend the deapth of our study. Ambassadors of our study : ■ Chihshang Farmers' Association Mr. Huang Jung-Lan: Mr. Huang showed and explained to us the modern mill facility, and explained to us the problem of infringement. Also he tooks us to visit the museum of Chihshang set-meals. ■ Boss Chang: Boss Chang showed and explained to us the whole milling process. By his detail explaination we learned how farmers grew rice in the past time. ■ Earth Rice Mill Mr. Liang Cheng-Hsien: Mr. Liang explained to us the development of rice industry, and introduced us modern mill facility, and milling process. Also he provided us a lot of informations about rice growing. ■ Mr. Hsiao Huan-Tung: Mr. Hsiao is a farmer . He introduced us the rice growing process, and things that should be noticed. ■ Museum of Chihshang Set-meals Mr. Chang Yu-Kuang: Mr. Chang told us the history of Chihshang set-meals, and led us to visit musuem of Chihshang set-meals. Also he agreed to let us to take pictures of the facilities at the museum. ■ Taitung Agricultural Improvement Station Secretary Chiang Jui-Kung: Mr. Chiang explained to us the process of breed improvement and the development of rice industry in Taiwan. Also she provided some useful books for us in making the website. ■ Breeding Center Mr. Chang Wei-Tung Mr. Chang and his father explained to us the whole process of rice seed breeding, and provided us infromations about how farmers get rice seedlings.

3) What has been the impact of your project on your community?

By the questionnaire, we find that "Chihshang Rice" is well-known in Taiwan. 55% rice buyers would consider Chihshang rice. Also the result of the questionnaire tells us 91% answerers know the way to distinguish real Chihshang rice. Besides this, as to the issue that the application of a patent on "Chihshang Rice" has been turned down, 89% costumers thinks it's a swindle if the rice they buy not grown at Chihshang. Therefore we hope that the result of our questionnaire can raise the related governmental department's attention, and help to push the proposal.

4) How did your project involve other members of your community as helpers and volunteers?

(1)All the parents of students participating in the study When doing investigation and interview, thanks for those parents who accompany us, we finish the works without wasting too much time and money. (2)Mr. Tsen Chin-Pin One of our crew, Yu-Lun, his father, Mr. Tsen Chin-Pin helped us to contact with Chishang Farmers' Associationnad to have a interview. This is a crucial start for our study. Because of the first experience, we continued a series of interview. Also Mr. Tsen provided us dirnk and transportation help. Thank you very much, Mr.Tsen. (3)Teachers, students and their parents All the teachers, students of our school and their parents help us a lot. Becasue of Miss Lin Pi-Yun's help, we get the permission to visit Ta-Feng Rice Mill. Moreover teachers of our chool all willing to offer help in our questionnaire contents, and in giveing out questionnaires.We thank you for all of your help. (4) People of Chihshang Rural Township and rice mills at Chihshang When we visited rice mills, although we don't know each other, all the workers there provided us infromations as possilbe as they can. Besides this, schoolmasters and directors of Fu-Yuan Primary School and Wan-An Primary school helped us to ask their students' parents answer our questionnaire. We thank for their help with great gratitude. (5) Students of other cities and counties and their parents Our schoolmaster and two advisers helped us to have their ex-colleagues give out and retrieve our questionnaires. With the help from those teachers, we finish the work on questionnaire and get the related data from cities and counties outside Chihshang.

5) Discoveries, Lessons and Surprises (Optional)

(1) Discovery: When doing the project, we realize that the rice we eat everyday comes from a lot of people's effort. Because the effort of the agricultural improvement station, which constantly researches out good-quality rice breed, the effort of farmers, who grow rice with great care, and the work of modern facility to preserve and mill rice, we can ejnoy such tasty rice in Taiwan. (2) Lessons: Through the project, we realize the greatness of Chihshang farmers. Because of their effort in introduing modern mill facilities, "Chihshang Rice" survive from being absorbed by large business company. Also because of their effort in research and improve the quality of rice, the name of "Chihshang rice" is spread out nationally and internationally. Making every effort to improve quality is the only way to survive on the market. From this, we realize that hard work and constant endeavor are crucial for one's self-development. (3) Surprise After visiting the rill mill and modern rice examing facility, we learn that nowadays farmers check the maturity of rice by putting it into the machine. And putting the baked rice grain into the machine, we can immediatelyknow whether the rice is tasty or not without cooking it. We are really surprised at the modern technology.