models · Compounding
15 min · pencil, calculator (optional)
★★☆
Rice on a chessboard
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A clever girl asks the king for rice: 1 grain on day 1, then double each day. The king laughs. Should he?
- Day 1 is 1 grain. Day 2 is 2. Keep doubling.
- Fill in all 16 days.
- Guess: how much on day 64?
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Day 11
Day 12
Day 13
Day 14
Day 15
Day 16
Grown-up corner
Why it matters: Compounding means growth on top of growth. Small steady gains, in money or skills, get huge over time.
- When did the numbers start to feel big?
- What else grows like this? (Reading, practice, savings.)
Extend it: Read 5 more minutes each week and track how your total grows.
My brain felt: ☐ easy ☐ just right ☐ stretchy
One thing I learned: ________________________
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