Featured article: “Heroes of Progress, Pt. 52: Yuan Longping” by Alexander C. R. Hammond

Alexander C. R. Hammond writes, “The discovery of high‐​yield hybrid rice helped to alleviate food insecurity not only in China but in countries across the world. In doing so, Yuan’s rice saved millions of lives.… Today, a fifth of all rice grown globally originates from Yuan’s hybrids.”

Food security is one of the most fundamental human rights. In this lesson, students will learn how Yuan Longping strove to contribute to worldwide food security through the development of hybrid rice and helped secure a world free of famine and hunger.

Note to students: Like other East Asian cultures, family names come first in China. So, a typical way to refer respectfully to Chinese people, even in English, is to use their family name. In this case, “Yuan” is his family name, and “Longping” is his given name. Therefore, use “Yuan” or “Mr. Yuan” when you write and speak about this esteemed scientist.

Did you know that rice contributes over 20 percent of the calories that humans consume each year? Rice is the most important food crop for more than half the world’s population, especially in countries like China, India, Indonesia, and Japan.

Watch the Why is rice so popular? TED‐​Ed video to learn why rice is such a significant crop worldwide. As you watch, answer these questions.

• In what regions was rice first domesticated by humans?
• Around what time was rice first cultivated in China?
• How were the types of rice native to South America lost?
• What is one example of how rice is central to many Asian cultures?
• Why did Asian rice spread to so many areas?
• What are the special features of rice that allow it to thrive while submerged in water?
• What are two adverse environmental effects of the traditional cultivation of rice in flooded paddy fields?

Read the article and then answer the following questions:

• What was the Green Revolution, and how has it affected the contemporary world?
• How did significant historical world events in the first half of the 20th century impact Yuan’s upbringing and education?
• In your own words, summarize Gregor Mendel’s and Thomas Hunt Morgan’s theories about how an organism’s traits are inherited by the next generation.
• How did Chinese Communist Party dogma affect Yuan’s course of study?
• What was the Great Leap Forward, and how did it motivate Yuan to find new ways to increase food production?
• What is “hybridization” of crops?
• Describe one of Yuan’s breakthrough discoveries about hybrid rice.
• What have been the long‐​term consequences of Yuan’s tireless research on high‐​yield hybrid rice?

According to the United Nations, food security exists when “all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”

In 2015, the United Nations, with the support of all its 193 member countries, committed to ending world hunger by 2030 when it adopted Sustainable Development Goal 2: “End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.”

Due to the efforts of scientists such as Yuan, farmers, businesspeople, leaders, and government workers, the vast majority of the world’s population now has enough to eat. Nevertheless, millions of people still go hungry every day. In addition, the world population will likely go up by another 1.5 billion people by 2050.

What should the future of farming look like? As a class, watch this Vice News video to learn more about how food production may look over the next 50–100 years. The video shows two radically different farming conceptions in the 21st century.

After watching the video, have a class debate in which you respond to these questions: “What does the future of farming look like? Should farming move in the direction of more high‐​tech solutions? Or should farms go “back to basics” and focus on whole foods cultivated in more traditional ways?”

Divide yourself into groups of four like‐​minded individuals. Your teacher should ensure that there are an even number of groups supporting each side of the issue. With your partners, do research online to find evidence from reputable sources that support your claims.

Present your assertions to the whole class. Engage in a civil discussion on the merits of each argument and the evidence presented.​

Yuan went to college in Chongqing, China. Although many Americans have likely never heard of the city, it is one of the world’s largest urban areas, with approximately 30 million inhabitants. Due to its enormous population, China has many megalopolises that never make international headlines.

Research Chongqing and create an overview of the city using Google Slides. On each slide, include images such as maps, graphs, and photos. The following elements are required:

Introduction: the city’s name and meaning in Chinese, geographic location, important natural features, and population

History: important historical events that have shaped the city, especially its role during World War II

Culture and society: local cuisine, such as its famous hotpot; highlight the local dialect of Chinese

Economy and infrastructure: major industries, companies, and the modern skyline

Tourist spots: the Three Gorges and Wuling Mountains

References: Include a slide with references and sources

Yuan almost lost his life due to the Cultural Revolution in 1966. Luckily, he was saved by higher‐​ups who supported his research. The Cultural Revolution had profound effects on Chinese society and stalled China’s economic development for a decade.

The Cultural Revolution is difficult to understand. Watch This photo triggered China’s Cultural Revolution from Vox about this brutal time in modern Chinese history and answer these questions.

• Who was Mao Zedong?
• What type of government did Mao establish in China after the 1949 revolution?
• Name the agricultural policy that Mao implemented during the Great Leap Forward.
• Explain Mao’s plan for industrialization during the Great Leap Forward.
• Why is the Great Leap Forward considered a demographic disaster?
• What was the original intent of the Cultural Revolution?
• Who were the “Red Guards”?
• Describe some of the infamous tactics of the Red Guards.
• How many Chinese people did the Chinese Communist Party kill during the Cultural Revolution?
• How are the aftereffects of the Cultural Revolution still felt in China today?