Imagine thirty, eighth-grade students working on an interdisciplinary, collaborative project that includes instructional curricular material aligned to the NJ Core Standards and focuses on the existing linkages between science and mathematics applications in industry.  Also, imagine dozens of classrooms in many states, and/or countries joining this project through the magic of the Internet.  “Looking for the Best Grain” is a project, which gives students the opportunity to understand science phenomena and to comprehend how science and mathematics theories and concepts are applied to real life.  The activities of this project demonstrate to students how in industry, chemists, engineers, and scientists work and care about the production of quality food.   It is a project designed to create awareness in the students about the nutritional properties of food products.  This is a project through which teachers and students around the world will use the Internet for a compelling reason: to communicate, exchange, and publish data about their own grains and processes.  The students will separate and analyze the three basic parts of grain ({Link Here} to view a diagram of a dissected grain of wheat): 

• The endosperm, which is rich in carbohydrates, and used in the bakery industry; 
• the germ, which is rich in fat, and used in the oil industry; 
• the hull or bran, which is rich in minerals, proteins, and vitamins for compound foods.

Based on this analysis and further data collection and analysis, the participating students from around the world will conclude which grain is the best.  Both, the industry and colleges show interest in this project and promise to collaborate and support it.  The hands-on science experience, the mathematical analysis of the collected data and the Internet application make the project a unique academic experience for students and teachers.