LA Taste: Intermediate Lesson
Title: The Taste of Latin America
Arizona State Standards:
- Reading: Strand 2- Concept 1 (identify main ideas, author’s purpose) Strand 3- Concept 1(analyze non-fiction) Strand 2- Concept 2 (Compare and contrast historical and cultural perspectives)
- Writing: Strand 2-Concepts 1,2,4,5 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 2 Concepts 1,2,5 (Grades 6, 7, 8) Strand 3-Concept 1 (Creative writing) Strand 2- Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5), Strand 3-Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Strand 3- Concept 2 (Grades 5-8) Concept 6 (Grades 6-8) (Summarize info) Strand 2-Concept 1 (Grades 4 & 5) Strand 3-Concepts 2 & 6 (Grades 4-8) (Research Skills)
- Listening and Speaking: LS-E1, LS-E2, LS-E4 (shares, presents, responds), VP-E1-E3 (analyze, plan, develop, compare and contrast)
- History: 1SS-E8(research tools)
- Geography: 3SS-E4 (using geographic tools) 3SS-E5 (regions) 3SS-E6 (social interaction, migration) 3SS-E8 (applying skills)
- Arts: 2AV-F2/F3/E3/E4/3AV-E3(cultural & historical expression)
Goals & Objectives:
Students will...
- Define the Columbian exchange and discuss its impact.
- Understand the historical importance of food and research a specific food.
- Locate on a map the geographical origin of the food they eat.
- Length of lesson: Two one hour periods or one block period.
Materials & Preparation:
- Lesson handouts
- materials for poster boards.
Lessons:
First Period:
- Ask students to make a list of what they had for breakfast or for lunch
- Make two lists on the board, one titled ‘New world’ and the other one ‘Old World’. What do we call the New World? And the Old World? Which of these worlds does our breakfast come from? Corn Flakes are made from corn, which is a New World product, milk is from cows that are Eurasian, sugar is Southeast Asian and eggs are from chickens, also a European contribution to the Columbian exchange.
- Distribute handout #1 to students and ask them to complete the worksheet in pairs. Share answers in class.
- As a class, make a list of a typical 1. Thanksgiving dinner, 2. a typical Birthday party, 3.a typical picnic, 4. what you typically eat at a movie theater, and 5. your ‘ideal’ dinner. (Or adapt this activity so that students focus on each dish of the Thanksgiving dinner for example). Divide the class in groups and have the groups research the history of the basic ingredients for those meals and identify on a map the specific region where they come from. Students should write an individual report on the food they researched and as a group prepare a presentation where they map where each product comes from and explain the contributions of the Columbian exchange to these meals.
Second Period and Closure:
- Students present their projects in class. As part of their presentation, students can bring a sample of any of the foods they researched. If not, students can eat popcorn or drink hot chocolate while they listen and asses each presentation.
- For each presentation, have students fill out a copy of handout #4.
Evaluation:
- Assess individual and group participation,
- Collect and grade students’ worksheets, give individual grades for the written report and a group grade for the presentations. Assess content, organization, clarity, creativity (including use of visuals) and effort for each presentation.
Extensions:
- Students can write a story on the journey of cornhusk, from Latin America to Europe and then back to North America and to their table.
- Students can work to recreate the ‘Parián’ market in the classroom. In groups they can take the role of merchants arriving from different countries and bring the foods from those markets.
- Ask students to research the religious meaning of chocolate for the Aztecs and of grapes, olives and wine for Christian, Muslim and Jewish religions. What other religiously significant foods can they identify? For what religion? Which food is sacred (has a special meaning) for them regardless of religion and what is the history of this food?