History of Corn in Mexico

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OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to define Spanish vocabulary related to corn

Students will be able to how corn has changed and traveled over time

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Where does corn come from?

What does food tell us about culture?

What is the story/history of the foods I eat?

MATERIALS NEEDED

PROCEDURE

Teacher Background Information:

This article from the Smithsonian “Ancient DNA Continues To Rewrite Corn’s 9,000-Year Society-Shaping History” Has some great background information about the history of corn.

Introduction:
Break students into small groups. Pass around teosinte, blue corn, popcorn, and picture of sweet corn. Ask students to discuss in groups: What are these things? How do they relate? What are they used for?


Lesson:
We are going to discuss the story of corn, and its deep roots in Mayan and Mexican culture. As we study the culture and history of corn, we are going to be thinking about this question: What does food tell us about culture? And more specifically: What does the Mayan tradition of growing corn tell us about their culture?

Discuss how teosinte turned into blue corn and popcorn and then into sweet corn.

Show map for where corn was first grown and how it traveled

Ask students: How could corn have been eaten by the Maya? Do people still prepare corn in the same tradition?

Spanish lesson:
Introduce new vocabulary:
o Sembrar/semillas: to sow/seeds
o Tierra:land
o Moler: to grind
o Harina: flour
o Masa: dough
o Maiz: corn
o Seasons: El invierno: winter, la primavera: spring, el verano: summer, el otoño: fall
o Colors: Amarillo: yellow, negro: black, verde: green

Homework: Students write three sentences in Spanish, each using as many of their new vocabulary words as possible to explain what they know or have learned about corn.

FOLLOW UP & EXTENSIONS

Extension: