OBJECTIVE

Students will go through the process of identifying and saving a particular type of seed. They will also understand the significance of saving seeds.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

How do we take part in the Mexican tradition of growing, processing, and eating corn?

MATERIALS NEEDED

• Totes
• Bucket for corn cleaning
• Something to hold container under sheller
• Bread tin to catch masa

PROCEDURE

Ahead of time- set up grinder beforehand, make sure students wash hands before they enter the classroom, and set up one table for eating (plates and napkins).

Introduction: Beinvendios a La Tortilleria! Welcome to the tortilla factory! Here we shell, grind, mix, press and cook tortillas, just like in the story we read. We also make salsa to eat with our tortillas. Today you will get a chance to move through all the stations. To be safe in this factory, you must be calm, move slowly, and help your co-workers.  You must move to the next station when the bell rings. We will be tasting at the end, but not before.  

• Introduce to the difference between dried corn and masa
• Introduce 5 stations. Bell will ring after 4 minutes at each station 
• Explain how movement through stations will work. Delegate students to each station. 

Station 1: Sheller

• Shelling and cleaning corn

Station 2: Salsa

• Chopping tomatoes, onions, and herbs
• Squeezing limes

Station 3: Grinding Masa (and grinding dried corn?) 

Station 4: Mixing and Pressing Masa

Station 5: Cooking Tortillas 

Activity: Have students start at first three stations. Once grinding station moves to mixing/ pressing, send half of salsa station to grinding. Once mixing/pressing station moves to cooking, send half of shelling station to salsa. Then have students move through as normal. 

• Once everyone has moved through stations, have students sit at the table and choose one student to serve tortillas, and one student to follow with salsa to serve. Have a teacher serve the beans on the side. 

Wrap up: Give each student a card to write their tortilla recipe on, with prompt  “How to make tortillas”