#2886 - Fun with Food: Hola Jalapeno

by Aixa B. Rodriguez

The following plan is a home visit lesson plan that contains components that address Adult Education/ESOL, and age appropriate activities for Toddler, Preschool and School aged children. This is suitable for EVEN START, EARLY HEADSTART and other home visiting programs. It is also suitable for families who wish to expose their children to a second language early in their childhood.

Lesson Plan: Fun with food: Paper Tacos

Aim/Objective: Adult will participate in measuring, writing out a recipe and putting the steps of a recipe into sequence. Adult will read book to children, help children with matching (concentration) game, and reinforce steps to prepare tacos in English and Spanish. All children will participate in pretending to cook tacos, preparing the tacos and creating the recipe.

NYS Standards: Health & nutrition, Math, English, Languages other than English, Art and Social Studies

Prior Knowledge/Motivation: Food, Mexican Culture, Spanish language, Tacos.

Materials:

1. Book: Hola Jalapeno by Amy Wilson Sanger
2. Aluminum foil
3. Origami paper and construction paper
4. Glue, double sided tape
5. Child scissors, different kinds of edged scissors
6. Crayons and markers
7. Matching cards for concentration labeled in English and Spanish
8. Old taco box from Old El Paso
9. Toy pots and spoons, and measuring cups
10. Precut yellow or white paper circles, old manila folders
11. Templates for food
12. Pictures to create recipe with, large piece of paper to write the recipe on

Procedure:

1. Parent will read Hola Jalapeno with the children with assistance if necessary
2. Teacher will review the book to address vocabulary words.
3. Teacher will review the matching game cards in Spanish and English
4. Family will play matching game using both Spanish and English.
5. Creating Tacos: all paper materials needed are in the taco box from Old El Paso
6. Elicit the activity from the children "What do you think we are going to do?"
7. Draw two burners on the back of the box, to pretend to cook the "meat"
8. Children will rip up brown paper to make "meat" and place in toy pot
9. Children will pretend to stir and cook it, taking turns and putting in pretend "seasoning."
10. While the "meat" is cooking (toddler can continue to stir) children will crumble and then cut green paper to make lettuce, yellow paper to make cheese, and red paper for tomatoes using the edged scissors. Place the cut paper in toy bowls.
11. Children and parent will use markers and crayons to color the taco shells and the tortillas (yellow and white circles)
12. Children will paste yellow circles on old manila folders and parent will assist in shaping it and cutting it out to look like a taco shell
13. Children will fill the tacos discussing what goes in "first" "primero" "second" "segundo"
14. Children will wrap their tacos with aluminum foil
15. Parent and children will put the pictures of the taco making process in order, using tape to affix them to the large paper. School aged child and parent will work together to write out recipe in simple directions, using English, Spanish or both.

Practice: The matching game, art project, and recipe component allow all participants to practice the vocabulary through active involvement.

Performance based assessment of student learning: Questions for the teacher/facilitator: Were all the participants interested and engaged? Did the toddler stir and help rip and cut paper with adult assistance? Did the toddler say any of the target words? Did the children have an opportunity to show their knowledge? Was the preschooler able to follow directions? Was the preschooler able to sequence the steps involved in making a taco? Was the preschooler able to participate actively? Did the school-aged child actively assist his/her siblings? Was the school-aged child able to write the words for the recipe with assistance?

Self Evaluation: Did I allow the parent and children opportunities to assist each other and fully participate? Were the tasks scaffolded for different developmental levels and language ability? Were the tasks appropriate and well received by the parent and children? Did the children enjoy the activity? Did the children have an opportunity to complete the tasks and gain confidence in their abilities?

Extension/Follow up: Book and materials can be left in the home to make other recipes mentioned in the book. Other titles by the same author are The first book of sushi, Yum Yum Dim Sum and Let's Nosh, which teach about Japanese, Chinese and Jewish foods with the same interesting collages. And these books can be used to talk about other cultures and introduce new foods and words.

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