The First Tortilla: A Bilingual Story

In the classroom/library:

GRADE LEVEL: 3rd Grade
SUBJECTS: Language Arts and Social Studies
OVERVIEW: Students will learn about tortillas and their importance to the diet of the Mexican culture by hearing a contemporary story that describes the discovery of the tortilla, making their own tortillas, and making connections to previous learning and their own experiences.
PURPOSE: By focusing on the discovery of a staple in the Mexican diet with which most students in the Southwest are familiar through the use of a "legend", this lesson integrates social studies, language arts and students' experience. The lesson requires students to analyze the traits exhibited by the character, analyze elements of the culture depicted in the story, make connections, and respond to a learning activity

Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
1. Identify and describe traits exhibited by the main character.
2. Identify elements in the story that relate to the Mexican culture.
3. Describe the process of making tortillas.
4. Write and illustrate a description of the experience.

Standards - Arizona
Language Arts
Reading Strand 2: Comprehending Literary Text
Concept 1: Elements of Literature
Describe characters (e.g., traits, roles, similarities) within a literary selection. (R2.1.3.2)
Concept 2: Historical and Cultural Aspects of Literature
Compare events, characters and conflicts in literary selections from a variety of cultures to their experiences. (R2. 2.3.1)
Writing Strand 3: Writing Applications
Concept 5: Literary Response
Write a response to a literature selection that connects:
a. text to self (personal connection)
b. text to world (social connection)
c. text to text (compare within multiple texts) (W3. 5.3.3)
Standard 3 : Listening and speaking
Give and follow multiple-step directions (LS-F2)

English Language Proficiency:
The student will integrate elements of effective writing to develop engaging and focused text. (ELL-W-II)
The student will express his or her thinking and ideas in a variety of writing genres (ELL-W-III)

Social Studies
Strand 4 : Geography
Describe elements of culture of a community or nation (e.g., food, clothing, housing, sports, customs, beliefs) in areas studied. (SS4.4.3.4)
Identify ways (e.g., farming, building structures and dams, creating transportation routes, overgrazing, mining, logging) in which humans depend upon, adapt to, and impact the earth. (SS4.5.3.1)

Visual Arts
Select and use subject matter and/or symbols in his or her own artwork. (VA1.4.3.101)
Identify visual/tactile characteristics of artworks from diverse cultures, different places, or times. (VA2.3.3.101)

Standards - from the AASL's Standards for the 21st Century Learner
* Read, view, and listen for information presented in any format (e.g., textual, visual, media, digital) in order to make inferences and gather meaning. (1.1.6)
* Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings. (2.1.6)
* Respond to literature and creative expressions of ideas in various formats and genres. (4.1.3)
* Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience. (4.1.5)

Resources
Children's Book:
The First Tortilla by Rudolfo Anaya, illustrated by Amy Córdova, and translated into Spanish by Enrique R. Lamadrid

Materials

Recipe for tortillas (pdf file)
Masa Harina, salt, and hot water or premixed masa (found in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores in the Southwest),
parchment paper, an electric griddle, a spatula, bowl(s), measuring cups and spoons
Response graphic organizer (pdf file)
Assessment rubric (pdf file)

Process
1. Introductory Set
Elicit prior knowledge. Focusing questions: Have you ever eaten a tortilla? Have you ever made a tortilla? Have you ever wondered where tortillas come from? How do you think they came to be? Give students an opportunity to share what they know about tortillas and how they are an integral part of Mexican cooking.

2. Objectives - The students will:

1. Identify and explain character traits exhibited by Jade.
2. Identify elements of the Mexican culture that are embedded in the book.
3. Follow directions to make a tortilla.
4. Write and illustrate a paragraph describing what they learned from the story and/or activity.

3. Input
a. Read the story to children.
b. Discuss why this was such an important discovery to Jade's village in the past and to us today.
c. Brainstorm elements in the illustrations and text that helped them identify the Mexican culture.

4. Modeling
Model steps of making tortillas: pat and stretch the masa ball on the parchment paper until it becomes thin and flat, dip hands into water as needed to moisten if masa becomes crumbly, bring it to the griddle for teacher or helper to cook, eat and enjoy then complete the response.

Complete the graphic organizer: identify and describe three character traits exhibited by Jade, identify elements in the illustrations and text that give cultural clues, make a text-to-text, text-to-self or text-to-world connection, decide what to write paragraph about (e.g. a summary of the story, the experience of making tortillas) and draw a picture that relates to the paragraph and includes elements from the story.

5. Check for Understanding
Review the sequence of tasks. Retell tortilla-making steps and process of completing the organizer. Repeat as necessary while students are engaged in the activities.

6. Guided Practice
The teacher will monitor as students make their tortillas, while another teacher and or volunteer cooks them. As students finish tortillas and move to creating their responses, the teacher(s) will support the writing process.

7. Independent Practice - or Homework
Students who have not completed the response organizer can do so during free time. Ask students to tell a parent or caregiver about their experience.

8. Closure

Allow students to share paragraph orally with the class if they wish. Discuss the connections that were made with books, prior learning and their own experiences.

Assessment

Student learning will be assessed through observation during the discussion following the reading of the story. A rubric (pdf file) guides assessment of the graphic organizer.

Extensions/Modifications
As this was a culminating lesson these students had a strong background on which to base their connections. They had previously used nonfiction books to research the history and uses of corn, experienced a field trip focusing on corn at out local agricultural center, and participated in a lesson based on Tiny Tortilla by Arlene Williams.

The teacher will want to read or share additional books prior to this lesson that illustrate the integral role of tortillas in Mexican cooking, the process of making tortillas, and/or discuss the importance of corn on which students can base their connections.

The teacher could use this experience to introduce students to a study of legends and/or contemporary stories based on legend. After reading and comparing legends from this and/or other culture, students may be inspired to write their own story in the style of a legend.

 

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