Name ___________________ Date ____ Class ___ _ _

Latin America Today

DiHerentiated Instruction

Foods of Mexico Just like language and clothing, food differs widely from culture

to culture. Here are two recipes for traditional Mexican dishes. Study the ingredients.

( Mexican Salad

4 oranges with peel 3 sweet limes with peel 3 sweet lemons with peel 3 apples

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3 medium-sized jicamas, cleaned and peeled 3 pieces sugarcane, peeled and stripped 3 large beets, cleaned 1,4 cup sugar fruit (without seeds) 1,4 kg of cooked, peeled, and chopped hawthorn 1/2 head chopped lettuce 1 cup peanuts 1/2 cup traditional tamarind candy

1. Slice oranges, sweet limes, sweet lemons, apples, and jicamas. Peel the cane and make strips.

2. Cook beets with some sugar in 6 cups of water. Slice them and keep the syrup.

3. In a bowl, mix the fruit slices with the cane, the chopped hawthorn, and the beet slices. Add some syrup and let cool.

4. When served, cover with chopped lettuce, peanuts, and tamarind candy.

r Pozole Rojo (Red HominyU

8 ancho chilies 8 guajil/o chilies 1 kg cooked and cleaned red pozole (hominy) 1 kg pork 1 large chicken cut into eight pieces 1 head garlic 1 onion chopped into four pieces 1 bunch fresh herbs salt oregano lettuce radish lemons

1. Roast chilies on hot, dry skillet about 10 minutes; remove seeds and soak in hot water for 20 minutes.

2. Cook pozole in 2 liters of water for about 30 minutes or until grains burst. Then add pork, chicken, garlic, onion, and herbs.

3. Blend and strain the chilies, then add them to the pozole. When meat is tender, add salt to taste and a touch of oregano.

4. Serve pozole hot accompanied with a special garnish of lettuce, radish, dry oregano, chopped onion, and lemons.

Directions: On a separate sheet of paper, answer these questions.

1. Drawing Conclusions What clues do these recipes offer about the climate of Mexico?

2. Identifying With which ingredients are you unfamiliar?

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Teaching Strategies for Different Learning Styles " - .

The following activities are ways the basic lesson can be modified to accommodate students' different learning styles.

English Learners (EL)

Invite students to bring in a traditional rec­ipe from their culture to share with the class. Have them describe any unusual ingredients.

Verbal/Linguistic

For a number of reasons, Mexican food varies widely by region. Northern Mexico is known for beef dishes, for example, whereas southeastern Mexican cuisine is often based on chicken and spicy vegetables. Ask students to write a report that identifies and explains these culinary variations (e.g., local climate and geography, differing Spanish influences, etc.).

Logical/Mathematical

Ask students to survey at least 10 friends and/ or family members about their 3 favorite Mexican foods . Have students present the data in a graph format.

Kinesthetic

Assign students one of the recipes on the previous page, and have them attempt to locate all of the listed ingredients (either in a store or online). They should describe the ingredients and how they taste. Afterward in class, ask students to relate how successful their searches were. If students are interested, allow them to prepare the recipes at home to serve in class while you study this unit.

Visual/Spatial; Auditory/Musical; Interpersonal

Organize students into groups of three, and tell each group that they are the co-owners of a new Mexican restaurant. The students will work together to develop a menu and price list for Mexican appetizers, main course dishes, and desserts. They also will work together to name the restaurant, design the menu cover and interior, and produce the menu on a word-processing program. Finally, students

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will write and record a radio jingle for their restaurant.

Advanced Learners

Have students research the Columbian Exchange. They should produce a two-page report explaining the positive and negative effects of the exchange, and its impact on modern Mexican cuisine.

Verbal/Linguistic; Kinesthetic

Jarritos is a popular brand of soft drink in Mexico. It comes in many unusual flavors, such as grapefruit, guava, hibiscus, mandarin, and tamarind. If you can obtain some samples of Jarritos, invite students to sample them in class, and then ask them to write a page in their journals about their impressions: how they liked or disliked the drink, how Jarritos compares with their favorite drink, and so on.

Below Grade Level

Ask students to categorize the two recipes' ingredients in a graphic organizer similar to the one below. They should use library or Internet resources to help them identify and classify unfamiliar ingredients.

Meats Vegetables Fruits

Herbs and Spices Other