Our Classroom Family Culture Book

New Branches Public School Academy 4th Grade A 2010-2011 !!

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Our Class

Alexis Ammon Cameron Connor Destiny Erica Grant Jayden

Jonah Kennedy Kenny Kyah Lesley Lily Mikayla Tamiyah

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Alexis My Irish Culture Hi, my name is Alexis Goodin and I have Irish in me from my dad’s side. When me and my sister go to our grandma’s house we don’t say, “good morning” when we wake up we say, “top of the morning,” which means good morning in Irish. Usually on Sunday or on special occasions at my grandma’s house we will eat Irish Boiled Dinner, which has cabbage, carrots, corned beef, red potatoes (Irish potatoes). And sometimes we will have rolls with butter on them to go with it. The Irish Boiled Dinner/Lunch is important to my Irish family because when me and my family celebrate a holiday or special occasion we will (sometimes) have an Irish Boiled Dinner/Lunch or will have it for daily life! So it brings my Irish/German-American family closer together. And it’s really fun to make the Irish Boiled Dinner/Lunch because it was passed down through many generations!! Me and my family are going to keep passing it down through the next Irish generation in my family!!! We really don’t listen to Irish music but I really want to listen to Irish music. I want to listen to it because I want to do something new in my culture. And that is my Irish culture on my dad’s side! My African/American Culture I get my African/American culture from my mom’s side.

We say a lot of American words since we are American. But sometimes we use a lot of slang language like, “What the heck,” or something like that! Instead of saying “you,” me and my family would say, “ya’ll” (not in a country way), like “I want all of ya’ll

over here!” or something like that!

In our family we eat a lot of soul food like fried chicken, okras, ribs, pig feet, chitterlings, chicken and dressing (stuffing) and stuff like that. Do you know how soul food got invented? You don’t?! Well let me tell you.

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Soul food got invented by the slaves in the south because they were given the leftovers like the top of turnips (that’s how greens got started!), and the leftover parts of the pig. Back then people thought that the ribs from the pig were nasty! But now everybody likes ribs!

Soul food is important to my African/American family because when me and my family celebrates a holiday or a special occasion we will always have Soul food or we will have Soul food in daily life! So it brings my African/American family closer together. And it is really fun to make Soul food because it was passed down through generations and generations and generations … and me and my family are going to keep passing down Soul food through the African/American generation in my family! We listen to a variety of music except for country music! Because we don’t like country music, but let me tell you something, this is probably shocking but, I like a little bit of country music. And that’s my African/American culture on my mom’s side. Everyone Should Try a New Culture I think everyone should try a new culture for like 30 minutes or so. For instance, like an Irish culture, my culture! You could be eating an Irish Boiled Dinner, it might look nasty but it’s really tasty! And black-eyed peas, they look super-duper nasty, but are really, really good! You might try a new culture it might just be fun to you! I’m not saying you should (but actually I am) but still try a new culture. Like Hungarian, Irish, American, African, African/American, German, Canadian, Brazilian, Asian and many more! There are a lot more cultures you can try!

Irish Boiled Dinner Soul Food !

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Irish Boiled Dinner/Lunch Family Crest When I made my family crest, I added details that show what the dinner looks like and what you should have for side dishes, like rolls and butter or something like that.

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Soul Food Family Crest When I made my family crest, I added details that show what the Soul food looks like and some family pictures that show how we are spending time together. I showed four types of Soul food: fried chicken, ribs, chitterlings and dressing (stuffing).

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Ammon

My German Culture My name is Ammon Winkelman, and half of my culture is German.

Located in central Europe, Germany is made up of the north German plains, the central uplands (Mittelgebirge), and the southern German Highlands. The Bavarian plateau in the southwest averages 7,600 ft (2188 m) above sea level. Germany is about the size of Montana.

The food that people eat in Germany are potatoes, wheat, barley, sugar beets, fruit, and cabbage. Most of the people are German. Turks and the other eastern and southern Europeans make up a small but growing number. The clothes they wear are the same as ours, like shirts and jeans.

Thank you for learning facts about Germany.

You Should Try Food from Different Cultures I think people should try different culture food because it might be good. For example, barley is a German type of food. Well, say you’re having it for dinner and it looks nasty, but when you try it, it will be good. The first different culture food you try should try is German food.

German Apple Pancake

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My Family Crest

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Cameron My African-American Culture My culture is African-American. I am ten years old. I live in a blue house. I have three brothers and two sisters. I have a dog, named “D-O-G”. He always barks when people walk by our house. I live on Sigsbee and Eastern. I live close to Cherry Park. They have a little swimming pool for little kids, playground, basketball hoops, and tennis courts. My brothers go to Martin Luther King School. One of my sister’ is in college to learn how to be a doctor. Now she’s working at the hospital serving people their food. The other one goes here at New Branches. She’s in sixth grade in Ms. Bobbijo’s class. Another sister is in kindergarten at MLK and another is at Head Start at Reach. I am in fourth grade. My two teachers are Ms. Mary and Ms. Tami. Education is important because if you listen and do work and behave, you can get a scholarship to pay for college. If you go to college, you get smarter and play better sports, and probably be a teacher. When I grow up I want to be a policeman, football player or basketball player (those are my back-up plans). My family eats soul food, like chicken, beans, greens, and potatoes. I like radishes and blueberries, too. Sometimes on Tuesdays before my mom goes to work, she orders pizza for us to eat. On Thanksgiving we eat turkey, mashed potatoes, potato salad, gravy, and cherry and blueberry pie, and peach cobbler. We usually celebrate Christmas at church. They have someone dress up like Santa Claus. They also put something under your chair. If you find a big egg, you can win $25, a free bike, or a free pass at Fun Spot for a week.

Blueberry Pie

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My Family Crest

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Connor My American Culture I am all American. We play Monopoly. We eat American food. When people ask, “Why do you have an accent?” my mom calls it a Detroit accent. I celebrate Christmas, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Easter. My mom makes ham and pickle wrap on a tray. I have a family movie night at my house. We watch on a big couch on the new big, black 3-D TV. We watch comedy movies and some scary movies.

Ham and Pickle Wraps

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Destiny

My African and African-American Culture My culture is African and African-American. We eat kabobs and we eat things like chips, pizza, chicken and all different foods. We also eat fish. Mostly people, or ladies like my mom, wear colorful clothes in Africa. We play games like Mancala for an African game and American games like Monopoly. We also wear colorful clothes but in different kinds, like Aeropostale. We wear Nikes, Jordans and Addidas, and hats with words and pictures and signs. We paint our faces and have lots of fun celebrations. In Africa they paint their faces and sing and also dance. It’s a tradition. We sort of do that too.

Usually on Sundays our family comes over. On some holidays, like Thanksgiving, our whole family comes over and some of our family brings food. Mostly our granny cooks or listens to gospel music because people in my family listen to that type of music.

Try It, You Might Like It I think people should eat different culture’s food because if they taste it, they might like it. You might not want to because it might look nasty but when you try it, it might be good and you may just start eating it a lot. It may start being a normal food for you.

Kabobs

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Erica My Mexican Culture Hi my name is Erica. My mom and dad were born in Mexico but I was born here in Grand Rapids MI. My mom and dad celebrate different things. I have a lot of favorite food but it would take me a long time to say them all. So I will just tell you one and it is called tamales! My favorite type of cake is Mexican it is called Pastel De Tres Leches. I would say the holiday my family Celebrates BIG is Christmas. Mexico looks really different from Michigan. Mexico has mostly all pets we have here in Grand Rapids. Everyone Has a Culture! There are lots of different cultures. Cultures are all around the world. Some culture could look different then yours. But the only reasons are because you haven’t tried it. But once you do you will love their cultures. Right now you think you don’t have a culture but ask your parents. I bet you do! So think about your culture because every one has one!

Pastel De Tres Leches

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Mexican Culture Family Crest When I made my family crest, I added details that show what the dinner looks like and what you should have for side dishes, like rolls and butter or something like that.

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Grant My American Culture My culture is American. Even though my great grandparents are from Poland, we only do American things. We go out on our boat on Lake Michigan. We like to park it in a calm spot and jump off the top and go swimming. We have friends with a boat too. We like to go in theirs because it has air conditioning. We also fish a lot

in Lake Michigan. We catch salmon. Sometimes my dad brings friends on the boat to fish. They clean them and my dad cooks them. We also have a cottage up north. It looks very small from the outside, but when you get inside it’s all wooden and really huge. It has an old addition with a

couch, dinner table, t.v. and two chairs. Sometimes when people are still sleeping, I go down there with a ton of blankets and sit out there and watch t.v. In the kitchen there’s a ladder that goes up to a big bed and a lamp. I like to sleep up there with my cousins. I like to play my DS and my 3DS. I like to play video games because they are fun and have a lot of strategy in them. I have a lot of DS games. I like to play with my friends that live down the street. I also like to jump on the trampoline in my backyard. I can do flips, back bounces, and half of a back flip and side flips. My brother and friends like to jump on it too. I also like to go to a skate park by our boat and Ripstik. Ripstiking is fun and it strengthens your leg muscles. You have to twist back and forth to Ripstik. We usually eat fish, venison that my dad and brother shoot while deer hunting every year. Sometimes we eat pizza and hamburgers. My favorite food is spaghetti that my mom makes. I like to eat Ramen Noodles on the weekends at lunchtime. I like a lot of fruits and vegetables. I like ice cream and slushes, especially in the wintertime because we can make them with fresh snow and pop.

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Clark Family Crest Our family likes to fish and cook fish to eat. We use a bow and arrow to hunt for deer. We like to play games together.

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Jayden My African-American Culture I mostly eat soul food but that’s my culture food. I eat foods from different cultures. Soul food is like chicken, greens, and potatoes. My dad’s side of the family is close by each other all in the state of Michigan. They eat a lot of Mexican food in one city close to us that is Saginaw. But my mom’s side of the family is here, there and everywhere. I know where ever family is they’re trying new things. My religion is Christian. We go to church every Sunday, pray every day. Never stop believing in God or Jesus. I’m African-American. I love my religion but other people don’t. I speak the language of English. I also speak a little Spanish. One of my aunts speaks Spanish. Maybe she’s from Mexico. I learned German from my Auntie Shantel, because she was from Germany.

If anybody has culture like mine they would always have a smile like mine. Or if they don’t, I would read them this. People would love to have the same culture as me. Trust me, I know my culture.

Soul Food

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Jonah My American Culture I go to school on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. I have the weekend off of school. Sometimes I stay home alone. I like to play video games such as Lego Star Wars, Lego Batman and Lego Indiana Jones, and Force Unleashed I and II, and a lot more. I also like to play on the computer. I love to play Legos. I have huge battles that almost take a whole day to finish. I like to go to the Kroc Center a lot. I have swimming lessons every Thursday.

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O’Shea Family Crest

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Kennedy My African-American Culture In my culture, we eat African-American food. I will name some: chicken, greens, steak, ribs, pork chops, and macaroni and cheese. We make chicken grilled, fried or baked. We also eat food from other cultures. We eat Mexican and Chinese food.

In my culture, we dress in African-American clothes. We wear blue jeans, shirts, skirts, shorts, and sweat pants. Sometimes, we wear clothes from other cultures. Other cultures have different designs than others. Some cultures do not have shoes. Some cultures wear hats to block the sun while they are working in the field.

In my culture, we use American dollars and coins. We have old coins in our culture. Some of our coins are from 1898.

Bar-b-que Ribs

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Kenny My Japanese Culture My culture is Japanese. I east sushi at school every day. When it’s cold inside, we wear Japanese robes called Kimonos. We don’t wear our shoes inside of the house. My mom listens to Japanese music. We eat sushi and talk Japanese. I have family in Japan. In Japan, they have to wear a uniform to school. The kids have to walk to school. Even in first grade you have to walk to school! The money is yen. 5,000 yen is only about $50. Here are some things that my Japanese culture and my African-American culture have in common: They are both interesting countries, they both have interesting traditions., and they are both part of my culture. Some things that are different about them are: Africa is hot, but Japan is cold, African foods are different from Japanese foods and they have different religions.

My African-American Culture My culture is African-American, we eat soul food at my grandma’s house. We go to church on Sundays. I fish with my grandpa in the summer. So it turns out that I have two cultures, which are Japanese and African.

The origins of my family values and traditions are from African-American and Japanese cultures. Some examples of traditions are leisure activities: talking, bowling, shopping, playing board games and swimming. For the holidays, we get together as a family and eat. Each holiday is at a different family’s house. For New Years, we go to a Japanese shrine if we are in Japan. I would like to pass down my culture to my children because I want them to do the same activities I did. You Never Know Unless You Try It I think everyone should try a food from a different culture. I think this because you never know if you will like it or not. Some might not want to try it because it looks unhealthy, but you never know unless you try it. It might look unhealthy but really be healthy. That’s why I think that everyone should try some food from a different culture.

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Family Crest Before My Parents Were Married

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Family Crest After My Parents Married

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Kyah My African-American Culture My family eats Soul food. Some examples are greens, fried chicken, and chit lens. My family also eats mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes are considered Irish, even though the Inca Indians were the first to grow the potato. My dad makes a stew of vegetables and meat—can be lamb or venison. Potjiekos is the name of a similar type of stew made in Africa. My family celebrates Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July, New Years and birthdays. Easter is a Christian celebration that is also celebrated in Ethiopia. On the Sunday of Easter my family goes to church. After church, the family comes to my house and we have a big meal together. I like to play a game called Mancala or Toukero. Toukero is a game from Africa. Other games I play are Othello, Monopoly and Sorry. I think these games are played all around the world. When my family is hoe together on weekends, we like to play a card game called Garbage.

I live in a two-story house. Our house has a slanted roof because of the snow and rain that we get. Our school is brick and has glass windows to protect against the weather. There is an interior hall that connects all of the classrooms since we don’t live in a state that is always warm and dry to walk outside between buildings. A Swedish Family Tradition Coffee bread is a Swedish tradition from my great grandmother. My mom said that my grandmother made it to be eaten with coffee or tea in the morning or as a light snack to eat when family or friends come over to visit. My aunt said that coffee bread is not sweet like a donut but best when served warm.

Swedish Coffee Bread

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Swedish Coffee Bread! Ingredients 4 cups flour 1 cup milk 1 stick butter 1 package dry yeast (dissolved in 1 cup lukewarm water w/1 tsp sugar) 2 eggs ! cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon fresh cardamom Directions Heat milk and butter in small bowl until butter is melted. Then cool until lukewarm – set aside. In a second larger bowl, beat eggs. Add sugar, salt and cardamom to the beaten eggs. Then add milk/butter mixture from small bowl to the larger bowl with the other ingredients. Now add the dissolved yeast to the large bowl. Finally, mix in 4 cups of flour, mixing thoroughly. Knead the dough for two minutes, adding more flour if necessary. Allow it to sit until it doubles in size (roughly an hour). Then divide into six long rolled lines, braid using three lines to make two braided loaves. Cover again and allow them to rise for one-half hour. Brush braids with egg yolk or milk and decorate with sugar. Bake at 375o for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. It’s Good to Try New Things I think that everyone should try a different culture for at least one day. I feel like this because if you do this, you could learn things you never knew and taste food you’ve never tasted. You may be thinking that it’s a bad idea because you might not like it, but it’s good to try new things and it just might be fun.

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Lesley My American Culture One day, on Christmas Day, it was raining and not snowing. I was mad, but I got presents. They were not cool toys. They were crazy toys. My sister got really cool toys because she is older than me. That night I went up to my room because I was angry. I played with toys anyways. My sister let me play with her toys too. Then it started snowing and I was happy. I love the snow!

Pizza!

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Family Crest For My Sister

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American Food Family Crest

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Lily My Irish, German and Hungarian Culture My name is Lily Reed Degraf. My culture is Irish, German and Hungarian. My favorite foods are macaroni and cheese,

beef ravioli, and broccoli cheese. My favorite games are Croquet, Clue and Othello. My mom and dad always plan something special for me. You would love it for our birthdays. We have a big party at my grandma’s in her backyard.

It Might Be Fun I think people should try different cultures because it might be fun. People might not like to try different cultures because it might be kind of scary. People don’t know anything about it. It will be helpful for them to know about it because what if they go to a different continent and don’t know how to speak their language?

Macaroni-and-cheese and Broccoli

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Hungarian Family Crest

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Mikayla My African-American Culture We eat pizza, macaroni, ribs, taco soup, teddy grams, Betty Crocker cakes, Little Debbie food, sometimes pork chops, tuna, fish, spaghetti, a lot of sweets. We listen to gospel music. Here are some of the artists: Marvin Sapp, Mary Mary and Kirk Franklin. We also listen to R&B music. Here are some rappers and singers: Aaliyah, Chris Brown, Busta Rhymes, Eminem, Rihanna, Lloyd and more. We celebrate Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine’s Day, April Fools Day, and more. We are Christians. Christians are people who believe in God.

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Pork Chops

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Food Family Crest These are the things we eat.

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Music Family Crest These are the types of singers that we listen to and the songs that they make.

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Tamiyah My African-American Culture! Three things my family does together are: listen to funk music, dance to music, and eat Soul food. We have a great time. I listen to music like Michael Jackson, James Brown and Prince. I love the way fried chicken smells in the pan – sizzle, sizzle. We sometimes do family game night. We would play cards or board games, charades, even tic-tac-toe. We have lots of fun together. My little brother is usually playing with his cars and my big brother watches TV and plays on the Wii. Our family has some good time and your family might do the same things we do.

My Native-American Culture I think Native Americans discovered America. Women stay in the teepee to cook and were the ones that harvest too. The men set up the teepee and go hunting too. I think people should try hunting and living in huts.

Chewie Chocolate Cookies Sift together: 2 cups flour " cup cocoa (unsweetened) 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream together in separate bowl:! 2 cups sugar 1 ! butter 2 eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine all ingredients. Cook in preheated 350o oven for 9-10 minutes.

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African-American Family Crest My family enjoys having fun, getting together and being loved.

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Native-American Family Crest I get my Native-American culture from my grandma. We have lot of our colors from her and humor.