Native Americans of the Southwest: Hopi Corn Cakes

As I mentioned before, I'm now teaching hands-on social studies in Trevor's fifth grade class every week. I'm sharing the best of the history-based cooking projects, crafts, music, and more that I did with my own fifth grade students back in the day. It's been awesome!

Last week, we studied the Native Americans of the Southwest. We looked at Acoma pottery, listened to Tewa music, and learned to make Hopi Boiled Corn Cakes.

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Hopi Boiled Corn Cakes

(makes 12 small corn cakes)

                                       1 cup cornmeal                   ½ teaspoon salt
                                       1 cup boiling water             15 corn husks
                                       ¼ cup honey

Soak the corn husks in hot water until they are soft and pliable. Meanwhile, put cornmeal in a bowl. While stirring, gradually add most of the cup of boiling water. Stir in the honey and the salt. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape, but should not be dry or crumbly. Add the remaining boiling water if needed to bring it to the right consistency.

Drain the corn husks. Set out 12 husks. Put an even amount cornmeal mixture in the center of each husk. Fold each husk around the cornmeal. Shred the remaining husks into strips and use them to tie the parcels.

Boil the parcels for 15-20 minutes.

Let them cool for a minute or two, then unwrap.

 

Eat and enjoy!

 

A few notes:

• There are 33 students in Trevor's class, so we made three batches of corn cakes. I started with four students (chosen by random draw) who made the first batch and formed one corn cake each. The next eight students used that same batter to each form a corn cake. The next four students made the second batch. We continued this way until everyone had a turn. 
• When I used to teach this recipe, we made it earlier in the year when fresh corn was available and corn husks were free for the asking. This is not the case in December. The dried husks (affiliate link) are inexpensive and readily available, but when cooking in the classroom, always choose free whenever possible.
• The easiest way to portion the corn cakes is with a cookie scoop. (affiliate link) 
• Many of the kids had difficulty tying the corn cakes with the strips of husks. We secured all the corn cakes with string before putting them in to boil. Better safe than sorry.
• You do not need a stove to cook in the classroom. A portable burner (affiliate link) costs as little as $11 and works perfectly. I kept two in my classroom back in my teaching days.

Exploring Michigan Through Little Passports

Time for Trevor and me to explore our next state through Little Passports. This time, Michigan. It did not disappoint, as Michigan is quite an interesting state! Trevor started by assembling the 3-D model. 

No surprise - it was a classic car.

We read all about Henry Ford's invention of the moving assembly line and completed the related activity, putting pictures of trucks in different stages of production in order. We also learned about the life of Henry Ford. He was one of the most important inventors of the 20th century, had a huge influence of the economy of Michigan, and helped earn Detroit the nickname of Motor City. 

Ford is not the only one who achieved fame in Michigan. In 1906, two brothers (the Kelloggs) started a little cereal company in Battle Creek that you just might have heard of! In 1959, songwriter Barry Gordy started Motown Records in Detroit, introducing the world to Michael Jackson, Diana Ross and many other talented singers. I love that each Little Passports Journal is packed with so much information. 

We enjoyed the choose-your-own-adventure activity about the Great Lakes. Trevor, a huge fan of dot-to-dots, loved solving one to learn how people get around Mackinac Island. We worked together to follow the clues to learn about Michigan's oldest lighthouse, built in 1829. We solved a puzzle based on the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City. The drawing activity had Trevor tracing his hands to make a map of Michigan. It brought back a memory from when I attended a national 4-H conference as a teenager and everyone I met from Michigan identified where they lived by showing me their palms! I've never seen anyone from a different state do that... but it seems to be pretty universal when people from Michigan explain where they live!

Trevor was excited about the Michigan cooking project. 

We made pasties, just like the Cornish miners brought with them to Michigan in the 1800's. The recipe calls for rutabagas or turnips, along with ground meat, potatoes and carrots, but Trevor couldn't decide between them. He chose to add rutabagas, turnips AND parsnips. It was a delicious combination and a meal we'll be making again for sure.

Trevor's godmother, Jonna, joined us to do the Michigan craft. We made origami tulips, inspired by the city of Holland, MI. It is the center of Dutch culture in the US and hosts the Tulip Time Festival each year.  

As I'm sure you've noticed, I HIGHLY recommend the Little Passports USA Edition. But if your child is more interested in hands-on science (is there a kid who doesn't like hands-on science?), then you'll definitely want to check out Little Passports' newest subscription, Science Expeditions. It is a kit for kids 9+ that introduces them to the fun and exciting world of science. The monthly packages include a comic book adventure, a mystery to solve, and hands-on science experiments. The materials help kids to build problem-solving skills and are focused on STEM principles. 

2017 Pantone Color of the Year!

Every year when December starts, I begin stalking Pantone's website waiting for the announcement of the Color of the Year. After last year's disappointment, I'm thrilled that Pantone has returned to a single Color of the Year. Not only do I love the color they've chosen, but I predicted it!

The 2017 Pantone Color of the Year: Greenery!

Read more about Greenery and why it was chosen, watch a cool video, and check out their recommended color pairings at Pantone's site.

What do you think about Greenery?

First Day of 5th Grade

Each year as Trevor starts a new grade, it's hard to wrap my head around how old he's getting. But fifth grade was like all the other years times 100. I taught fifth grade for 11 years and now my baby, the reason I quit teaching fifth grade, is a fifth grader himself. And I'm in his classroom sharing my favorite hands-on social studies activities each week. It's totally awesome and more than a little surreal.

Amazing how time flies.

Christmas Tree Sandwich Kabobs

I've eaten and enjoyed many items on a stick. But I don't think I'd ever had a sandwich on a stick until Trevor and I made these adorable Christmas Tree Sandwich Kabobs for lunch.

                                    (Mine)                                                   (Trevor's)

The idea for this cute treat came from Open House Merriment, given to me by Leisure Arts to review. This post has affiliate links, meaning I will get a small commission for any purchases made through the links. Open House Merriment is packed with ideas for holiday decorating and entertaining! There's something for everyone. And the photography is beautiful. Each time I flip through it I find something else I want to try.

The Christmas Tree Sandwich Kabobs are from the 'Santa Stop Here!' chapter, which features 7 kid-friendly snack recipes. The other chapters include:

• Oh-So Delish! - 10 recipes for delicious appetizers and desserts
• Christmas Is For Kids - 13 simple crafts that kids will love
• Gifts from Nature - 14 decorations inspired by, or incorporating, elements of nature
• Cheerful Touches - 7 more craft ideas for decorating your home for Christmas

Trevor and I used the book for inspiration, but used different ingredients to make our kabobs. I used nested biscuit cutters to cut a large round from a piece of sourdough bread, then put it on a skewer. I layered Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, and summer sausage (known in our family as hamaloni) in increasingly small sizes. I used a small star cutter to cut two stars from cheddar cheese and pressed them together around the tip of the kabob. Here's my work in progress:

Trevor also used a sourdough base. He layered cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickle, hamaloni, and more lettuce, then formed the rest of his tree with a vertical pickle. He made his star the same way I did. Here's his work in progress:

We really enjoyed making these sandwiches together. Bonus- they were delicious! These would be fun to serve at a party or playdate, but they were just as fun for us to do at home to make an ordinary lunch a little bit more special. 

Thanks to Leisure Arts for letting me review Open House Merriment. We've started another project from the book that we'll be sharing soon!