Celebrating with food

 

Day 5

Food and Celebration: (Ethiopian Gomen)

Preschool-Kindergarten

Subjects:

Social Studies, Arts, Language Arts, Technology, Math, Science and Nutrition

 

Purpose:

As we wrap up this unit, we are more mindful of food, and how it is indelibly tied to culture. We have learned about how different food is grown around the world, and that people's preparation, presentation, eating habits, and ways of eating differs around the world. This last lessons focuses on food as celebration. Food is valuable, and is often shared during times of celebration. Here, we will look at how Ethiopian New Year is celebrated, and the kinds and ways Ethiopian food is shared.

 

Duration:

Two Hours

 

Materials:

Pictures of New Year's eve in New York City and Addis Ababa

Picture people eating Ethiopian foodand picture of a mesob (traditional Ethiopian dining table)

Camera

Ethiopian Alphabet

 

Objectives

Learners will:

Make connections to cultural celebrations and food.

Identify foods and countries of origin.

Make connections to food, its consumption, and food customs.

 

Circle Time:

Are there any celebrations here in the US which call for specific foods?(eg. Thanksgiving and turkey). Today, we look at how other countries celebrate, and notice what foods are eaten.When does the New Year begin? Here in the US, January 1st is the beginning a new year. However, in Ethiopia, the new year starts September 11 or 12! Have the children ever celebrated New Year's eve? What do they do? Show pictures of New Year's eve in New York City. Then show pictures of New Year's eve in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). What are the similarities and differences (temperatures, colors, clothing, etc...)

 

Food is a big part of Ethiopian culture. How do the children eat dinner at home? In Ethiopia, children eat dinner with their families at a table or mesob. A mesob is a traditional Ethiopian round table made of straw with enough space for one extremely large plate. What do children notice about the plate (There is only one plate for the whole family. Everyone eats from the same plate. There are no utensils. People eat with their hands)? When eating, a gursha is an act of friendship and love. During a meal with friends or family, it is a common custom to feed others in the group with one's hand by putting the rolled injera (Ethiopian bread) stuffed with sauces into another's mouth.This is called a gursha, and the larger the gursha, the stronger the friendship or bond.

 

Song:

There Are Seven Continents:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NVrN-0aQV1o

 

Small Group Activity:

Give each child a camera to take pictures of the ingredients for today's recipe. On writing paper, have children write or trace the name of each ingredient in English and Amharic. Display pictures and words in class for a large class recipe poster.

 

Cooking Class:

Gomen (Ethiopian style collard greens)

Gomen is eaten with injera (Ethiopian flat bread). For a video of how to eat with injera, click here. 

 

Developing Skills:

math concepts, literacy skills, science concepts, social awareness

 

Objectives:

The learner will:

Read and follow the recipe.

Measure ingredients.

Work collaboratively with classmates to create a finished product.

 

Recipe:

1 pound collard greens

2 cups water

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped red onions

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger Salt, to taste

3 medium Anaheim chiles, cut into thin strips

 

Directions:

Wash the greens thoroughly. Remove any discolored spots and cut out any thick woody stems. Place the greens in a heavy saucepan with 1 cup of the water, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes, or until the greens are tender. When ready, drain the greens, reserving the liquid, and cut them into small pieces.

In a heavy skillet, heat the oil and cook the onions until they are lightly browned. Add the greens, the reserved and remaining 1 cup water, the garlic, and the ginger and cook, uncovered, until almost dry. Add the chiles and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve either warm or at room temperature

 

Centers:

ART: Make the Ethiopian flag.

WRITING: Make a class recipe poster.

SCIENCE: Examine grains. Injera is made of teff, a grain grown in the region. What other grains are there? Leave samples of grains for students to explore. 

 

Read Aloud:

Chidren Just Like Me: Celebrations! By Anabel Kindersley

 

Assessment:

Observation of play and discussion.

 

Interactive Parent / Student Homework:

Go to the library and check out a kid's cook book (The International Cookbook for Kids by Matthew Locricchio is an excellent book). Prepare an international meal and share it with friends. Talk about your experience over dinner!

 

Other Suggested Books:

Kids Around the World Celebrate by Light the Candle! Bang the Drum!

 

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

CULTURE

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity.

Human beings create, learn, share, and adapt to culture. Cultures are dynamic and change over time.

TIME, CONTINUITY, AND CHANGE

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the past and its legacy.

PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ENVIRONMENTS

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments.

The study of people, places, and environments enables us to understand the relationship between human populations and the physical world.

During their studies, learners develop an understanding of spatial perspectives, and examine changes in the relationship between peoples, places and environments.

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT AND IDENTITY

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of individual development and identity.

Personal identity is shaped by an individual’s culture, by groups, by institutional influences, and by lived experiences shared with people inside and outside the individual’s own culture throughout her or his development.

PRODUCTION, DISTRIBUTION, AND CONSUMPTION

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.

In exploring this theme, students confront such questions as: What factors influence decision-making on issues of the production, distribution and consumption of goods? What are the best ways to deal with market failures? How does interdependence brought on by globalization impact local economies and social systems?

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of relationships among science, technology, and society.

Science, and its practical application, technology, have had a major influence on social and cultural change, and on the ways people interact with the world.

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and interdependence.

In exploring this theme, students confront questions such as: What are the different types of global connections? What global connections have existed in the past, exist currently, and are likely in the future? How do ideas spread between societies in today’s interconnected world? How does this result in change in those societies? What are the other consequences of global connections?

 

References:

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/holidays-sampler-around-world

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Yeabesha-Gomen-Collard-Greens-104783