1st Grade Learns About Mexico

Thank you to Christina Glidden (mother of Matthew in Mrs. Scoville's class) who visited the 1st grade classes last week to share in their studies of Mexico:

I had the great pleasure of visiting the 1st grade class last week to talk about the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas. I have lived in Mexico, land of the Aztecs and Mayas and have traveled through Peru, land of the Incas.

My focus with the Incas was on the magical Machu Pichu and the day to day life of the Incas. When I switched my focus to Mexico, we discussed the Mayan ruins and common Aztec foods. I also told them how the nobles and Moctezuma himself enjoyed hot chocolate spiced with chili powder, cinnamon and sometimes sweetened with honey. The students tasted authentic Mexican hot chocolate, ate Marias (cookies), and some of them tried pickled nopales (cactus). The bravest of the group tasted a pinch of my favorite candy from Mexico, a paste made of mashed tamarind, salt, lime powder and chili powder. The students were sent back to class with special bark paper, called papel amate, I gave them from Mexico. The students made beautiful amate originals in class with their teachers.

I truly enjoyed my time with them and hope that they will now have a greater desire to travel and see these beautiful countries for themselves.

To read Christina's letter in it's entirety, please visit Ms. Hughes' or Mrs. Scoville's class webpage. More pictures are posted in the Photo Gallery.