Baldo by Hector D. Cantú and Carlos Castellanos for October 13, 2011

What grade are these kids in? demowhofick?Two tamales for me!

Like the kids. Don’t like the teacher.

I just noticed that this is Truman elementary. It must be the sister school of J. Edgar Hoover Elementary in the Boondocks!!!

That was kind of mean. Don’t under estimate the power of food when introducing students to other cultures.

Awwwww, Bad Luck Girls…

xxx

www.vegetarianfiends.net?

So they’re now actively trying to steal our delicious meat food?

How badly does this ID10T want to offend as many students as possible? Not just the vegetarians, pork is neither kosher nor halal.

I hate to go on a rant, but this is what’s wrong with schools. Instead of playing to what’s relative to students, they stay as far away from practical application as possible. When I was in elementary school (in the alternative program) we broke into groups and each group picked a country. We researched the country and submitted both written and oral reports to the class, but we also cooked their food and served it to everyone after the presentation. We interviewed parents from the countries when possible and even had them bring in artifacts like clothing and other artwork (such as nesting dolls from Russia). This is how people learn, and especially at that age it is not from a book or “demographic percentages.” No one will remember any of that later on. I can still recall cooking Japanese gyoza (“pot stickers”) for our presentation years ago. Students need an interactive environment to flourish, especially at that young age. Talking AT them (instead of WITH them) is not only a waste of time and energy, it’s also making education into punishment.

Better than my husband’s teacher who served french bread, french toast, and french fries for a unit on France. His French grandmother was incensed and brought in croissants, cheese, and her own unit on the subject.

Cultural education should be about more than just food, festivals, and fashion, but they’re still a fine starting place. I prefer them to demographic studies in elementary school.