Introduction to Cinco De Mayo
Are you looking for creative ways to teach students about countries around the world? As teachers and school foodservice professionals, you can work together to make learning fun by combining food and history in the classroom. This is a sample lesson plan on how to bring Cinco De Mayo to life for your students.
Lesson Overview:
This lesson is designed to introduce students to the Mexican holiday, Cinco de Mayo. Students will have the opportunity to learn about typical foods of Mexico and explore the history and origins of some authentic Mexican foods.At the end of the lesson, students can make their own healthy tortilla wraps.
Lesson Flow
The lesson plan contains:
- A Brief History of Cinco de Mayo (below)
- Mexican Food: Identifying regional foods and where they fit into the Food Guide Pyramid
- Tortilla Wrap Activity: Students can make their own wraps using flavored tortillas, salsa, cheese, beans, and vegetables
A Brief History of Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo which means Fifth of May in Spanish is a celebration commemorating a single historic victory of the small, ill-equipped Mexican army over the French force at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. However, the French ultimately conquered Mexico ruling the country until 1867, at which time they withdrew due to continued resistance of the Mexican people and pressure from the United States. You may wish to include some activity handouts, such as maps, puzzles or coloring pages.