Making Multicultural Connections
Through Trade Books

Too Many Tamales
Written by Gary Soto
Illustrated by Ed Martinez

Cultural Group: Hispanic

Content Connection: Math Grades 2 and 3

Topic : Division

Suggested Exemplars

• Picture Interpretation: Mother's Helper by Diego Rivera
• Collection: bottle of water, corn husks, shredded beef, masa, mixing bowl, measuring cup, large pot
• Guess Box: a ring
• Word of the Day: "tamale"

Learning Sequence

1. Present items in serial collection in specified order. Students will brainstorm a name for the collection, focus on "Things That Will Be Used in a Recipe."

2. Read Too Many Tamales aloud to find out what is being made.

3. Groups students to follow a recipe for making tamales. This can be done as an assembly line project. Each group can be responsible for one specific step of the recipe.

4. Pose the following problem:

   Maria and her mother made 24 tamales. Maria and her cousins decided to eat all 24 tamales in order to find her mothers lost ring. If the children decide to each eat a fair share of tamales, how many tamales would each child eat?

5. Students can work in groups of 4 to solve the problem. Distribute 24 cubes or counters to the group. Students must decide how to divide the counters until each student has an equal number of cubes

6. Discuss how the children in the story felt after eating all the Tamales. Did each child eat 6 tamales in the story? Students focus on the one tamale that remained on the plate. Ask: How was that tamale divided? What fractional part of the tamale did each child eat? Give each group a "paper tamale " to use to solve the problem.

Extension

• Students list steps for making tamales, then create a movement for each step in tamale making. Play Mexican music and have students act out steps to the music.

Technology Link

• Use KID PIX STUDIO (Broderbund). Find fractions of a set using "stamp" tool. Make shapes and divide into parts.

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© 1996 MCPS Department of Academic Programs, Division of Enriched and Innovative Instruction,Program of Assessment, Diagnosis, and Instruction