El chocolate caliente…¡Qué rico!
Hot chocolate…how yummy!
This session we touch, smell and stir Mexican hot chocolate. We take turns using the molinillo, a special wooden whisk, and sing “bate, bate, chocolate” (stir, stir, chocolate).
Using the beautiful bilingual story “El chocolate de abuelita” (Grandma’s chocolate), by Mara Price, we discover the history of chocolate, its origins in the Maya civilization and how Mexican hot chocolate is traditionally prepared. We witness the excitement of the main character, Sabrina, as she enjoys a special visit with her abuelita, who comes to stay and brings all kinds of special treats and symbolic items from Mexico, including tabletas of Mexican hot chocolate.
Reading Sabrina’s story and learning about her cultural heritage gives us the opportunity to reflect on the kind of special foods, rituals and objects that we cherish in our own families. How are they similiar and different to Sabrina’s?
Scroll down for songs, videos, home activities and cultural notes relating to this unit!
canciones/songs
El chocolate, by Jose Luis-Orosco (video here)
This song helps us incorporate phonological awareness into our aventuras by playing with the syllables of the word chocolate: 1,2,3 CHO; 1,2,3 CO; 1,2,3 LA; 1,2,3 TE
El chocolate caliente, by Spanish Together
Mi familia, by Spanish with Johanna (with sign language)
Te amo by the Okee Dokee Brothers
Marcha, marcha, marcha (march, march, march), by SingALingo
La raspa (Mexican hat dance) - see kids dancing this!
actividades en casa/home activities
SING: Here’s our chocolate song and a video of some children making el chocolate using un molinillo, a traditional Mexican wooden whisk.
MAKE: try the Mexican ‘Abuelita’ or ‘Ibarra’ chocolate tablets that melt into milk. It’s a unique, aromatic flavor. These are available at Hy-vee! If you don’t own a molinillo, a whisk works just as well!
LEARN how chocolate is made: Here’s the video all about how chocolate is made
GUATEMALAN chocolate: Here’s a video about the amazing chocolate in Guatemala
WATCH some authentic baile folklórico de Mexico - can you spot the listones (ribbons) in the dancer’s hair, like in our story?
VISIT the incredible Mayan pirámide or castillo, Chichén Itzá, located in the Yucatán peninsula of Mexico.
MORE colorful Mexico resources on this page of my blog!
cultura/culture
Where does chocolate come from?
Chocolate comes from Cacao pods and goes through a long process of refining to make the chocolate we find at the grocery store!
Chocolate – or Xocolatl - was first harvested and celebrated by the Maya – an indigenous civilization dating back to 750BC that developed in what is now Mexico and Central America. The Maya were known for their sophisticated writing system, art, architecture, mathematics, calendar and astronomical system. There are almost 6 million Maya descendants living in Mexico and Central America today, and there are more than 28 surviving Mayan languages!
El huipil
One of the special items in la maleta de abuela (Grandma’s suitcase) is a huipil. This ancient and often handwoven item of womens’ clothing, with its origin in maya and mesoamerican civilizations, has a wonderful story. Watch this video for the back story and some images of its many variations. Here’s a video to learn about ancient indigenous weaving techniques and how these are being kept alive in communities in Guatemala today.
KEY WORDS & EXPRESSIONS el chocolate
El chocolate caliente hot chocolate
¡Qué rico el chocolate caliente! hot chocolate is so yummy!
CHO-CO-LA-TE
¡Bate, bate, chocolate! stir, stir, chocolate!
Me gusta el chocolate // No me gusta el chocolate i like / don’t like chocolate
Me gusta beber el chocolate caliente cuando hace frío
I like to drink hot chocolate when it’s cold
Que hay en la maleta? What’s in the suitcase?
Hay……. There is/are……………
¡Diviértanse! Have fun!