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| TARO LEAVES |
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| TONGAN DISH (LU) |
COOKING: TONGAN DISH (LŪ / TARO LEAVES)
During mat time today we gave children the opportunity to share any stories about their weekend with the rest of the class and staff. The majority of the children got up and shared their stories, they talked about their Sunday main dish (lū-taro leaves). After morning tea we talked more about lū-taro leaves by using books with pictures, stories about taro leaves, and also pictures we printed off the internet. Then we took the children out the backyard to their plantation, where they planted taro, vegetables and onions. We got them to pick some taro leaves, cut some onions and also picked some tomatoes as we were going to include these ingredients in our cooking. As children were picking the vegetables they worked together as a group, shared ideas and stories relating to a similar story they done with their family members. Children and the staff exchanged a lot of conversation as they listened to our instruction. We took the ingredients inside washed them, got all the utensils and other ingredients that we needed. While participating and observing the children they learnt a lot through cooking the lu. All the children in the centre from 2-5 years old were allowed to observe and participate.
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| Lu wrapped in foil modern day |
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| Lu wrapped in banana leaves (back in the days) |
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| making coconut cream |
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| Modern day: buying coconut cream from the shop |
The significance of allowing cooking to be in the routine of the centre is because it gives children opportunity to explore with their sensory motor skills and also make a mess. In the Tongan culture children are not to be seen or be near a food preparation because they are too young and it is the adult’s responsibility to cook. Allowing cooking in the centre gives children ownership to their body and learning as they use their sensory motors to taste and touch to what make sense to the world around them (Ministry of Education, 1996). Through cooking children can learn measurement, learn new language, see and learn the process of cooking, according to Gayle Mindes cooking offers a rich content and process which leads to a multiple learning (2006). Children can also learn the names of the kitchen utensils, identify different kinds of ingredients, follow instruction and work together as a team with their class mates and the staff. Not only that but from my observation children got to learnt 2 ways of cooking a lu, back in the days ways and the modern days ways.
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Modern days: Lu cooked in the oven
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Lu cooked on the ground (back in the days)
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For example, the staff explained to children howtheirgrandparents use to dig a hole on the ground as hangi for their food, but today their parents use the oven to cook the lū. Their grandparents also use banana leaves to wrap the lū but today their parents use the foil to wrap the lu. As the teacher was explaining how technology has improved, one girl mentioned how she went to Tonga and watched her poppa use the hangi to cook the food not the oven. Children also learnt that back in the days their grandparents use to make the coconut cream with their own hands but today they buy the coconut cream from the shop. Through cooking children can also learn about time and patient as they wait for a specific time for the lu to cook. Children and pairs were given their ingredients and they made the choice of what ingredients goes in first, and decided what meat they wanted, therefore the pairs got to work together and share knowledge. Gayle Mindes (2006) states “young children begin to understand the larger world through their understanding of themselves and their individual experiences” (p.104). The children enjoyed making the lu and they couldn’t wait for the lu to be ready so they can look at their own cooking. Through cooking children can learn about health and safety rules and they can take that with them home, and help out their parents and siblings but with their supervision. Through cooking we are allowing children to develop confident and competent in what they are doing, we are also showing the children we respect and value their learning. And also “through these group experiences, class members routinely engage in active learning- gaining knowledge and skills that build on prior knowledge and skills that build on prior knowledge, resulting in new knowledge” (Gayle Mindes, 2006, p.145). Therefore cooking really exposed children to how the world has been changed and improved incredibly.
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| cooked Lu |
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| children enjoying the lu |
References:
Mindes, G. (2006). Social studies in kindergarten. In D. F. Gullo (Ed.), K today teaching and learning in the kindergarten year (pp.107-115). Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga o ngā mokopuna Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington: Learning Media.
Image Reference:
Retrieved:
http://search.mywebsearch.com/mywebsearch/AJimage.jhtml? searchfor=children+cooking+taro+leaves&tpr=sbt&st=hp&id=Z1xdm039yynz&ptnrS=Z1xdm039yynz&si=COqoj7XBla4CFUJMpgod0E2oIQ&ptb=58F657E1-96AD-4606-B728-D7EF7133ABC7&ss=sub&gcht=&n=77ed016f&ps=children+cooking+taro+leaves
Retrieved:
https://www.google.co.nz/search hl=en&gs_nf=1&pq=www.hotmail.com&cp=28&gs_id=5b&xhr=t&q=children+cooking+island+food&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1034&bih=619&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&sou
Kia ora Anah, I love the way you embraced the children's culture and described both ways of doing the cooking, both modern and old. I think the tamariki would get a great deal of value out of this experience. Is there any way that you could do a hangi at your centre, or take them to a place where one is being done traditionally? This could give tamariki a comparison as to which way tastes better, or whether there is any difference at all? Perhaps you could invite some elders of the children's whānau to describe how they do it? This could be a great way to encourage whānau participation and help to strengthen the child's sense of well being. Thanks Anah, you have helped me see a different side to cooking, as I personally hate it, but I now feel that there is something more than just providing kai to eat.
ReplyDeleteFantastic reflection ‘Ana and yes of course technology has improved nowadays. The children have developed a lot of confident in them especially when it came to cook something. Their contribution to the cooking gives them the feeling of responsible of something. They are sure gaining sense of belonging because they have witnessed making the lu at home and doing it at the centre makes them feel like they are at home. I am so impressed of what you have done with the children throughout the whole of cooking the lu and it made wanted to do it at my centre. At my centre we have made hangi only and maybe because it is a Te Reo Maori bilingual centre but making lu will be a difference experience for the children and teachers. I think we might organise a teacher exchange day so that we can swap then you teach my centre how to make lu and I’ll teach your centre how to make hangi. ;)
ReplyDeleteYummy now I’m hungry. It’s good that your centre is introducing and maintains the cultural dish in the centre. It is also good to read that the staffs are sharing their prior experience during their young child age to the tamarki in the centre. Story telling is great and it is also a fun and interesting teaching technique for the children. I like how you mentioned that in your culture children are not allowed to be near food, preparing the food is an adult job. It must be a Pacifica custom because Cook Island community does it too. No disrespect to our elderly people but children is learning and when they are given the chance to learn or observe its supporting their learning and development. Role modelling is great it shows the children positive behaviour. As we been studding in the past three years learning is developed at a very young age the more children is exposed to different environment the more they value and develop to their full potential. They develop skills and knowledge through observing and scanning their environment. It is also great that children were empowered to go into the garden and pick some lu for their meal so well done again for allowing the children to facilitate this.
ReplyDeleteTumeke Rawatu Anah
ReplyDeleteYeap seeing that food has made me hungry. Awesome korero and especially having cultural dishes being prepared at the centre. This also helps children connect to their heritage and culture and engages other different cultures to participate if they want.Giving the tamariki choices and to know that we believe in respecting their values and beliefs. Korero is a big part of children's learning where they get opportunities to develop mathematical concepts such as volume, quantity measurements different colours, mix and match to experience an environment where they experience the stories and symbol's of their own and other culture. Yes our centre has eaten kaimoana from tangaroa and our children loved it.Maybe you can brainstorm by asking other different cultures to make their food for the centre.
Thank you everyone for the feedback, I am greatful and I also learnt a lot of other ways I can extend this activity. Once again thank you Rachel for the positive feedback and the suggestion. Yes I have discussed with the staff about cooking the lu the old ways, and we all agree to invite some of the dad to help us becuase it is their job to prepare the hangi. Five of the dads agreed to come and help us out, as we all know parents are very busy hence they are making time for our tamariki next week to cook the hangi. Even though it is the dad's job to prepare the hangi in the Pasifika culture, but my centre involved the children in going to buy rocks, tools like spade where dads are going to use to make the hangi. So my centre is looking forward to making a hangi next week with their dad, hence this will be a good opportunity for the dads and the children to work together.
ReplyDeleteHi Ana
ReplyDeleteIts great to see your reflection and the collaboration of ideas of the children as well the teachers. I like how you talked about bring the past ideas and comparing it to what we do now. Your reflection shows that the children were interested in cooking and they valued what they grandparents has shown and taught them as well. What a great way of introducing the different methods of cooking.
Placing children in a rich environment where they are able to contribute and have hands on experience is a great way to learn. I'm sure that a few of them would have linked this learning to what their parents would have being doing at home.
Great work Ana!
Thank you Lynda. Children love linking activities we do at the centre to their past experience which is good because they can recall how to do things. Children can also compare how we do things and also try it next time they are cooking at home with their family members.
ReplyDeleteThanks again everyone