Students in Mrs. Lemka’s class enjoy cornbread and corn casserole to go along with their ELA nonfiction unit about corn.

Fifth-grade students at Genet Elementary School recently completed the first unit of the new Benchmark ELA program – and they did it with a delicious celebration! The unit used the history and significance of corn as a fascinating lens to teach students essential nonfiction skills. Students became true experts by reading complex passages, identifying the key ideas, and mastering new academic vocabulary.

To celebrate their hard work and mastery of the material, students sampled corn-related treats and made a corn craft.

• Mrs. Lemka’s class enjoyed comforting, homemade treats, sampling cornbread and corn casserole.
• Mr. Russello’s class tasted homemade cornbread, corn casserole, and tamales.
• Mr. Scher’s class tried various corn tortilla chips, cheese quesadillas, salsa, and queso. Adding to the fun and educational experience was special guest Colleen Meltz, a Spanish teacher from Goff Middle School. Mrs. Meltz connected the cultural importance of corn to language by weaving in some Spanish instruction during the lesson.
• Mrs. VanSkiver’s class enjoyed corn tortilla cheese quesadillas, corn casserole, candy corn, popcorn, cornbread, tortilla chips with salsa, and Doritos and Cheetos.

“This was the perfect way to wrap up our unit on the history and significance of corn,” said Mr. Scher. “The activity celebrated our students’ growth as nonfiction experts while engaging all five senses and connecting their learning to culture, language, and community.”