Each group can be responsible for one specific step of the recipe. Maria and her cousins decided to eat all 24 tamales in order to find her mothers lost ring. 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 Discuss how the children in the story felt after eating all the Tamales.
Students focus on the one tamale that remained on the plate.
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. Make shapes and divide into parts. Return to Too Many Tamales .