Mango Geography Poster - National Mango Board

ADVERTISEMENTMeet a MangoTo begin your exploration of this tasty fruit, bring amango variety or two to class. Pass the mangos aroundthe classroom. Ask students about the color of the fruitand the texture of its skin. Invite them to use their fivesenses to write about the mango in the form of a poem.What vocabulary words would they use to describe it?While the students smell and taste the mangos, you canexplain the following facts:NUTRITION: Mangos are an excellent source ofvitamins C and A. They have more than 20 differentvitamins and minerals. Mangos are also a good sourceof dietary fiber.VITAMIN C: This vitamin helps protect kids frominfection by boosting immunity. It is also essential forwound healing and maintaining healthy bones, cartilage,Dear Teachers,Welcome to the wonderful worldof mangos! Please enjoy this freeinformation and idea poster broughtto you by the National Mango Board.Delicious and beautiful, mangos arethe most popular fruit in the world,yet many American students are notfamiliar with them. This poster willhelp personalize geography, introducehealthy recipes, and suggest activities—as well as introduce your studentsto this wonderful fruit. Find moredetailed information, activities, andrecipes at www.mango.org.teeth, and gums. Vitamin C is required for the formationof collagen, a protein that is used to make skin, muscles,blood vessels, tendons, and ligaments.VITAMIN A: Mangos have beta-carotene, anantioxidant which is converted into vitamin A by thebody. Vitamin A promotes eye health and helps maintainhealthy teeth and skin.FIBER: Mangos are a good source of dietary fiber,a substance found only in plants. Fiber helps promotegood digestion and contributes to heart health.HEALTHY SNACKING: Mangos are an idealsnack for kids—delicious tropical flavor; naturallyfree of fat, sodium, and cholesterol; and only 110calories in a cup of sliced mango. That’s a snackyou can truly feel good about!Copyright ©2007 Sholastic Inc. Teachers may copy this page for students.Mango MapDirections:Here is a smaller version of the Latin America map that ison the front of the poster, but all the countries’ names havebeen removed. Using what you already know, along withyour detective skills, write the name of each country on themap (use arrows where you need them). As you learn moreabout Latin America, try out the questions below to buildyour knowledge of geography and culture. (All answers areavailable on the front of the poster!)1. What is the mountain range that runs through Ecuador?__________________________________________________________2. What Latin American country exports the most mangosto the United States?_________________________________________________________3. Which is the largest South American country?_________________________________________________________4. What country shares an island (Hispaniola) with theDominican Republic? ___________________________________5. What country has one of the wettest places on Earth?_________________________________________________________6. Where is the dormant volcano called Volcán Tajumulco?__________________________________________________________Name______________________________Copyright ©2007 Sholastic Inc. Teachers may copy this page for students.Do the Mango FandangoInvite your students to sing and dance along to this lively songwhile learning about nutrition and exercising their bodies! First,challenge students to draw and paint their own creative mangovariety—from a “stars and stripes” mango to a rainbow mango.(Download a mango reproducible at www.mango.org.) Childrencan glue their mangos onto Popsicle sticks to make their own(silent) maracas, which they will use during the dance.Before you begin, assign mango roles to several children (Mexican,Peruvian, and so on). When a child’s verse comes up, he orshe moves forward to do the specific dance steps outlined below.To share a live version of young performers singing the MangoFandango, visit the ManGO Kids section of www.mango.org.Instructions for the Mango Fandango[The Fandango Step: All students sway from side to side, whileshaking maracas and singing “Ay yi yi yi.” Then, turn to a partnerand sway from side to side while shaking the maracas, andthen finish with a double stomp (at “Mango”) and face front.]AY YI YI YI, I’m a delicious ripe Mango![Turn to the left and then to the right, raise arms in the air,and then stretch them out at their sides like a rainbow.]I come in the colors of red, yellow, green,The most beautiful fruit you’ve ever seen.[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, I’m a Mexican Mango![“Mexican Mango” steps up, puts arms out at sides asan airplane flying, then points to tummy, then jumps up.]I come from the tropics to bring you nutrition,And for your tummy, I’ll hold an audition.[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, I’m a sweet Haitian mango![“Haitian Mango” steps up and makes wavy hand gesturesto the sides, then puts open hands up to sides of mouth and shoutson “wow.”]Two of my islands are “Turtle” and “Cow”But taste my mango and you’ll say, “WOW!”[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, I’m a Peruvian Mango![“Peruvian Mango” steps up and mimes rowing a boat full ofmangos, ending with both palms up and pointing out towardaudience on “you.”]From the land of the ruins of Machu Picchu,I come on a boat to be eaten by you![Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, I’m a Guatemalan mango![“guatemalan mango” steps up and mimics planting seeds side toside in the floor, then mimics a growing tree swaying side to side.]We grow many things—like sugar and coffee,The mangos we grow here are sweeter than toffee.[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, I’m a Brazilian Mango![“Brazilian Mango” steps forward and mimics swimming, acrocodile’s jaw opening and closing, and then stands on tip-toereaching for the sky and wiggling his/her fingers.]Brazil is the land where the Amazon flows,The crocodiles swim, and the mango tree grows.[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, I’m an Ecuadorian Mango![“Ecuadorian Mango” steps forward and makes a pointed“mountain” above his/her head, opening and closing fists like avolcano, and then points to cheeks and cups hands together tosmell them.]From the land of the Andes and volcanoes,I taste good to your mouth and smell good to your nose.[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, What is your favorite Mango?[All the children pretend to pick mangos from trees andmime biting into a mango.]Exotic, fresh flavors, spicy to sweet,Mango trees give us good fruit to eat.[Repeat Fandango Step]AY YI YI YI, Dance the mango fandango![All children step forward, spin and bow, and then do“rainbow arms” while shaking maracas.]Step, spin, and bow in single fileAll the way down the produce aisle!Copyright ©2007 Sholastic Inc. Teachers may copy this page for students.Let’s Mango at Home!Dear Families,Welcome to the delicious and wholesome world of mangos! Inschool, your child has been learning about the nutritional valueof “the world’s most popular fruit,” while building knowledgeabout the diverse Latin American countries where mangos growand thrive.Here are two very easy-to-make mango recipes that will bringa ray of sun into your family’s menus. Along with step-by-stepinstructions, we have also included some nutritional informationso you can feel great about sharing mangos with your kids.Visit www.mango.org for more mango recipes and information,including easy ways to slice a mango.Mango ParfaitMake ANY Day SUNDAE With a Mango ParfaitFor breakfast or a snack, try this tasty mango treat! All theingredients are low in fat and the mangos are rich in vitamins Cand A. It’s like a healthier tropical sundae! Serves 6.2 large ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and cubed3 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt6 tablespoons low-fat granola1. Get an adult to help you peel, cut, and seed your mango.Cut half of the mango into very small chunks and the otherinto larger chunks.2. Spoon a small amount of the larger mango pieces in thebottom of 6 clear plastic cups.3. Next, spoon 1⁄4 of a cup of yogurt over the mango in each cup.4. Spoon remaining large mango pieces on top of the yogurt.5. Top with remaining 1⁄4 cup yogurt and smaller piecesof mango.6. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.7. Just before serving, sprinkle 1 tablespoon of granola on top fora bright and sunny parfait!The mango parfait is a perfect example of something importantto the food pyramid: consuming a variety of foods. In thisparfait alone, you can get low-fat dairy (from the yogurt), wholegrains (from the granola), and fruit (from the mango).Mango Mash!In the many places where mangos grow, folks have differentways of eating the sweet fruit while working around the skinand the large seed inside. They smoosh the fruit to get to itssweet juice. Try it!1. Take a mango in your hands and roll it around betweenyour palms.2. Put the mango on your desk or a table to be able to put somepressure on it. Push down and roll around.3. As the fruit gets softer from being rolled, you can feel the bigseed moving inside. You’ve rolled enough when you can rotatethe big seed inside without breaking the skin.4. Once it’s soft, cut a small hole in the top of the fruit anddrink the delicious juice!5. Once you’ve had all the juice, squeeze the fruit from the bottomup, as if you were squeezing toothpaste from the bottom ofthe tube. Enjoy each bit of fruit as you squeeze it out of its skin!