Lesson Plan Ideas for Old Clothes for Dinner?! by Nathalie Alonso

Nathalie Alonso’s Old Clothes for Dinner?! is the sweetest book and my next recommendation. Use the text and accompanying back matter materials in your next Spanish or bilingual lesson.

Old Clothes for Dinner?! by Nathalie Alonso

This book, written in English with Spanish words sprinkled in, is about a young girl named Magaly who is dreading dinner because she thinks she’ll be eating old clothes, instead of the ropa vieja her grandmother is cooking. The very literal misunderstanding had me thinking back to my days reading Amelia Bedelia (which I loved!) as a kid.

Magaly’s misunderstanding is funny, endearing, and something kids (who take most things literally) will easily relate too. The relationship between Magaly and her family is heartwarming. And the tidbits of Cuban culture sprinkled throughout the text and in the back matter add another element to this book that make it an easy insertion into your Spanish or bilingual lesson plans.

Back matter includes recipes, a list of other dishes with easy-to-misunderstand names, and a brief note from the author and illustrator.

Note: I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

How to Use Old Clothes for Dinner?! in the Classroom

Use Magaly’s story to create engaging lesson plans across different subjects and grade levels.

Math

Fractions: Use your own recipes, or those in the back of the book, to discuss fractions. How can you increase or decrease the ingredients in a recipe?
Counting: Count out how many of an item you need in a given recipe.

Science

Matter: Discuss the changes in matter that occur when you cook something (size, shape, texture, etc.)
Chemical Reactions: Discuss or experiment with two food items and see how they react to one another (i.e., mixing vinegar and baking soda; you can add drops of food coloring to make this even more exciting)

Social Studies

Cooking: Use your own recipes, or those in the back of the book, to cook a new dish together.
Cuban Cuisine: Research ropa vieja to learn more about it and how it got its name.
Cuba: Dive into Cuba and research more about the country and its history.
International Cuisine: Have students talk about traditional dishes from their cultures and/or bring them to class one day.

Language Arts

Making Connections: Can you remember a time you’ve misunderstood or mistranslated something? What happened?
Problem Solving: What’s another way Magaly could have brought her concerns about dinner up to her family? Or, what are ways we can prevent possible mistranslations or misunderstandings?
Cause and Effect: What causes Magaly to react the way she does throughout the story?
Writing Prompt: Write your own story about a problem that stems from a misunderstanding.

Old Clothes for Dinner?! is available starting March 12, 2024. What are other ways you can think of to implement Old Clothes for Dinner?! in the classroom?