A Helping Hand

Corn or "Maize"

The Native Americans used corn in a variety of ways

Source of food

• Eaten at every meal
• It could be easily stored and preserved in the winter months
• Corn was soaked in water to make hominy and grilled over the fire
• Indians would ground the corn into cornmeal
• Cornmeal was used to make syrup, corn bread, or corn pudding

POPCORN!

It is believed that the Wampanoag tribe brought popcorn to the colonists for the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Traditionally, Native American tribes flavored popcorn with dried herbs and spices, possibly even chili.

Some Native American tribes believed that a spirit lived inside each kernel of popcorn

In colonial times, Americans ate popcorn for breakfast. They mixed it with milk, sugar and cream.

Americans consume 17 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year. That's enough to fill the Empire State Building 18 times!

Corn was not only used for food!

COrn husks were also  a valuable resource

• Masks
• Sleeping mats
• Shoes
• Cornhusk dolls

You may not realize......

Corn is in what?

• Plastic
• Batteries
• Cough Drops
• Yogurt