To begin the yarn art lesson, the teacher will begin by sharing a brief amount of information about the Huichol Indians, so that the students will know the background of the project. Much information about the Indians is available through books and through the internet (see Additional Resources for a few examples). The students will draw a simple design on their 5x5 square of paper; the paper should be glued on a cardboard square to make it easier to work with. Then, the students will fill in their drawings with yarn, using Elmer's glue.

For the Posada stamping lesson, the teacher will begin by sharing a brief amount of information about Guadalupe Posada, and by displaying several examples of his work (see Posada's Mexican Prints). Students will all be given a Styrofoam plate (a thicker piece of Styrofoam will produce a more favorable result, if available). Students should cut the bottom out of the plate so that it is small enough to fit into a large ink pad. Then students will sketch the outline of a design to be stamped onto their plate (encourage students to keep it simple). Then, students will use a pencil to push into the plate along the outline of their design. The deeper and wider students are able to make the outline, the better the end result will be. Students will then press their piece of Styrofoam onto a large ink pad and use it to stamp a piece of paper. This experience should give them the idea behind the concept of stamping, without being too difficult or expensive.

The teacher should begin by discussing the Talavera pottery of Puebla, Mexico, briefly, and showing students examples of this beautiful style of pottery (see below for resources). Then, all students should be given a tile and paintbrush. (The best manner I have found for acquiring tile is to contact your local tile and flooring stores. They are usually more than willing to donate their cracked tiles for your classroom projects. These are perfect for the students to paint on, and they're free!) Students should sit in groups so that they share paint and a cup of water for rinsing. Once set up, students should paint their tiles according to their personal tastes and wishes. Tiles will need to be left on a table overnight to dry, and may be displayed the following day.

Both salsa recipes may be prepared in the same class period. There are countless recipes for making salsa, but from experience I can say that these recipes are quick and can be completed in a class period. The best environment is in a home economics classroom with multiple kitchens. In this environment, students may be assigned different tasks such as washing, slicing, boiling, etc. However, if this environment is not readily available, then the teacher may prepare the salsa at the front of a typical classroom while the students salivate and watch!!

For green salsa, the tomatillos must first be peeled and washed. Then, the heart must be cut out of each tomatillo. Then tomatillos should be boiled in a large pot of water until the tomatillos begin to turn brown. Chop the end off of the jalapeño pepper and add it to the boiling water. If desired, remove seeds from pepper to reduce the spiciness of the salsa. While the tomatillos are boiling, the cilantro should be washed and approximately half of it should be chopped very finely and put in a blender. Also cut the ends off the garlic clove, peel it, and put it in a blender. Peel the avocado, remove the seed, and put it in the blender. Also, add one teaspoon of salt to blender. Slice the lime in half and squeeze juice into blender. When tomatillos are finished boiling, add them to blender, as well. Blend mixture until a salsa is formed. Then, salsa is ready to serve!

For red salsa, the recipe is very similar. The Roma tomatoes should be washed. Then remove the hearts and boil them until the skin begins to boil off. Also cut off the ends of the pepper and add it to the boiling water. Meanwhile, wash and chop about half of the cilantro and add to blender. Cut the ends off the garlic clove, peel it, and add to blender. Add one tsp of salt to blender. Add tomatoes to blender when they are finished boiling, and blend until a salsa is formed. Then enjoy!

To prepare the Pastel Azteca, first prepare the green salsa according to the instructions above. Also, cook the chicken and debone it (I usually do this the night before at my house). Shred the chicken into small pieces. Also, shred the Oaxacan cheese into small pieces (sometimes we use two packages of cheese to make it really gooey). Then heat the tortillas and keep them in a dishtowel to keep them warm. Starting with the tortillas, layer the ingredients into a rectangular casserole dish. After tortillas, spoon in two tablespoons of Mexican cream and spread it over all the tortillas. Then, pour in salsa, add chicken, then cheese. Add another layer of tortillas and begin the process again. Three or four layers should fit into the dish. Be sure to save salsa to drizzle on the top, so that the top layer will not dry out. Let the casserole sit covered in the refrigerator overnight. Then, before class, preheat the oven to 350º and heat the casserole for 45 minutes, or until warm in the center. During class, serve and enjoy!