Day Two: Activities
Corn with a Pop:
We talked a bit in the video today about corn. Corn was introduced into Europe after 1492 from the Americas. Other crops were also introduced into Europe from the Americas: white potatoes, sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, peanuts, and blueberries. This trade in new foods was called the “Columbian Exchange,” in honor of the voyages of Christopher Columbus! With this project you have a chance to make your own corn cob art. You should have some bubble wrap left over to pop when you are finished!
Make an invented herbal remedy, or “decoction,” of your own. Mistress Dauntesey would have made her medicines in much the same way at Agecroft. Use different colors for each “remedy” for a rainbow effect! *These are NOT real remedies and SHOULD NOT BE EATEN*
Washing hands with soap and water is the best defense against illness, and we have all been washing our hands A LOT lately! The Tudors used soap too. It was sometimes scented with an herb like lavender. They washed their clothes by hand with soap. What happens when soap and germs meet? Try tricking your friends and family with this fun demonstration!
Yeast Grows and Grows:
If you have ever made bread or pizza dough, you know that you must add yeast to make it rise. Yeast is a one-celled organism that converts sugar and starch (like the flour in the bread mix) into carbon dioxide and ethanol. Carbon dioxide is a gas and is what makes the dough rise!
Create your own yeasty experience with the following activity! Record your findings in your camp journal.
Take it Outside - Or to Your Cupboard:
Head out into a garden or your pantry and see how many vegetables and herbs you can find! The herbs in your pantry will be dried and in small containers that your family uses for cooking. Record the plants that you find and spend some time today discussing what they are used for with any cooks in the family. You may discover some new vegetables and flavors to try.
Family Activity: Let us Cook!
Everyone in Tudor society –from those with the least money to those with the most –ate bread every day. The least wealthy ate the most, as it was cheap and easy to make. Theirs was whole-grained bread and was very healthy. It gave them the energy they needed for hard work! Wealthier citizens ate finely-ground white bread, which was not as healthy.
Make this Tudor recipe for Manchet bread. Manchet is a wheaten yeast bread small enough to be held in the hand. Manchet was the best and most expensive type of bread at Tudor tables. Do not forget to share!
Head out into your yard or neighborhood with your journal and nature hunt tally sheet. Look for the plants and animals native to Virginia!