Summary
The audience will be presented with a short history of the pecan nut. A slide show will follow the history of the pecan, touching on the Native Americans who introduced the nut to the first Europeans exploring the Americas. The wonderful nutritious value and early farming techniques were used to enhance the plant and the pecan’s popularity with the founding fathers of our country. Introduction of several lessons to be used with middle school students of geography and American history. One lesson will be demonstrated with participants, using maps to chart the spread of the pecans throughout the United States and the world. Visual aids will include a branch from a pecan tree, nuts with the hard outer husk still attached, along with native and soft- shelled pecans. We will discuss the different uses of pecans and how the nuts have been modified by improving size, taste, and yield. Our presentation will include products to show, including items made from pecan wood, pecans, and pecan oil.
Session Focus
Middle School/Junior High | U.S. History| America’s, Indigenous, Resource
Conference Room
Lewis
Meet the Presenters
Pamela Hamman was born and raised in Oklahoma and has always had a love for learning. She enjoys reading, exploring new places, and gaining new perspectives. Hamman attended the University of Oklahoma for her undergraduate studies and earned a master’s degree in education from East Central University. She is married to her high school sweetheart, and has two children and two grandchildren. Family is a big part of Hamman’s life, and they continue to be a source of joy and inspiration. She has worked in education for over twenty years and still find excitement in what she does. Every day brings new opportunities to learn—often from her students. She spent her entire teaching career in middle school, and when she first started, someone said, “You’ll either love it or hate it.” She can honestly say she does not hate it! Throughout the years, she has taught a variety of subjects including Civics, World Geography, Western and Eastern Hemisphere Geography, World History, American History, and Current Events. She has also coached high school swim. Her time at Prague Public Schools has been incredibly rewarding—the supportive community and strong connections make it a great place to work. Outside the classroom, she loves working outdoors, traveling, and meeting new people. Hamman is a big fan of live music and tries to attend as many concerts as possible. She also has a deep interest in American History. She had the honor of seeing three U.S. Presidents in person, and is proud to say there’s even an Olympian in my family!
Lousondra Waltz is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where she grew up. Waltz graduated from Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Arts in History (Go Pokes). She has two sons who graduated from the University of Oklahoma (Go Sooners), they are both happily married but no grandchildren yet. Waltz has been teaching for 28 years in public schools in Oklahoma, both in high school and middle school. She has taught US History, World History, World Geography, US Government, and Western Hemisphere Geography. She loves teaching, traveling, National Parks, history, dogs, and my family. She has greatly enjoyed meeting teachers from all over the country and learning from others.
