Hooray for Hot Dogs!
Activities
One of the foods Chicago is famous for is the humble hot dog! A Chicago-style hot dog has seven toppings, and NONE of them are ketchup! From their introduction at the 1893 world’s fair to enjoying them at a picnic or in a ballpark today, the hot dog has important connections to life in Chicago. You might be surprised to discover that for more than a hundred years, the hot dog has influenced how we work, how goods are transported, and how we’ve had fun. This week, our activities will explore this simple, yet important food.
Read or listen to the short story Hot Dog! Follow Allan and his little sister Ruth on their adventures as they discover all the reasons the hot dog is important to Chicago’s history. Choose your favorite character and fill a thought bubble with their ideas, feelings, and dreams using drawings or words.
Chicago-style hot dogs have seven toppings: yellow mustard, white onions, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomatoes, pickled sport peppers, and celery salt. But there are lots of other ways to enjoy a hot dog. What are your favorite toppings? This activity challenges you to remix the hot dog and create a new twist on an old favorite.
Hot dogs are connected to a lot of Chicago history. Play a game (or several) of Hot Dog Memory and discover some hot dog-related history through some amazing photographs. Choose a photograph and write your own story about it.
Have fun decoding a classic Vienna Beef hot dog advertisement. Then, make an advertisement or commercial for your own favorite food.
Allan made a list of the reasons the hot dog was important to Chicago. Make a mobile that shows the reasons why your favorite food is special.