Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month

Introduction

Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated since 1968 and it should be important to learn about some of the histories behind Hispanic Heritage Month and behind terms like Hispanic, Latino, and Latinx. Consider testing your own knowledge of Hispanic and Latinx history and identities with some of the quizzes provided by Teaching for Change, and then consider incorporating them into your classroom and using some of these suggested lesson plans or teaching resources below!

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Science

Students can better see themselves represented in the STEM field by learning about these 10 Hispanic Pioneers in Medicine. Provided by the American Association of Medical Colleges, this list comes with plenty of additional links that can be used as a valuable classroom resource.


The Latin American and Iberian Institute provides several resources for engaging students in STEM history. Students in grades 3-6 can learn about the astronaut, Ellen Ochoa. Students in middle school can discover the climate scientist Nicole Hernández Hammer.

Art

This interdisciplinary set of lesson plans has great resources to use in the Arts classroom as well as in English and Spanish classes.


Art teachers could also teach how art was once used as a form of resistance to the Pinochet government in Chile. This lesson plan on Stitching Resistance is provided by the Latin American & Iberian Institute and the National Hispanic Cultural Center.

English

Teaching for Change has put together a resource packet of books that can be used in the classroom to help celebrate Hispanic Heritage month! It also includes a brief quiz about facts and myths and a brief historical timeline. You can find it here.


Younger students should benefit from getting a chance to read Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation. This book can be used for grades 1-5 and has a wonderful Educator's Guide that goes along with the book to provide lesson plans and activities as well as additional suggested resources.


More reading guides can be found here on several books for students in elementary school, middle school, and high school.


Mentioned under Art is this interdisciplinary unit on Hispanic Heritage Month.

World Language

Mentioned under Art is this interdisciplinary unit on Hispanic Heritage Month.


Check out this website for Spanish teachers with a long list of resources that you can use in your classroom to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Social Science

The Anti-Defamation League has assembled this Lesson Plan on 8 Ideas for Teaching National Hispanic Heritage Month, several of which involve research and analysis into important histories of Hispanic Americans.


Right now, many teachers may be covering the Mexican American War in their US history classes, so check out this lesson plan from the Zinn Ed Project that challenges some of the traditional textbook narratives.