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Each year, from September 15 to October 15, the United States recognizes and celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month. Rather than starting on the first of the month, celebrations start on the fifteenth to commemorate Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
During this celebration of history and culture, we shine a light on the exciting contributions that people with roots in these and other Hispanic countries have made to all aspects of American life. We have 13 exciting Hispanic Heritage Month lesson plans that you can use to bring that same excitement to your classroom.
[Teach about key figures and cultural milestones in your social studies classes](id-ss)
Hispanic people have influenced and shaped every aspect of American culture, from politics to the arts. You can help students get to know these people and their stories better with lessons like:
Introducing students to Hispanic Heritage Month
Give students the background knowledge they need to understand the topics you’ll cover throughout Hispanic Heritage Month with an introductory lesson using content like:
An explainer that defines different terms used to describe the people celebrated during this heritage month, such as Latino, Hispanic, Latinx, and Chicano.
An article that addresses the call for more inclusivity within the month to highlight Asian, Black, and Indigenous Hispanic people.
An article covering the challenges of preserving recognized historical sites throughout the United States linked to Hispanic culture and events.
Spotlighting Hispanic leaders and trailblazers
Introduce your students to influential Hispanic pioneers in politics, activism, the arts, and other professions, like:
Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court justice in U.S. history.
Alex Padilla, the first Latino U.S. senator from California.
Antonia Pantoja, a Latina activist who fought for bilingual education in New York City.
Dr. Clotilde Pérez García, one of the first Mexican-American women to enter the medical field in Texas.
Rita Moreno, the first Latina to earn the EGOT: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.
Diving into the unique influences of Hispanic cultures
A biography of Mexican-American musician Carlos Santana.
An article about how Puerto Rican-American Lin-Manuel Miranda used his upbringing in upper Manhattan as the inspiration for his Broadway musical “In the Heights.”
An article about how Honduran-American fashion designer Carlos Campos transformed his life from a poor teenage immigrant to presenting a collection at New York Fashion Week.
Discovering how Hispanic traditions influence the arts
Some of the most popular and up-and-coming painters, writers, and creatives have Hispanic roots. Learn more about these inspiring people and their art with content like:
An article about Miami street artist Disem, who embraces his Panamanian, Colombian, and Italian roots when choosing subjects for his murals.
A biography of Frida Kahlo, considered to be one of Mexico’s greatest artists.
An article about El Teatro Campesino, a Chicano theater company.
Hear Our Voices
Hispanic voices have shaped our world in countless ways. Newsela Social Studies’ “Hear Our Voices” lessons teach students about influential activists and leaders from these communities who have made real changes in the lives of people worldwide.
Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta was a Mexican-American labor activist who worked closely with Cesar Chavez to co-found the labor union known as the United Farm Workers of America. She is best known for using the phrase “¡Sí, se puede,” which translates to “Yes, we can!” To teach students more about Huerta, have them:
Read a biography of Huerta’s life from childhood to her Presidential Medal of Freedom honor in 2012.
Watch an interactive video explaining the history behind Huerata’s most popular phrase.
Read an article about Huerta’s advice for the next generation of people who want to fight for equal rights.
Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez was a Mexican-American Civil Rights and labor leader. He and Dolores Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers of America, and Chavez spent most of his adult life advocating for the poor working conditions of migrant workers. To teach students more about Chavez:
Share the video story called “Cesar Chavez: American Civil Rights Activist - Fast Facts” to give students background information about his life and work.
Read an article that goes into more detail about how Chavez organized and empowered migrant farmworkers in the United States through nonviolent methods.
Invite students to explore the United Farm Workers of America website and compare and contrast Cesar Chavez’s foundational ideas for the union with its current practices.
Las Mariposas
Las Mariposas was a name earned by the Mirabel sisters, who led a revolution against a dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. To teach students more about their efforts to bring a more just government to their country, you can:
Share a video about who Las Mariposas were and the injustices they faced when speaking up for their rights.
Read an article about how the sisters participated in an underground resistance in an attempt to overthrow dictator Rafael Trujillo.
Extend the lesson by asking students to write a blog post about the impact of Las Mariposas and their activism using evidence from the article and video.
Please note: This lesson contains sensitive content. It’s recommended for high school audiences. You know your students best. Please review these resources before you share the content with them!
Jovita Idar
Jovita Idar was a Mexican-American journalist, activist, and suffragist who fought against numerous injustices during her lifetime. To teach students more about Idar, you can:
Share a video about how Idar used her platform as a journalist to speak out about injustice.
Assign an article that takes a deeper look into Idar’s fight against two of her most important causes: Racism and sexism.
Extend the lesson by asking students to follow in Idar’s footsteps and design a public service announcement to shed light on a cause of their choice, suggesting ways for people to get involved and make a change.
[Explore Hispanic literature in ELA](id-ela)
Hispanic authors and culture have a strong influence on the literature our students read and love. Introduce them to some of them with these lesson plans:
A video biography about Pam Muñoz Ryan and how her family background influenced her writing.
A video interview with Elizabeth Acevedo about her coming-of-age novel.
An interview with Prisca Mojica Rodríguez about her book “For Brown Girls.”
A biography about Gloria Anzaldúa, a feminist writer and advocate.
A video biography of Gary Soto about how his childhood neighborhood inspired many of the settings in his stories.
Explore folktales from Maya culture
The Maya culture began in areas of present-day Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Certain aspects of this ancient culture persist today, including some of its folktales. Introduce students to this ancient civilization with this paired text assignment:
Have students read “How the King of Birds Was Chosen,” a play based on an ancient Maya folktale.
Alongside this reading, assign students a nonfiction explainer article about Mexico’s geography, wildlife, people, culture, government, economy, and history.
Use a Venn Diagram and paired text analysis worksheet to help students answer a guiding question like, How do the genre and style of each text impact the author’s message?
Discover the history of Aztec culture
The Aztecs were an ancient civilization in what is now present-day Mexico. You can help students learn more about its culture and traditions with this paired text activity:
Assign a historical fiction article about a 16-year-old healer, Toci, in 16th-century Mexico City, who reflects on the cycle of life and death as she helps a midwife deliver a baby.
Alongside the fiction article, have students read about Aztec society, its hierarchical structure, and the roles of different classes in the empire.
Ask students to use the guiding question, “What is the main idea of each text, and how are the main ideas connected?” while reading and recording their observations with a Venn Diagram and paired text analysis worksheet.
“swimming in pool-scented skies” by Isabella Ramírez
“In Praise of Dreams” by Gary Soto
“The Conditional” by Ada Limón
Dive into Hispanic novel studies
Whether you’re looking for a whole-class novel to read or creating lists of recommended or free-time reading for students, consider adding some from Hispanic authors to your list! Newsela ELA’s Novel and Book Studies collection has over 500 titles from diverse authors to help build background knowledge and spark students’ interests, like:
[Discover Hispanic contributions to science](id-sci)
Every day, Hispanic scientists make new discoveries or do research to help us better understand our world. Teach students about these great findings and experiences:
Help students learn more about Hispanic contributions to science
How much do your students know about the Hispanic scientists who have touched nearly every branch of science, from botany to astronomy and astronautics, and environmental science? Help them get to know these trailblazers better with content like:
A biography of Mario Molina, who won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for his work with chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs).
An article about botanist Ynes Mexia, who collected and preserved over 150,000 plants, flowers, and leaves in her lifetime.
An interview with astronaut Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space and former director of NASA's Johnson Space Center.
An article about the biopic of José Hernández, a former migrant farmworker who became a successful NASA astronaut.
See how Hispanic scientists are changing the world
Hispanic scientists have some even more interesting careers than your students may realize. This activity can help students recognize the diversity among scientists and their work, as well as how their efforts impact our daily lives.
Assign part one of the “Latinx scientists who are changing the world” article series to have students read about environmental scientists and planetary geologists.
After discussing the first set of careers, assign part two of the “Latinx scientists who are changing the world” article series to introduce students to sustainability experts, wildlife biologists, and climate scientists.
Have students choose two of the scientists they read about—one from each article— and use a comparing characteristics worksheet to discover how different scientists use similar characteristics to do their jobs.
Teach about Frank Rubio’s record-setting spaceflight
How much do your students know about space exploration and the International Space Station (ISS)? Use Hispanic Heritage Month and astronaut Frank Rubio as a starting point for this topic.
Watch the video tour of the International Space Station to learn more about its design and the challenges astronauts face when living there for extended periods.
Assign the article about Frank Rubio, a Salvadoran-American astronaut who holds the record for the longest single spaceflight at 371 days.
Add an activity and ask students to come up with 3-5 questions they would ask Rubio if they were interviewing him about his spaceflight and time on the ISS. Then, ask them to predict his answers by writing a mock article and using evidence from the resources in the text set in their writing.
Newsela’s products go beyond Hispanic Heritage Month
We hope these resources make it easier for you to develop relevant and engaging lessons about Hispanic history, influence, and achievements in your class. But Newsela’s products have even more great content, interactive activities, and assessment tools that you can use all year long.
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