It’s Hispanic Heritage Month! Check out five resources you can use this month and year-round. Before diving into the resources, let’s look at the history of Hispanic Heritage Month.
What is Hispanic Heritage Month?
The period between September 15 and October 15, known in the United States as Hispanic Heritage Month, marks many celebrations and anniversaries relating to Latin American countries. For example, according to NationalHispanicHeritageMonth.gov, September 15 is Independence Day for Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Additionally, Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16, Chile’s is September 18, and Columbus Day is October 12. Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon B. Johnson, and President Ronald Reagan expanded the celebration to Hispanic Heritage Month in 1988. This is a month to celebrate, acknowledge, and educate on the significant contributions Hispanic Americans have made to the United States and beyond, but this should extend well past the month and integrate into every day.
1. National Education Association
NEA has a wealth of resources, lesson plans, activities, multimedia, booklists, and more for Hispanic Heritage Month. These are split up by grade level for teachers to make it easy to navigate. NEA also links to a PBS article with good information on cultural appropriation, what it is, and how to be mindful and respectful.
2. Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino
Explore virtual exhibits, bilingual resources, Latino military contributions, primary sources and personal stories, inspiring women, and more on the National Museum of the American Latino’s website. They also link to a fantastic article by the Smithsonian Latino Center, “Top Eight Reasons Why and How We Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.” The Nuestra America on Smithsonian Learning Lab also has a great collection of stories to explore.
3. Anti-Defamation League
The Anti-Defamation League has a great article with links to lesson plans, children’s literature, resources, and more. They also provide resources on bias and discrimination and how to approach discussions on race.
4. PBS
PBS Learning Media offers fantastic resources for exploring Hispanic heritage within “the broader American narrative.” This means exploring everything from American pre-history to settlement to current issues. This website offers many primary sources and aligns with Common Core and the TEKS. Lesson plans are labeled with grade levels for easy navigation.
5. National Hispanic Heritage Month Website
On NationalHispanicHeritageMonth.gov, teachers can find resources linked to The Library of Congress, National Archives, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, and the Smithsonian Institute. You’ll discover a rich variety of lessons, resources, studies, and other content.
Do you have any suggestions or resources you love that should be added to the list? If so, leave them in the comments for us to discover and explore.
