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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

Hispanic Heritage Month, observed from September 15 to October 15, is a time to celebrate the rich cultures, diverse histories, and significant contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. This commemoration offers a valuable opportunity to enrich your curriculum with engaging resources highlighting the vibrant tapestry of Hispanic heritage. Use these resources to foster cultural understanding and inspire critical thinking about identity, history, and the positive influence of Hispanic communities on American society. 

Grades K-12

Hispanic Heritage Month

Visit the different areas of this site from the Smithsonian Institution to learn about Hispanic and Latino culture, Independence Days, food, art, and famous figures. Another portion of the site shares teaching and learning resources.

Grades 4-12

Hispanic Historic Places

This page from the National Park Service provides links to several historic sites associated with Hispanic culture in the U.S., many of which include lesson plans or activity ideas. Share these locations with students for research projects.

Grades 3-12

Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature

Explore this fabulous collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors for children and young people. Teachers and media specialists may find this list helpful in selecting appropriate or attractive titles for their students.

Grades K-12

Salsa

Perfect for sharing this month, this Spanish-language program features TV segments of popular children's stories in Spanish (transcripts included). The TV episodes include puppets, animation, live-action, and music characteristic of Hispanic culture.

Grades 6-12

Zinn Education Project

Inspired by Howard Zinn's work as a historian, this site offers lesson plans, teaching materials, related books, and other resources. You must register to access the teaching materials. Search “Mexico,” “Hispanic,” and “Latinx” to find resources.

Grades 5-12

Hispanic Heritage Month Art Lesson Ideas

Explore the artwork of eleven famous Hispanic artists, both past and present. Information on the page includes a short introduction to each artist, their style of art, and suggestions for student projects. Scroll down to find links to free posters.

Grades 3-8

Cesar Chavez: Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist Video

This four-minute video teaches students how Cesar Chavez established the United Farm Workers Union to advocate for farm workers. This resource also includes a lesson plan that integrates the video with several primary source documents.

Grades 3-6

Reading Trek - Esperanza Rising

Reading Treks use Google My Maps to create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and details related to the trade book “Esperanza Rising.” Don’t miss the teacher guide for great lesson ideas!

Grades K-6

Teaching Central America: Teaching Ideas for Elementary

Discover various lessons and guides that support educators teaching about Central America. Topics include lessons based on Hispanic-culture-themed fiction and nonfiction picture books, an interactive map, and short biographies of Central American leaders.

Grades K-12

All About the Holidays

Learn about the history and significance behind many holidays through this video collection from PBS Learning Media. Click Fall Holiday Videos to find Hispanic Heritage Month and Dia de los Muertos, or explore other topics in the different seasons.

This Week at TeachersFirst

Join us this Tuesday for our next free OK2Ask virtual workshop of the fall season and check out our blog post about Hispanic Heritage Month! We’re also delighted to share an opportunity to apply to join our team as a part-time consultant. Read the details below!