Nine ideas for honoring Hispanic Heritage Month thoughtfully and inclusively
There is no shortage of ways to celebrate the rich and diverse Spanish-speaking cultures worldwide. Spanish teachers do this all year long! Hispanic Heritage Month provides an additional, special opportunity to generate discussions and experience cultural events.
Sharing the history of Spanish-speaking communities, peoples, products, and traditions enriches their study of the language and cultures.
Take this opportunity to dispel stereotypes and surface-level understandings of Hispanic, Latin American, and Caribbean cultures. Help students explore Spanish-speaking cultures' food, music, dance, and other fun aspects. Challenge them to learn about the history, people, and the deeper context of how those things came to be.
1. Why is Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated from September 15 to October 15?
Ask students to research and make a timeline of the important dates in those four weeks.
2. Why is it called “Hispanic” Heritage Month?
Explain the history of the word "Hispanic" in the United States. The conversation may turn to inclusion and allow everyone to identify themselves using words they prefer. Let students know there is no right or wrong way to discuss their heritage—what’s important is learning about it.
3. Who are prominent figures from Spain, Latin America, or the Caribbean?
Have students research important Spanish figures to learn about their contributions to the world.
4. Who are Spanish-speaking influencers on social media? Who do they follow, and why? What is their contribution? What do they show about their culture and heritage?
Assign students to create fake social media profiles of Spanish-language influencers and discuss what they have accomplished.
5. How can you get involved?
Encourage or assign students to participate in an event and report back to the class on their experiences.
They can check the local library and colleges or simply Google to see what is happening nearby. They might find themselves listening to a guest speaker, sampling new food, listening to new music, or learning a new dance! Many institutions also offer virtual options if you live in a remote area.
6. How do you taste the culture?
Have students eat at a local restaurant and write a review. Maybe they’ll discover Venezuelan arepas, Salvadoran pupusas, or Spanish tapas.
Mexican food is the second most popular cuisine in America, so it should be easy for students to find a Mexican restaurant. Have students write a review of their dining experience in the target language.
7. How do you bring dishes from Spanish-speaking cultures to life?
If your students enjoy hands-on activities, they might enjoy researching recipes from Spanish-speaking countries and finding one that is appropriate for their cooking skill level. Have a class party (in person or virtually) where students can share their dishes and explain how they made them in the target language.
8. How do you choose what to read, watch, and listen to?
Create a webpage or social media page as a class. Students can share their favorite TV shows, movies, books, blogs, and podcasts by Latinx creators. This will allow students to continue engaging throughout the year, not just this month.
Ask students to post a short review of their suggestions so others know what it is about. In the process of engaging with the texts students choose, students will build empathy by learning about others’ experiences. Also, native or heritage speakers in your class can learn more about their roots and read stories reflecting their experiences.
9. How do you grow an appreciation for Latinx filmmakers?
Have a mini film festival showcasing programs and movies featuring Latinx actors, directors, and writers. Invite students to nominate films to watch.
Don’t keep this all inside your classroom! Encourage your colleagues in other disciplines to discuss important contributions from the Spanish-speaking world to their fields. You might also showcase your students’ projects in a gallery walk, in the hallways, or in the library or cafeteria. This way, everyone can benefit from their discoveries and creations!
Janet's teaching experience is in Spanish, having taught all levels, both AP Language and AP Literature, dual credit courses, and native Spanish speaker courses. After seven years of teaching high school Spanish, she joined the Carnegie Learning team, but she still serves as an adjunct Spanish professor at Lone Star College in Houston, as well as an AP Reader for the AP Spanish Language and Culture Exam. Her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish is from Geneva College, and she learned my Master’s degree in Spanish focusing on Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Pittsburgh. She enjoys traveling and experiencing new places (when there isn’t a pandemic). She also loves presenting at local, regional, and national world language conferences on a variety of topics from differentiated instruction to cultural biases and how they impact the classroom.
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Mike taught Spanish and French for 16 years before joining Carnegie Learning. He's from Philadelphia and taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and in both public and private school settings. He loves to travel and was fortunate to be able to take students abroad for many years. He also worked as a scoring leader for the Praxis French exam as an AP Spanish Language reader. As a Content Specialist, he is able to work with teachers and also help develop educational content materials for Carnegie Learning world language programs. He has presented at many regional and national conferences, including NECTFL, CSCTFL, and ACTFL.
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