The beginning of the school year is a great time for students to get to know each other and learn about each other's backgrounds. It’s also a great time to start routines that will be carried throughout the year. What better way to create a caring classroom community than starting a tradition of learning about different cultures each month?
Celebrated each year from September 15 through October 15, Hispanic Heritage Month is a wonderful opportunity to help students learn about the people, places, languages, traditions, and cultures that have shaped communities across the United States and around the world. Check out some of these ideas from Super Teacher Worksheets to help students learn more about Hispanic culture.
Hispanic Heritage Month Scavenger Hunt
Introduce Hispanic Heritage Month with this simple scavenger hunt activity. Students will love searching for the cards around the room and answering the corresponding questions. Better yet, they will learn new and interesting facts while getting in a movement break. After the activity, you can encourage students to have discussions about new and interesting information that they learned about Hispanic heritage. You could even have students create a list of further questions that they have. Encourage students to research answers to these questions throughout the month!
Coloring Sheets: Brain Breaks, Early Finishers, or Morning Activity
Print out some of the coloring sheets available on the Hispanic Heritage Month page and place them in a spot where students have access to them. Your little learners will love using bright colors to bring these festive pages to life. These coloring pages would be a great calm morning activity or a good activity for students who finish other work early. You may even wish to give your class time for a calming “brain break” and let them color! Create a bulletin board with all the colorful pictures or use them to add some color to the hallway!
Research Projects
Older students will enjoy having the freedom to research and learn about important Hispanic figures or Hispanic countries or territories independently. Print this Spanish-Speaking Countries and Territories Report for each student. You may also wish to have them work in pairs or small groups. Encourage your students to use reliable internet sources to learn more about an assigned or chosen Spanish-speaking country or territory. After completing, students can present what they learned to the class.
Similarly, students can learn more about an important Hispanic figure of their choice with this research project. Encourage your students to learn more about important people such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Gloria Estefan, Lionel Messi, and more!
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It is so important to teach your students about different cultures. This helps build an understanding and inclusive classroom community. Start the year out by introducing some of these activities focused on Hispanic heritage. Throughout the year, continue learning about different cultures by celebrating Native American Heritage Month in November and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May. You can also celebrate Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March.
