I used to assume I don’t have to have fun Hispanic Heritage Month as a result of I have fun our tradition day by day. However as an individual who went to high school not seeing my tradition celebrated or highlighted as a lot within the classroom, and a mother who’s elevating bilingual and multicultural children, I acknowledge the significance of getting a particular time to focus on the contributions of the Hispanic/Latino group in america. It’s an essential time when lecturers can spotlight and have fun the variety of Hispanic communities round our nation whereas participating in Hispanic Heritage Month actions.
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What’s Hispanic Heritage Month?
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the 63.7 million Hispanic People, about 20% of the U.S. inhabitants, representing People who’ve ancestry in international locations that talk Spanish. That features Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. Latinos are one of many fastest-growing populations in america.
Hispanic Heritage Month was initially began in 1968 by Lyndon B. Johnson to have fun the contributions of People who had come to america from Spanish-speaking international locations. It was initially a weeklong commemoration till President Ronald Reagan expanded it to 1 month in 1988. Lately, there was a language shift to be extra inclusive and say “Latinx” or “Latine” Heritage Month. On this article, I shall be utilizing these phrases interchangeably.
Right here’s a brief video about Hispanic Heritage Month you could present your college students. It’s from our trainer pal Maria.
What does Hispanic imply? What do Latino / Latinx / Latine imply?
Hispanic refers to individuals who converse Spanish or have ancestry from a Spanish-speaking nation.
“Latino” and the extra not too long ago launched phrases “Latinx” and “Latine” discuss with a bigger group of individuals, those that come from Latin American international locations.
What’s the theme for Hispanic Heritage Month 2026?
Yearly, Hispanic Heritage Month has a theme. This yr’s theme is Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Collectively.
Study extra: Hispanic Heritage Month 2026 Theme at NOTA
When is Hispanic Heritage Month?
Hispanic Heritage Month begins September 15 (Independence Day in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) and continues till October 15. The month additionally contains Mexico’s Independence Day (September 16) and Chile’s Independence Day (September 18).
Hispanic / Latinx Heritage Month is an ideal alternative to review and have fun cultures from Latin America, from Mexico to Chile and the Caribbean, in addition to Spain.
Beneath is a listing of enjoyable Hispanic Heritage Month actions that honor this particular time of yr. However first, let’s study concerning the historical past of Hispanic Heritage Month and why we have fun it.
Why ought to we educate Hispanic heritage?
Hispanic Heritage Month is a chance to assist college students see themselves mirrored within the tales, cultures, and contributions which have formed our nation. As Natalia Mejia, an MLL educator and advocate, explains, instructing Hispanic heritage is essential as a result of “it’s American historical past.”
Natalia emphasizes that educators have the chance and accountability to create house for all college students to really feel seen and valued within the classroom. She additionally notes that studying about Hispanic cultures advantages each pupil by serving to them perceive views totally different from their very own whereas constructing connections with classmates who share comparable backgrounds and experiences. In the end, these conversations foster empathy, respect, and a stronger sense of group.
For extra insights from Natalia Mejia, comply with her on Instagram at @nataliapmejia.
Suggestions for Educating Hispanic Heritage
Mejia suggests beginning with college students’ data and pursuits and constructing your Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations from there. Listed here are extra suggestions from Natalia:
1. Lean on college students’ data
Our college students and their households are our biggest belongings. A few of my biggest classes about Hispanic heritage come from listening to the wants of my college students and their households. For instance, after I taught center faculty, we accomplished an altar for Dia de Muertos. As soon as we began setting the altar, I concerned mother and father, who helped us create papel picado. It was an incredible expertise for the scholars and their mother and father.
2. Invite others in
Attain out to different lecturers who may additionally need to interact college students in Hispanic heritage. When Mejia and her class constructed their altar, they collected household recipes to create a Hispanic heritage recipe guide.
3. Be versatile
With the present politics and actions across the nation, Hispanic households could not really feel comfy or it will not be the time to have fun in a public means. Let your college students lead; chances are you’ll focus simply in your classroom or chances are you’ll discover that your group needs an enormous celebration. Both means, let the scholars take the lead.
Low-Prep Hispanic Heritage Month Actions
These Hispanic Heritage Month actions don’t take a lot effort, however they’re informative, enjoyable, memorable, and nice springboards for conversations about Hispanic heritage.
1. Study Hispanic dialects
Grades: Higher elementary, center, highschool
Put together college students for real-life dialog and educate flexibility by listening to the assorted accents and slang within the 21 international locations the place Spanish is the dominant language. Watch and pay attention to varied dialects to listen to and focus on the variations.
Study extra: Spanish Dialects Across the World on YouTube
2. Hearken to mariachi music
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Listening to music from totally different cultures teaches college students cultural appreciation and expands their data of the world.
A mariachi is a small Mexican musical ensemble composed of quite a lot of largely stringed devices, however it may well additionally embrace air devices like trumpets. Usually they’ve been male-dominant ensembles that sing quite a lot of songs, from sluggish songs of affection or grief to high-energy dance songs. Lately, there have been extra feminine mariachi bands, like Mariachi Flor de Toloache. Mariachis are a typical type of leisure at Hispanic occasions together with weddings, birthdays, quinceañeras, and holidays.
Study extra: Mariachi Music on YouTube
3. Make aguas frescas
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Make meals and drinks from world wide and broaden your college students’ understanding of how folks method meals. In Mexico, aguas frescas are fairly widespread. Actually which means “contemporary water,” an agua fresca is an aromatized water drink. In Mexico you may make them from fruits and flowers like hibiscus.
Attempt it: Pineapple Coconut Agua Fresca Recipe at Mama Latina Suggestions
4. Make papel picado
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Papel picado interprets to punched or perforated paper. This conventional paper decor is present in quite a lot of Hispanic cultural occasions. It’s used to brighten throughout celebrations resembling El Día de Muertos (Day of the Lifeless) and occasions like birthdays and child showers, in addition to to easily add festive decor to household houses. Papel picado could be bought on-line or in shops, or it may well even be created as a DIY craft. If college students make papel picado, they’re studying about cultural traditions and artwork.
Purchase it: Papel Picado Banners at Amazon
5. Play lotería
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Enjoying video games reinforces cultural consciousness and exhibits college students how folks play world wide.
Lotería is a well-liked sport that’s similar to bingo. It dates again to the 18th century when it was introduced over from Europe. The standard Mexican model has been bought because the late nineteenth century. As a result of it’s such an outdated sport, a number of the pictures haven’t aged properly and might have explanations—for instance, el borracho means “the drunkard” and there may be a picture that known as El Negrito. I counsel having conversations about these pictures. There’s additionally an up to date model of the standard sport known as “Millennial Lotería.” It’s a enjoyable sport for the classroom and for folks of all ages.
Purchase it: Lotería (unique) and Lotería (millennial) at Amazon
6. Study Latin American geography
Grades: Elementary, center faculty
Geography is so essential for teenagers to study. With a fundamental understanding of geography, they construct background data that they may use to grasp the world, present occasions, and articles and tales.
Apply Latin American geography with this puzzle that’s excellent for utilizing within the classroom as a part of a Hispanic Heritage Month lesson.
Purchase it: Latin American Geography Puzzle at Amazon
7. Create an interactive map
Majia posted an enormous map of Latin America and Hispanic international locations on her cafeteria wall. College students posted the place their households have been from in addition to the place well-known Hispanic People have been from. A map like that is the right solution to educate geography and have fun the variety in your faculty group.
8. Play conventional video games
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Interact college students in taking part in conventional video games to expertise how children in Hispanic international locations interact in play, and evaluate what is analogous and totally different about how varied cultures play.
Many international locations have enjoyable video games that folks of all ages will take pleasure in. Along with lotería in Mexico, dominoes are widespread in Caribbean international locations.
Purchase it: Domino Set at Amazon
In-Depth Hispanic Heritage Month Tasks
If in case you have extra time, these in-depth tasks interact college students in studying extra about Hispanic heritage and construct analysis abilities and data.
9. Examine a Latin American nation
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Having college students do a rustic research can take many shapes. They’ll research and make oral displays to the category or to folks. They’ll select to current on the nation’s music or meals. They’ll create vigorous bulletin boards or poster boards to place up across the classroom … the checklist goes on and on! College students discover ways to generate fascinating questions, discover the solutions, and current what they study.
10. Analysis El Día de los Muertos
Grades: Higher elementary, center, highschool
El Día de los Muertos (The Day of the Lifeless) is a Mexican vacation. It’s celebrated from midnight on October 31 till November 2. Throughout this time, it’s believed that the gates of heaven are open and spirits of people that have handed on can rejoin their households right here on Earth for these two days. Folks collect at cemeteries to welcome again the souls of their relations with meals, drinks, decorations, and celebration. Interact college students in researching this vacation and presenting what they study in a presentation, skit, or museum exhibit.
Study extra: El Día de los Muertos on YouTube
11. Make a retablo
Grades: Higher elementary, center, highschool
Peruvian retablos are a people artwork made within the Andes mountains. They normally present non secular scenes inside a field with doorways, however they will additionally present cultural, political, or social occasions. It’s 3D storytelling in a wooden field. Have college students make their very own with cardboard, paint, and different craft supplies or purchase one premade. Studying about retablos exhibits college students how some Hispanic cultures inform tales and share data.
Purchase it: Retablo at Amazon
Hispanic Heritage Studying and Writing Actions
You may learn and write about Hispanic heritage lengthy after the official month is over. Listed here are three actions particularly centered on studying and writing.
12. Learn books by Hispanic / Latinx authors
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Studying builds vocabulary, empathy, and perspective-taking. There are numerous books for folks of all ages that discover Hispanic and Latino themes and have fun Latinx group members and contributions to our nation.
Try Books To Savor Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month.
13. Learn and write poetry
Grades: Center and highschool
Poetry is an effective way to problem college students to investigate texts from varied cultures. Learn poems by Hispanic and Latinx poets and have college students write poetry that’s impressed by their tradition or by pioneers that got here earlier than them.
Purchase it: Sure! We Are Latinos: Poems and Prose Concerning the Latino Expertise at Amazon
Poetry Evaluation Worksheets
Use the poetry evaluation bundle to have interaction college students in analyzing poetry from Octavio Paz to Sandra Cisneros.
14. Study Hispanic pioneers
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Hispanic and Latin American people have contributed a lot to the world, however generally they don’t obtain the popularity they deserve. Actually, in keeping with a 2023 research performed by UnidosUS in collaboration with Johns Hopkins College College of Training Coverage, solely 13% of traditionally important Hispanic-related matters are included in curriculum supplies, usually receiving solely minimal protection. Assist shut the hole by encouraging college students to find out about distinguished Latino figures by studying books, listening to speeches, or watching films or documentaries about their lives. Then, they will present what they realized by means of a monologue, poster, or one other presentation.
Listed here are some distinguished folks to find out about:
- Songwriter and director Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Supreme Courtroom Justice Sonia Sotomayor
- Indigenous activist Rigoberta Menchú
- Labor rights and immigrant rights activist Dolores Huerta
- Baseball participant Roberto Clemente
- Singer Celia Cruz
When college students find out about Hispanic pioneers, they’re constructing cultural competence and background data.
Hispanic Heritage Month Cultural Exploration Actions
Hispanic Heritage Month is a chance to discover one thing new to your college students. These actions are open-ended and encourage college students to study extra by asking questions or studying.
15. Attempt a free language-learning app
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Spanish is the second-most spoken language in america, so why not incorporate Spanish classes into your Hispanic Heritage Month actions? Even studying a number of phrases or phrases can ignite college students’ curiosity in language studying. Duolingo is an extremely widespread app that enables college students to study Spanish, and there’s even a free standards-aligned model for colleges the place you’ll be able to create assignments and see pupil progress. My daughter makes use of it to follow her Spanish abilities. She loves the factors and seeing progress.
Attempt it: Duolingo for Colleges
16. Tour Frida Kahlo’s house (nearly)
Grades: Center and highschool
Frida Kahlo was an influential, now-iconic Hispanic artist. Tour her home, La Casa Azul, and research her artwork on this digital tour. The digital tour teaches college students about Kahlo’s life and legacy.
Attempt it: Digital Tour of La Casa Azul
17. Take a digital tour of the Nationwide Museum of the American Latino
Grades: Center and highschool
From lawmakers, advocates, and creative creators to leisure superstars, Hispanic People are making a huge effect in at the moment’s society. Discover the Molina Household Latino Gallery on the Smithsonian Nationwide Museum of American Artwork on-line, the place college students can find out about well-known and influential Hispanic People. The digital tour teaches college students about Hispanic pioneers and builds common data about U.S. historical past.
Attempt it: Molina Household Latino Gallery Digital Tour on the Smithsonian’s Nationwide Museum of the American Latino
18. Study a brand new dance
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
Studying dances teaches cultural consciousness and the advantages of dance—spatial consciousness and coordination. There are such a lot of rhythms and dances all through Latin America—merengue, salsa, cumbia, vallenato, tango … and on and on. Invite dancers to your classroom or herald a residency so children can study. My daughter’s faculty had a flamenco residency in 1st grade. You can even merely watch some movies, hearken to the rhythm, and follow the dance strikes within the classroom.
Listed here are some nice YouTube movies to get you began:
19. Make and style Latinx treats
Grades: Center and highschool
Like music, conventional meals assist college students perceive and recognize a rustic’s tradition. Many college students have heard of tacos and quesadillas, however there may be a lot greater than that in Latinx delicacies.
College students can analysis how a Latinx recipe displays the nation it’s from, after which make it and share it. You can also make fast treats within the classroom or at house resembling:
20. Rejoice Afro-Latinidad
Grades: Center and highschool
As a result of transatlantic slave commerce, which introduced folks of Africa to the American continent, there are sizable Black populations in quite a few international locations in Latin America. That features Colombia, which has the primary free Black metropolis, Palenque, created by runaway enslaved folks. Interact college students in asking questions, then discovering the solutions, to deepen their data of what it means to be Latinx.
Study extra: How A lot Do You Know About Afro-Latinidad on YouTube
21. Just about tour historical Indigenous ruins
Grades: Center and highschool
Hispanic Heritage Month contains celebrating the Indigenous communities and historical past in Latin America. There’s plenty of Indigenous historical past and archaeology to discover. Try considered one of Mexico’s Mayan pyramids, Chichén Itzá. Or for extra Hispanic Heritage Month actions, take a tour of the historic metropolis of Teotihuacán, additionally in Mexico.
As soon as college students have realized about Chichén Itzá or Teotihuacán, they will construct a reproduction of the positioning, discover how historical cultures utilized their data to spectacular expertise, or learn extra myths and legends.
Study extra: Chichén Itzá and Teotihuacán on YouTube
22. Discover historical Indigenous cities
Grades: Center and highschool
Mix geography, historical past, and tradition by finding out historical cities. There are a number of websites that discover the totally different Indigenous communities of Latin America. In fact, the preferred one could also be Machu Picchu in Peru, an archaeological web site of the traditional Inca. There are others which are much less well-known however equally essential resembling Ingapirca in Ecuador, which stands at 10,500 toes within the Andes. One other one is Isla del Sol in Bolivia’s Lake Titicaca, which is alleged to be the birthplace of the primary Incas. Indigenous cultures are sometimes missed, so inviting college students to do analysis on these can be highly effective. The reality is that Indigenous cultures are part of Latin American cultures and needs to be studied and celebrated.
23. Make sizzling chocolate
Grades: Elementary, center faculty
Generally finding out tradition means studying about how a contemporary deal with has a wealthy historical past. Regardless of the recognition of Swiss chocolate, chocolate truly originated in Latin America. Cacao beans are nonetheless cultivated in a number of Latin American international locations together with Mexico, Colombia, and Ecuador. Each nation has a particular sizzling chocolate recipe.
In Colombia, you make sizzling chocolate with cheese.
Attempt it: How To Make Sizzling Chocolate With Cheese on YouTube
In Mexico, it’s known as champurrado. Make this Mexican sizzling chocolate precisely how an abuelita (grandma) would make it.
Attempt it: How To Make Champurrado on YouTube
Household and Group Engagement Hispanic Heritage Actions
For a Hispanic Heritage Month household celebration, convey households collectively to eat, watch a film, or share paletas. Your staff can plan an exercise or two, and invite mother and father to convey their very own meals, music, and experiences to share.
24. Host a Hispanic Heritage Week
Mejia celebrated Hispanic heritage along with her college students over the course of every week. Listed here are 5 concepts for a Hispanic Heritage Week:
- Deliver your flag to high school: College students convey or put on their native nation’s flag.
- Put on clothes that showcases your native nation: College students can put on conventional clothes, soccer jerseys, or a tribute to their favourite singer.
- Maintain a door-decorating contest: Every class decorates a door to have fun a Hispanic nation or particular person. (The successful door at Mejia’s faculty was the Frida Kahlo door beneath).
- Style of …: College students convey of their favourite meals or snacks to share.
- Well-known particular person day: College students gown like a well-known particular person from their nation and are able to introduce themselves as that particular person.
A spirit week takes a group and a few advance planning to convey collectively, nevertheless it’s price it.
25. Host a Hispanic potluck
Grades: Elementary, center, highschool
There are such a lot of meals, recipes, and traditions that fluctuate from nation to nation and area to area. College students can herald treats and have a meals potluck within the classroom or as a college. College students may do analysis on what meals can be found of their neighborhoods, go to an area panadería (bakery) to see what they will discover, or you’ll be able to invite cooks or house cooks (or mother and father!) to the classroom to current and speak about meals they take pleasure in making and the way they have fun their Latino tradition.
26. Watch a film
Grades: Elementary
Motion pictures convey folks collectively and educate a factor or two. Listed here are some nice Latinx tales you could create a group night time round:
- Vivo (by Lin-Manuel Miranda): Set in Cuba and Florida, this movie tells a narrative of misplaced love.
- Encanto: Set in Colombia, Encanto explores themes of household and identification.
- Coco: Set in Mexico, this film celebrates Día de los Muertos.
27. Have a paleta get together
Grades: Elementary
Paletas are Mexican Popsicles which are usually fruit-flavored. They’re made with water (paletas de agua) or milk (paletas de leche). Learn Paletero Man by Fortunate Diaz, a celebration of paletas and the distributors who push carts filled with paletas for teenagers to purchase, and take a look at a brand new taste of paleta.
Attempt it: Paleta recipe at Stay Eat Study
Purchase it: Paletero Man by Fortunate Diaz
Get free Hispanic Heritage Month printable worksheets!
Print our Hispanic Heritage worksheet bundle with enjoyable and academic actions on your college students, together with:
- Informational textual content about Hispanic international locations with comprehension questions
- Venn diagram to match and distinction Hispanic international locations
- Hispanic international locations map-matching exercise
- Hispanic international locations analysis exercise
