Welcome to our In the Know topic for September, Hispanic Heritage Month. You may wish to take a look at other grade spans and recommend articles to students that are below or above their grade’s reading level.
Background Note
While the United States government officially recognizes the period from September 15 to October 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month, there are ongoing complex discussions among people of Latin American descent about terms used to self-identify. The term “Hispanic” may be problematic or even offensive to some. The term’s definition relates to people descended from countries that speak Spanish. The term was applied broadly by the US government for census purposes and does not reflect the range of distinct ethnicities. It also excludes people of Brazilian heritage whose official language is Portuguese as well as those whose heritage is Indigenous and thus historically unrelated to Spain. In classrooms, we recommend listening to students who may have thoughts about the term and encouraging individuals to use language they are most comfortable with when discussing the complexities of personal and cultural identities.
Grades K-1 celebrate Latin American cultures. A Spanish translation can be found here.
Grades 2-3 look at the life of Frida Kahlo. A Spanish translation to the article may be found here.
Grades 4-5 will interrogate the 1968 East LA School Walkouts. A Spanish translation to the article may be found here.
You may also wish to show students previous articles about National Hispanic Heritage Month, found here.
For ideas on how to use this site, extend your lessons, guide discussion and address controversy, go to the Teaching Tools Tab.
Photo Credit: McGraw Hill
