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Voices of Heritage: Exploring Identity Through Poetry and Prose
This lesson uses the book Yes! We Are Latinos, a powerful collection of poems and prose, to explore the richness and diversity of the Latino experience in the United States. Students will examine stories of identity, heritage, struggle, and pride as shared by fictionalized Latino characters representing various cultural backgrounds. As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, this lesson helps students develop a deeper understanding of how culture shapes identity and encourages them to reflect on their own voices and experiences. Students will create personal identity poems or artistic responses inspired by the voices in the text.
Borders, Belonging, and Brave Voices
In this lesson, students will either read some excerpts from Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez or the entire book, to examine the complexities of immigration, family separation, cultural identity, and friendship. Students will participate in thoughtful discussion, reflect on personal values and cultural backgrounds, and write a creative letter from the perspective of one of the characters.
Parading with Pepe: A Peek into Hispanic Pride
This lesson uses the picture book Pepe and the Parade to help young learners explore Hispanic Heritage Month. Through read-aloud, discussion, and creative expression, students will discover traditions, reflect on identity, and celebrate culture.
Freedom, Facts, and the Fight for Fairness: Understanding Juneteenth through Literature
This lesson introduces elementary students to the meaning and importance of Juneteenth using the picture book Juneteenth for Mazie by Floyd Cooper. Through read-aloud, discussion, and creative activities, students will explore the themes of freedom, justice, remembrance, and celebration.
Voices in Danger: Free Speech, Activism, and the Threat of Deportation
Over the past several months, the current U.S. government began cracking down on foreign college and graduate students and faculty who have voiced support for specific political causes. Colleges and universities across the country are seeing students and faculty either arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or having their visas revoked. In many of these situations, official charges have not been disclosed. For this reason, many are wondering if these arrests are due to the students’ activism and a violation of their rights to freedom of speech. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about freedom of speech, understand some of these recent arrests, consider their points of view about this and express it in a letter.
Beyond the Buzzwords: The Realities of DEI Implementation and Backlash
The origins of DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) programs date back to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s, which increased efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 made employment discrimination based on race, religion, sex, color and national origin illegal. Over the next six decades, these programs and practices continue to grow and evolve to other developments and efforts. In the wake of Black Lives Matter and other social justice movements in the 2020s, the two Trump administrations have sought to eliminate DEI efforts and programs. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to explore the origins and history of DEI, understand the backlash against DEI principles and practices and express their perspective about DEI through an art or writing activity.
Understanding the Crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG)
The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) crisis, sometimes also called Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG), is an effort and movement to raise awareness and seek justice for the violence against Indigenous women and girls in North America. It also aims to draw attention to the high rates of disappearances and murders of Indigenous women and girls. This lesson provides an opportunity to learn more about this crisis and the reasons for the disproportionality, explore what stakeholders can do to address it and reflect on works of art aimed at raising awareness.
Trailblazers, Changemakers, and Visionaries: Exploring Black History Month
Black History Month is celebrated and commemorated every year in February. In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson organized the first history week and fifty years later in 1976, President Gerald Ford officially recognized "Black History Month" for the first time. The purpose of this dedicated month is to commemorate Black history and culture and celebrate Black individual and group accomplishments and achievements. This lesson provides an opportunity for students to learn more about Black History Month and its history, reflect on the importance of commemorative themed months and consider different ideas about how to commemorate the month and beyond.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day
Indigenous Peoples’ Day was first proposed by Indigenous people at a 1977 United Nations conference. Their goal in proposing this day was to prevent bias and discrimination against Indigenous people and also to counter the inaccurate story that Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas. Many states, by law and proclamation, officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. And yet, many people don’t know much about the history, cultures, heritages and traditions of Indigenous peoples. This lesson plan provides an opportunity for students to learn what Indigenous Peoples’ Day is, understand the holiday’s history and explore various aspects of Indigenous people.