TeachersFirst - Featured Sites: Week of Sep 29, 2024
Here are this week's features. Clicking the tags in the description area of each listing will present a list of other resources with this topic. | Click here to return to the Featured Sites Archive
Hispanic Heritage Month Art Lesson Ideas - Art With Trista
Grades
5 to 12
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by exploring the artwork of eleven famous Hispanic artists, both past and present. Information on the page includes a short introduction to each of...more
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by exploring the artwork of eleven famous Hispanic artists, both past and present. Information on the page includes a short introduction to each of the artists, their style of art, and suggestions for student projects. Scroll down the page to find a link to download a free set of four Hispanic Heritage Month posters after signing up for a free newsletter.
tag(s): artists (80), central america (18), cross cultural understanding (160), hispanic (30), mexico (30), picasso (5), posters (43), south america (38)
In the Classroom
Although some of the artist summaries include links to purchase lessons, the information on this site provides an excellent starting point for learning about Hispanic artists and suggestions for student art projects. Use Figjam, reviewed here to create a collaborative presentation for students to explore the works of the artists mentioned on this site and others. Include links to videos and articles that provide biographical information on the artists and tell more of their stories. Extend learning by asking students to select an artist and create a work in their style. Share student projects throughout Hispanic Heritage Month to learn more about each artist and the different types of art represented in their works.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Hispanic Heritage Month - Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino
Grades
K to 12
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The Smithsonian Museum shares this website explaining the history behind Hispanic Heritage Month and provides numerous resources for learning more about Latino American experiences....more
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The Smithsonian Museum shares this website explaining the history behind Hispanic Heritage Month and provides numerous resources for learning more about Latino American experiences. Visit the different areas of the site to learn about Latino culture, Independence Days, food, art, and famous Latinos; another portion of the site shares educational resources, including teaching and learning resources.
tag(s): artists (80), central america (18), cross cultural understanding (160), dance (27), hispanic (30), south america (38), women (140)
In the Classroom
Include this site with other resources you use to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Find additional ideas at the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: National Hispanic Heritage Month Resources, reviewed here. As students learn about Hispanic countries, use MapHub, reviewed here to create interactive maps with photos of important locations. Take students on a virtual visit using Google Arts and Culture, reviewed here to learn more about Hispanic locations, culture, and significant members of the Hispanic community using "Hispanic" as a keyword search.
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Latinx Authors and History - CommonLit
Grades
3 to 12
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This eighty-one-piece informational text set shares poems, short stories, memoirs, and informational text that explore the experiences of Latinx, Chicano, and Hispanic individuals and...more
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This eighty-one-piece informational text set shares poems, short stories, memoirs, and informational text that explore the experiences of Latinx, Chicano, and Hispanic individuals and movements. The thumbnail view of each text includes a summary, suggested grade level, type of text, and Lexile level. Some texts are available without registration; however, creating a free account on CommonLit provides members access to all available features, including the teachers' guide, related media, and full access to the included activities. Be sure to watch the short video Show Me to learn how to explore a topic with text sets.
tag(s): differentiation (88), hispanic (30), literature (214), poetry (189), reading comprehension (142), Teacher Utilities (156)
In the Classroom
Learn more about the many valuable features and options provided by CommonLit, reviewed here. Assign and include these informational texts as part of a Hispanic Heritage Month unit, non-fiction lessons, or as part of a poetry unit. Differentiate activities based on student interest and reading abilities using the materials included in this text set. Enhance student learning by challenging students to create a concept map using mindmaps, reviewed here, that shares information and key concepts learned from these activities. Extend student learning by asking them to create an interactive map to learn more about the featured Latinx individuals and movements using StoryMaps, reviewed here. Include images, videos, documents, and more to tell the stories of the featured individuals with StoryMaps.
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Cesar Chavez: Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist Video - PBS Learning Media
Grades
3 to 8
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This four-minute video teaches students how Cesar Chavez established the United Farm Workers union to advocate for farm workers. In addition, this resource includes a lesson plan that...more
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This four-minute video teaches students how Cesar Chavez established the United Farm Workers union to advocate for farm workers. In addition, this resource includes a lesson plan that integrates the video into a broader topic that features learning about Chavez by examining a primary source document that displays an image of Chavez organizing workers outside of a supermarket in 1969 (click view the lesson plan then click procedure and click the image). Share the link with students through your Google Classroom or on your class website with the provided link. Additional options offer registered users the ability to build a custom lesson that includes the video and other resources added by the teacher.
tag(s): agriculture (47), hispanic (30), migration (45)
In the Classroom
Create a free PBS Learning Media account to add this video and resources to a learning activity. Then, easily add questions related to the video on a slide presentation that includes the video and other resources from PBS or your device. Assign Learning Media lessons to a class you create, to Google Classroom, or get a quick assign code to share with students to access the lessons without signing in. Creating and assigning a task with several learning activities works well with flipped and blended learning activities. Extend learning by asking students to research and learn about other Hispanic leaders. Ask them to share their knowledge by creating interactive images using Genially, reviewed here, explainer videos using moovly, reviewed here, or podcast episodes hosted on Buzzsprout, reviewed here.
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Teaching Central America: Teaching Ideas for Elementary - Teaching for Change
Grades
K to 6
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This resource, Teaching Central America, shares various lessons and guides to support educators in teaching about Central America. Topics include lessons based on Hispanic-themed fiction...more
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This resource, Teaching Central America, shares various lessons and guides to support educators in teaching about Central America. Topics include lessons based on Hispanic-themed fiction and non-fiction picture books, an interactive map, and short biographies of Central American leaders. Use the link below each description to access the included materials; most links lead to a PDF document; however, a couple of lessons require free registration by providing your email to access the materials.
tag(s): book lists (161), central america (18), ecosystems (72), hispanic (30), migration (45)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save Teaching Central America as a resource for finding multicultural books and lessons to include in your classroom for Hispanic Heritage Month and throughout the year. Organize your saved bookmarks using Padlet, reviewed here. For example, create a column that includes your saved ideas for teaching about Central America, another for the Caribbean, and one for South America. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, either as a class or with groups of students, to create interactive maps of places students learn about in Central America. Add links to your website or a column to the Padlet for class-created activities, informational articles, and videos that extend learning beyond the resources shared on this site. Some of the teaching materials include correlation to standards.
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Reading Treks: The Distance Between Us - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 9
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Embark on a virtual field trip to follow the journey of Reyna Grande, an undocumented Mexican teen, as she tries to find her identity as both a Mexican and an ...more
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Embark on a virtual field trip to follow the journey of Reyna Grande, an undocumented Mexican teen, as she tries to find her identity as both a Mexican and an American. This Reading Trek provides a robust set of learning activities and extension resources to engage learners in exploring this book through a virtual journey using Google Maps. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 5-9. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, ISTE Student Standards, National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire collection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): hispanic (30), identity (29), immigrants (33), mexico (30)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). After reading this book and completing the activities found in the Reading Trek, ask students to document their identity using a tool like Odyssey, reviewed here. Use Odyssey to create a map-based story that includes images, text, videos, and photos. Find more ideas for teaching identity at this Discover My Identity Lesson Plan, reviewed here.
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Reading Treks: Esperanza Rising - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration...more
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book, Esperanza Rising. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 3-6. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, National Core Arts Standards for Visual Arts, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): 1920s (7), 1930s (20), great depression (28), hispanic (30), immigrants (33), racism (78)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). This book and the suggested activities work well as part of lessons on racism and living conditions in the 1920s and 1930s on Mexican farms. Consider using the historical information and primary sources from the book to have students create timelines of the important events during the story. Find a variety of free online timeline creation tools located here. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here to create and share custom maps. As students conduct research related to life on Mexican farms during the 1920s and 1930s, use Fiskkit, reviewed here as a collaborative discussion tool. Use Fiskkit to share the link of any online article with students, then the site's tools provide the opportunity to highlight and add comments to areas within the article by users.
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All About the Holidays - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12
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Learn about the history and significance behind many holidays through this video collection from PBS Learning Media. Begin browsing by choosing from fall, winter, spring, or summer...more
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Learn about the history and significance behind many holidays through this video collection from PBS Learning Media. Begin browsing by choosing from fall, winter, spring, or summer holidays. Each section includes short videos explaining the history of the holiday. Learn about holidays such as Yom Kippur, Oktoberfest, Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, Father's Day, and many others! Each selection also includes links to standards along with additional links to supporting materials such as lesson plans or printable items. Not seeing a holiday you want such as 100 days of school? Use the search bar at the top!
tag(s): 100thday (8), back to school (63), chinese new year (5), christmas (36), cinco de mayo (10), easter (10), elections (80), fathers day (11), fire prevention (16), flag day (5), halloween (31), hanukkah (12), hispanic (30), holidays (170), july 4th (12), Juneteenth (22), kwanzaa (12), labor day (5), martin luther king (40), mothers day (13), new years (5), pi (25), presidents (124), rosh hashanah (9), st patricks day (11), thanksgiving (24), valentines day (12), veterans (23), womens suffrage (44), yom kippur (9)
In the Classroom
Bookmark this site to use as a resource for teaching material during holidays throughout the year. For each holiday use a bookmarking site such as Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize and share lesson materials, videos, and game sites for your students. Instead of worksheets or written reports, enhance student learning by asking them to create infographics sharing information about any holiday. Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, is a very easy to use tool that includes pre-made templates. Don't keep student learning to yourself, share their knowledge through holiday podcasts for your entire school and community to hear. Spotify for Podcastors (was Anchor), reviewed here, features many kid-friendly tools to get you started with creating and sharing podcasts.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Zinn Education Project - Zinn Education Project
Grades
6 to 12
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The Zinn Education Project provides teaching resources as a part of its effort to offer an alternative to traditional methods of teaching history. Inspired by the work of Howard Zinn,...more
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The Zinn Education Project provides teaching resources as a part of its effort to offer an alternative to traditional methods of teaching history. Inspired by the work of Howard Zinn, the site and its resources come from a clearly progressive point of view and focus heavily on issues of social justice. Understand there is a political agenda here. The website offers both lesson plans and other teaching materials and a bibliography of related books and other non-web-based resources. In order to access the teaching materials, you must register on the site.
tag(s): african american (110), bias (25), black history (128), civil rights (197), hispanic (30), racism (78), women (140)
In the Classroom
If you are looking for additional teaching materials that focus on issues of social justice, racism, or which provide information from a progressive point of view, you can search by time period or theme (i.e., African American, Mexico, Hispanic, Latinx, LGBT, War and Anti-War, Civil Rights, Racism, and many more). The teaching materials are in PDF format you can download once you log in. Language arts teachers will find the articles here great for nonfiction reading and terrific as discussion starters!
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Daria -World Music for Children - World Music by Daria
Grades
K to 5
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World Music for Children, though a commercial site, shares some simple treasures of music: song lyrics, audio files, and music-related craft projects to engage children with music at...more
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World Music for Children, though a commercial site, shares some simple treasures of music: song lyrics, audio files, and music-related craft projects to engage children with music at school or at home. Steer clear of the items for sale, and you will find songs to play for Martin Luther King Day, Hispanic Heritage Month, Native American Heritage month, Cinco de Mayo and more. This review directs you to the Teacher section where you can also find directions and photos to make simple percussion instruments from all over the world. The site is simple, but the options for making music are many. PDF files of song lyrics are available.
This site includes advertising.
This site includes advertising.
tag(s): hispanic (30), martin luther king (40), musical instruments (47), native americans (92), songs (44), sound (73)
In the Classroom
Turn up your speakers and try the limbo. Make simple instruments as part of your cultural heritage celebrations. Enhance learning by recording your class (or with older children - small groups) singing one of the simple songs using a simple tool such as Acast, reviewed here, or your computer's own recording software; then share the link to the recording on your class web page for younger students to sing along at home. During units on sound in elementary science class, make some of the instruments to explore how sound is created and transmitted. PE teachers can teach lessons using the song/dance options, such as the limbo. World language classes and world cultures classes may even find some of the ethnic instruments from other parts of the world interesting, despite the more juvenile appearance of this site.
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Salsa - Georgia Public Broadcasting
Grades
K to 12
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This Spanish language program features TV segments of popular children's stories in Spanish. The TV episodes include puppets, animation, live action and music characteristic of Hispanic...more
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This Spanish language program features TV segments of popular children's stories in Spanish. The TV episodes include puppets, animation, live action and music characteristic of Hispanic culture. Besides transcripts, the website includes an intro, vocabulary, and more. In some episodes, the action is translated into sign language for the hearing impaired, as well! Complete transcripts in Spanish and English allow the instructor to pre-teach vocabulary and set up the situation before showing the video. One of the main advantages of using this program in a mixed language class is that the Spanish-speaking students suddenly become the authorities in the classroom; they can assist the instructor with the episodes and activities.
tag(s): hispanic (30), preK (261), resources (88), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
Use these episodes to supplement regular Spanish language classes or as enrichment for elementary classes wishing to learn a language. Encourage your Spanish-speaking class members to assist with pronunciation, episode summaries, songs, etc. Provide this link on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom; the activities and stories help with Spanish language comprehension. After introducing your students to this program you may want to set up stations with different stories from this list for students to rotate through. Share the stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector as a model for world language students, then extend student learning by challenging students to create their own stories. Use a tool like FlexClip, reviewed here, to record them and share them. FlexClip is designed to allow you to create short animated or explainer videos to share on YouTube and other social media sites. Then, share on a site such as TeacherTube, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Colorin Colorado - WETA
Grades
1 to 10
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This totally bilingual website (a collaboration between Reading Rockets and the American Federation of Teachers) is packed with information for both ENL/ESL and regular classroom instructors...more
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This totally bilingual website (a collaboration between Reading Rockets and the American Federation of Teachers) is packed with information for both ENL/ESL and regular classroom instructors about how to encourage reading. Although the focus is on Spanish speaking students, the information is specific and easily adaptable for all reading learners. Lots of information is available on the site concerning not only reading instructional techniques, but building partnerships with families of Hispanic students, placement and assessment, and important authors. Webcast information programs include accompanying reading and discussion questions. Webcasts can be found under the Video tab on the top menu bar. This site is a good resource to help meet the needs of increasing numbers of students born speaking other languages. Videos and webcasts reside on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable.
tag(s): hispanic (30), parents (59), reading lists (78), reading strategies (100), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
All classroom teachers who have ENL/ESL students should consider this a primary source of information about how to teach and help second language learners. Share this link on your teacher web page and/or in a parent newsletter for those who are concerned with the challenges of the increasing number of ENL/ESL students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Americas Award for Children and Young Adult Literature - CLASP
Grades
3 to 12
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Here's a collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors and/or about Hispanic themes for children and young people. Teachers and librarians may find this list helpful in selecting...more
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Here's a collection of outstanding books by Hispanic authors and/or about Hispanic themes for children and young people. Teachers and librarians may find this list helpful in selecting appropriate or attractive titles for their students. Click the title to see a description; most will have a classroom unit with reading levels and standards. Not only are the yearly winners listed here, but you can search by several categories such as Immigration, Civil Rights , Artists, Musicians, and Writers, various Latino countries, and several others. Clicking the category will produce a PDF you can take to the library or send home to parents.
tag(s): book lists (161), hispanic (30), reading lists (78), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free unit plans and classroom activities within the "resources" section of the page. Explore through these resources to find one to add a multicultural perspective to your history or language arts class. Be sure to save the site as a favorite to allow for easy reference later on. Try using Raindrop.io, reviewed here for this purpose.
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Hispanic Historic Places - National Park Service
Grades
4 to 12
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This site from the National Park Service shows several historic sites associated with Hispanic culture in the U.S. It can also lead to an appropriate selection of lessons from the ...more
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This site from the National Park Service shows several historic sites associated with Hispanic culture in the U.S. It can also lead to an appropriate selection of lessons from the NPS Teaching with Historic Places series. These lessons are a nice way to integrate Hispanic themes and contemporary accounts into an American history unit.
tag(s): hispanic (30), national parks (27), resources (88), spanish (105)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the free lesson plans listed for Hispanic American/Latino American History here from the NPS Teaching with Historic Places series. This is a great resource for a history or geography classroom, just be sure to save it as a favorite to allow for easy retrieval later on. You might want to use a curation tool such as Wakelet, reviewed here to share with this site with your students.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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