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 12tag(s): artists (83), central america (18), cross cultural understanding (167), hispanic (32), mexico (30), picasso (5), posters (42), south america (39)
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 12tag(s): artists (83), central america (18), cross cultural understanding (167), dance (28), hispanic (32), south america (39), women (142)
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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Latinx Authors and History - CommonLit
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): differentiation (89), hispanic (32), literature (217), poetry (192), reading comprehension (148), Teacher Utilities (159)
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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Cesar Chavez: Labor Leader and Civil Rights Activist Video - PBS Learning Media
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): agriculture (48), hispanic (32), 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Teaching Central America: Teaching Ideas for Elementary - Teaching for Change
Grades
K to 6tag(s): book lists (164), central america (18), ecosystems (76), hispanic (32), 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: The Distance Between Us - TeachersFirst
Grades
5 to 9tag(s): hispanic (32), identity (28), immigrants (34), 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Esperanza Rising - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): 1920s (7), 1930s (20), great depression (30), hispanic (32), immigrants (34), racism (79)
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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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All About the Holidays - PBS Learning Media
Grades
K to 12tag(s): 100thday (9), back to school (62), chinese new year (5), christmas (36), cinco de mayo (10), easter (10), elections (81), fathers day (12), fire prevention (16), flag day (5), halloween (32), hanukkah (12), hispanic (32), holidays (179), july 4th (12), Juneteenth (22), kwanzaa (11), labor day (5), martin luther king (45), mothers day (13), new years (5), pi (26), presidents (133), rosh hashanah (13), st patricks day (12), thanksgiving (22), valentines day (12), veterans (28), womens suffrage (48), yom kippur (14)
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 12tag(s): african american (110), bias (27), black history (130), civil rights (201), hispanic (32), racism (79), women (142)
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!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Daria -World Music for Children - World Music by Daria
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): hispanic (32), martin luther king (45), musical instruments (49), native americans (95), 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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Salsa - Georgia Public Broadcasting
Grades
K to 12tag(s): hispanic (32), preK (263), resources (87), spanish (106)
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 10tag(s): hispanic (32), parents (60), reading lists (78), reading strategies (103), spanish (106)
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 12tag(s): book lists (164), hispanic (32), reading lists (78), spanish (106)
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.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Hispanic Historic Places - National Park Service
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): hispanic (32), national parks (28), resources (87), spanish (106)
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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