Have you wanted to talk about important issues during Hispanic Heritage Month in your Spanish class but aren’t sure where to begin? With all of the amazing Latinos out there, how can I choose just one Hispanic person to highlight? Let me take the guesswork out for you. Read on to find out which 2 famous Hispanic people I love to highlight and how to make it into a complete 1 week bundle for Hispanic Heritage Month.
Day 1- Essential Vocabulary
Using pre-reading activities ensures that your Spanish students will acquire enough key vocabulary to comprehend the activities. I give them the essential vocabulary with a matching worksheet. Then, we make predictions describing what we see in pictures that relate to the unit. So before we even begin talking about Chávez, Huerta, or La cosecha, my students already have a picture in mind of the main themes.
Day 2- César Chávez
I kick off our discussion about César Chávez with this attention grabbing trailer from the movie Chávez. My students are fascinated and ready for more! Then, we read this comprehensible letter written from Chávez’s perspective about his life and students answer comprehension questions.
Day 3- Dolores Huerta
Now that my students are geared up and interested in the topic of justice for farm workers, I introduce them to Dolores Huerta with this letter and comprehension activities.
Days 4-6- Documentary La cosecha – Modern day challenges with migrant farm workers
Finally, we end the unit by making connections to modern day farm workers with the powerful documentary La cosecha. I use this movie guide to introduce key vocabulary, check for understanding, and for speaking and writing assessments. Kids tell their tales about moving cross country as they follow the harvests. My students empathize with the struggles of changing schools so often in combination with the difficult work. We finish the unit with either a speaking or writing assessment.
Wouldn’t you love to teach your students about Chávez and Huerta but also challenge your students to think about how the topics they fought for are still relevant today? Check out this 1 week curriculum bundle for Hispanic Heritage Month. Your Spanish students will be engaged and ready to learn more about migrant farm workers and their rights. This is a powerful way of teaching them Spanish and also encouraging global citizenship.
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