To be Puerto Rican, in the words of one politician, is to be "foreign in a domestic sense." Young historians consider the American role in colonialism and its impacts on Hispanic Americans through the first part of the twentieth century...

Debates around immigration in the news are not new, but they are a defining feature of the Hispanic American experience throughout the twentieth century. Looking through the lens of Hispanic Americans in Congress, class members explore...

From the Louisiana Purchase to the Spanish-American War, the history of the United States is intertwined with the story of Hispanic Americans. Using an article about Hispanics in Congress during the 1800s, learners research their lives...

Bilingual education, voting rights, and Congressional redistricting come up often in the news. Explore these topics from another view—the perspectives of Hispanic members of Congress. Activities include an article with comprehension and...

Middle schoolers define the terms Hispanic and Latino and explain why most immigrants from Central and South America and teh Caribbean prefer one over the other. They define cultural identity, acculturation, and assimilation. Students...

Students identify the civil rights abuses suffered by African Americans, Japanesse Americans during WWII, and Hispanic Americans. They explain what the common element is among the discrimination against these three groups. Students are...

Go on an electronic field trip. Discover Spanish-speaking countries through Internet exploration. Students participate in a whole group discussion to general knowledge about the location, cultural background, independence and current...

Students are introduced to various time periods in history in which African Americans wrote songs and poetry to cope. In groups, they travel between different stations to listen or read poems and music from the Civil War period, Civil...

Eleventh graders examine the political demands put on one of four groups living in America during WWII. Each class member is asked to research and write a paper describing the homefront experience for women, Hispanics, African-Americans,...

Students examine the influences of the Hispanic groups from Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico. In groups, they research the history of Mexico and read excerpts from a book in Spanish to practice their vocabulary. To end the instructional...

Students explore a Spanish speaking country and compare their research to their initial expectations and biases regarding the Hispanic culture. They share their findings with the class.

Students examine the various types of celebrations in the Hispanic culture. Using the internet, they research customs and traditions of the culture and identify important members of society who are hispanic. They are also introduced to...

Students research a South American Spanish speaking country, analyze and organize the information that they collect and present their findings to the class.

Students read stories by women authors on the characteristics of the African-American family. Using the internet, they research the history of issues that have affected African-American families from the Civil War to the Civil Rights...

Events related to the Civil Rights Movement in Sacramento, California during the 1960s offer class members an opportunity to compare the nonviolent resistance approach favored by Dr. Martin Luther King and the NAACP with those of the...

Latinx people have had a profound effect on voting patterns, going back to the 1950s. Using video clips from the PBS series "Latino Americans," scholars work to assemble a timeline of the interesting history. Then, pupils consider the...

Ninth graders examine the struggle for equal opportunity. In this American Government lesson plan, 9th graders create a timeline outlining various groups' struggles for equal opportunity. Students research and construct a timeline to...

How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research...

Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this immigration activity, students examine sources regarding the history of Hispanic immigration to the United...

Learners define "Hispanic" and "Latino," analyze where these terms come from, and develop an awareness of racial labels.

What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...

Eighth graders explore the history of the Indianapolis Hispanic Community and create an illustrated timeline of Hispanics in Indianapolis beginning from 1870 and ending in 1999, while exploring local social issues of the past and present.

Fourth graders explore the culture and background of the South American Pampas and Gauchos. Through reading and discussion activities, 4th graders gather information about the Gauchos. To conclude the lesson, students create a postcard...

Students investigate the history of early Hispanic workers in the U.S. They complete an online Webquest, explore various websites, read about Latinos in the U.S. today, view a mural, and answer discussion questions.