Celebrating Hispanic Heritage: A Simple Homeschool Lesson Plan

National Hispanic and Latin Heritage Month is here! If you know Hispanic or Latin folks, or are one yourself, then you know we take great pride in our diverse culture and traditions. There was a time when our ancestors were not able to practice their customs due to colonization, but they fought back and gained their independence even after centuries of oppression.

For me, this month is a time to acknowledge the lasting effects of colonization on our people, like the complexities of mestizaje and the loss of our ancestral languages, and celebrating anyway. We do this not to ignore the harm of the past, but to reclaim our cultural inheritance. Our music, our food, and our dances are all born from the resistance of those who came before us.

From now until October 15th, we will be honoring the contributions our gente have made and exploring Spanish speaking countries in our homeschool. I want to share a simple lesson plan and some of my favorite ideas to help you observe this month with intentionality in your own home.

Take a Virtual Tour I love using video to bring the world into our living room. You can find a wealth of resources on YouTube to take virtual tours of Spanish speaking countries. I recommend finding a videos for each nation that highlights beautiful landmarks, breathtaking landscapes, and the culture. Focusing on one country per day allows the information to really sink in.

Map the Journey Keep a map of Spanish speaking countries nearby. We'll use this one. As you "visit" each nation through your research or videos, have your children color them in. This provides a great visual for just how vast and diverse the Spanish speaking world truly is.

Look Beyond the Surface Dive deeper by learning the history of Latin American countries before European contact. Study the Indigenous peoples, learn when and how each nation gained independence, and talk about the leaders who began anti-colonial movements. This offers a much more honest and grounded perspective of the history.

Research Notable Figures Encourage your children to choose a notable Hispanic American to research. Moving beyond the names everyone already knows can lead to some wonderful discoveries about scientists, activists, and artists who have shaped our world.

Incorporate the Senses Learning is always more memorable when it is multi-sensory. Try a new recipe together from a Spanish speaking country, create a traditional craft, or watch a film featuring Hispanic and Latino actors.

As a Mexican homeschooling mom, I encourage you to partake in Hispanic Heritage Month activities with your children. You don’t have to be Latino/Hispanic or even speak spanish to celebrate our cultura. This month is the perfect opportunity to go beyond the stereotypes and see the richness of who we are.