¡Feliz viernes a todos!
Thanks for joining me again this week! In an effort to show how immigration has truly impacted the United States, I am featuring a resource from the Smithsonian Education website. 
Since this month is Hispanic Heritage Month, the Smithsonian has put together a Hispanic Heritage Cultural Tour that can be completed online without even leaving the classroom. On this virtual tour, users can find descriptions of the twelve objects showcased, and links to related objects, along with activities that explain their cultural significance, and quizzes to check comprehension. Users will also notice that there is a list of resources that can be used in conjunction with this tour. Students can even use the Interactive Lab Notebook to take notes and can refer to them at any time.
The objects, some of which include a short-handled hoe, a uniform from Roberto Clemente’s time playing for the Pirates, and a carnival mask, to name just a few, are all accompanied by descriptions of what they represent for the Latino community. Many of the objects also illustrate ways in which the Latino community has influenced or impacted the United States. For example, the Devoción de Nuevo Mexico art piece shows the influence Latin American art has had, while the carnival mask illustrates the maintenance of Latino traditions even in the United States. Each object showcased on the tour can be a discussion point for the importance of immigration! In addition, there are questions that guide learning about each object and links to related objects to help expand knowledge. Considering the number of activities presented as a part of the virtual tour, this resource would be a great one to use not only when students can access the computer individually, but also as a whole class or even offline—just have the guides printed and the activities ready to be passed around. You could even set the classroom up like an exhibit at the museum with different objects in different areas of the room and have the descriptions printed below them! Then, when students return to their desks, the activities could be used to help solidify and contextualize everything that they have learned!
In conjunction with the two resources presented here previously on Lost In Immigrationlandia and The Dream is Now, I think this Hispanic Heritage Cultural Tour can really be useful in bringing the discussion full circle. It is not only important to understand why immigration is so controversial currently, but also to understand why people migrate and what they bring with them when they do. I hope this resource can bring you and your students a fun, interactive day of critical thinking, without even having to leave the classroom!
With warmest wishes,
Charla
Image: Photo “Celebrating Hispanic Heritage.” Reprinted from Flickr user Waldemar Santiago under CC ©.
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