Black History Month in Spanish Class

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February is Black History Month in the United States! In Spanish, Black History Month is el Mes de la Historia Afroamericana. Today I wanted to share about some great activities for Black History Month in Spanish class that you could use with your middle school or high school Spanish students. This post has ideas for reading, writing, research, and geography that will fit in well with your Spanish goals as well as celebrate famous African Americans and Afro Latinos!

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Resources mentioned in the video:

Research Projects

These printable research poster projects are a great option for Black History Month! They come in Spanish and English, so you can choose what works best for your students. They make an adorable display in the hall or in your classroom!

Want to try something different? You may like this DIGITAL research project! This resource is a great way for you to utilize technology in your classroom! Your students simply do the research, enter the text in the provided boxes, and add images, if desired. Click here to check out the digital version of the research project!

Music

You know I love daily routines, and our weekly routine of Música Miércoles is my favorite! Allison from Mis Clases Locas has a great resource for a song of the day featuring Afro Latino artists!

Afro-Latino Virtual Field Trip (Google My Maps)

I’ve shared before how much I LOVE using Google Maps with culture in my classroom. Black History Month is no exception! Students navigate the map, read descriptions, look at pictures, and watch embedded videos. As they do so, they fill out the graphic organizer, or answer comprehension questions! Click here to check it out!

Gallery Walk

Gallery walks are one of my favorite things to do with my students. They get students up and moving, and are a great way to get some more input in without requiring a lot of energy on your part! I have a whole post on why I think Gallery Walks are great so make sure to check that out. Grab it HERE for free!

The gallery walk is also a great option for a classroom display! I saw a post last year about how after a teacher and her students had used the readings she hung them on a bulletin board for decoration. I love that idea! What an easy way to make a timely display!

Quick Black History Month Activities for Any Spanish Level

I’ve shared before how much I love readings in a gallery walk like the free download above, but a gallery walk isn’t the only way to use it! You can sneak in the readings a little at a time, all month long to celebrate! Here are a few ideas:

Use them as station activities – Put a few readings at a station as part of a lesson during a single class period. If you don’t love stations, make sure you check out my tips here to help them run smoothly. They can be a great tool!
Free Voluntary Reading – These readings make a great option for another reading option to add to your classroom library. They include a “cover” and last page so you print, staple, then you have a mini book for your classes. If you’re new to Free Voluntary Reading, check out my blog post here for more details.
Horizontal Translation – A simple option is to have students do a horizontal translation with a paragraph. They read the paragraph and then re-write it from another perspective. For example, “she” instead of “I”, or “we” instead of “they”! Horizontal translation is also a great way to practice shifting perspectives.
Daily Warm Up – Pull out one of the readings and use it for warm up. You can create comprehension questions, have students translate, or just write 3 things they understood. Keep it simple!
Exit Tickets – Similar to warm up, but use it at the end of class instead. Project one of the readings and give students a quick exit ticket to check for comprehension. I have exit ticket examples and ideas in my blog post here, if you’d like to see more!

Short on prep time this week?

AFRO-LATINOS FAMOSOS: BLACK HISTORY MONTH ACTIVITY BUNDLE
Everything in this post, in one download: the research poster project, the Afro-Latino virtual field trip, and the readings with activities. Save 20% compared with buying them separately.

SEE THE BLACK HISTORY MONTH BUNDLE

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