Encourage students to research Hispanic leaders such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor or Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic woman to go into space. To spread the learning throughout the classroom, ask students to summarize their findings in the form of a hero's trading card.

Trading cards are a unique form of informational text and require students to critically analyze information, evaluate it, and then communicate their findings in a small amount of space. Wixie includes a range of trading card templates you can assign quickly to help students get started.

Have each student print a sheet with multiple copies of their work at trading card size. As they trade with classmates, ask them to share what inspired them about the person they researched and how they contributed to their community.

Ask students to interview a Hispanic-American, or a community member with Latin-American ancestry, to learn their story. Work together to develop interview questions that encourage speakers to share their story. Students can also develop fictitious interviews with Hispanic Americans who are no longer living to share their story.

Search "interview" at your Wixie teacher homepage to find templates you can assign to students to get them started transforming their written questions and answers into a digital story that is easy to share.

Virtual field trips are a great way to expose students to the world beyond their community without the cost and hassle of actual travel. Use web resources to tour a country as a class, or collect links so students can explore on their own.

After the "tour" is complete, ask students to share their experiences. To help them recall and remember, have students use the passport template to complete an entry for each place they visited or create a travelogue that showcases:

You can also ask them to develop materials to promote a specific country or region to encourage others to visit.

Even if they aren't native speakers, many students "know" a bit of Spanish. Work together at a level appropriate to your learners to expand their knowledge and use of Spanish or help others learn it.

For example, have each student create a Spanish word wall for phrases they know or want to learn. Students add the word, its translation, and a picture to complete. They can even add audio or video to record themselves practicing how to pronounce the new phrases.

You can also challenge your learner's vocabulary by assigning one of the activities in the World Languages > Español that can help you evaluate student learning of Los Colores, Frutas, and Legumbres.

Go beyond the Americanized Cinco de Mayo to explore other Hispanic holidays, such as Día de los Reyes Magos, Día de la Constitución, or Día de Los Muertos.

For example, you can search "muertos" at your Wixie teacher homepage to find a collection of additional activities to help students explore celebrations during Día de Los Muertos, such as:

After exploring different holidays, ask students to develop a menu and activities for a class Hispanic Heritage celebration. Ask students to determine the foods they will serve, write down the recipes, and calculate how much food they will need to prepare for all those attending.

Have students create a recipe card in Wixie to share a dish they have learned to make themselves. Copy and paste the URL to each student's card to share recipes with parents or print to create your own recipe book.

Give your students the freedom and choice to explore and create together to honor their diversity as they celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month.