Heritage Launch Teacher Guide Teacher Instructional Guide
Viva Heritage: Unit Compass Grades K–4
Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept 15 – Oct 15 • 5-Day Sequence
Unit Purpose & Rationale
This 5-day multidisciplinary unit fosters cultural appreciation, empathy, and belonging across kindergarten through 4th grade. Students discover 21 Spanish-speaking countries and territories, explore influential leaders, celebrate artistic traditions, and build a collaborative classroom quilt honoring individual identity.
Core Themes
• Identity & Roots
• Courageous Leaders
• Arts & Rhythms
• Family Traditions
• Empathy & Unity
5-Day Instructional Roadmap
Day Topic & Focus Key Student Outcome Paired Materials Day 1 Roots & Identity Define heritage; celebrate family origins, languages, and name stories. Slides + Heritage Map Day 2 Trailblazing Leaders Analyze resilience in Chavez, Huerta, Ochoa, & Clemente. Slides + Trading Cards Day 3 Rhythms & Murals Explore Kahlo's symbolism, Diego Rivera's murals, salsa, & cumbia. Slides + Studio Sheet Day 4 Traditions & Flavors Honor culinary roots, storytelling, papel picado, and holidays. Slides + Passport Sheet Day 5 Tapestry of Belonging Connect empathy and unity by assembling a classroom quilt square. Slides + Quilt Craft
Day 1 Lesson Facilitation Guide: Roots and Identity (35–45 Min)
Launch Day
1. Hook & Anchor (8m)
Present Slide 1–2. Ask: "What makes a tree stand strong? Its roots!" Explain that heritage is the roots of our families and traditions.
2. Guided Exploration (15m)
Show the Latin America map (Slide 3). Introduce key vocabulary: herencia (heritage), cultura (culture), and comunidad (community).
3. Workshop & Share (15m)
Students fill in their "My Heritage Map" worksheet. Conclude with pair-shares honoring each student's name meaning or family favorite tradition.
Kindergarten & 1st Grade Adaptation
Prioritize drawing and oral storytelling. Use sentence frames: "My family loves to eat..." or "One special word in my home is..." Allow scribing or dictated responses for writing portions.
2nd Through 4th Grade Extension
Encourage multi-sentence personal narratives. Have students research a specific Latin American country's flag symbols, natural landmarks, or language varieties (Spanish, Nahuatl, Quechua).
Recommended Read-Aloud: Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal Viva Heritage Unit • Teacher Compass
Roots Discovery Slides Day 1 • Cultural Foundations
Grades K–4
Roots & Identity
Welcome to Hispanic Heritage Month! Exploring our family roots, vibrant traditions, and the Spanish-speaking world.
🌳
Deep Roots
Family & Ancestors
🌎
21+ Lands
Vibrant Cultures
❤️
Our Pride
Names & Identity
What Is Heritage? The Tree of Us
Vocabulary Spot
🌳
La Herencia
The Roots of Who We Are
Heritage means the precious gifts handed down: our abuelas' recipes, special holidays, languages, music, and values!
Roots underground give the tree strength to blossom high!
💬
Turn & Talk
"What is one special word, meal, or holiday your family celebrates with love?"
Share 1 treasure with your shoulder partner!
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated September 15 to October 15 ¡Bienvenidos!
A World of Many Colors & Voices
21+ Countries & Territories
🌋
North & Central
Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama. Ancient pyramids, rainforests, and vibrant textiles!
🏝️
The Caribbean
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Cuba. Warm island breezes, rhythmic güiros, palm trees, and joyful songs!
🏔️
South America & Spain
Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Spain. The mighty Andes mountains, llamas, and colorful colonial plazas!
Each country has its own unique accents, foods, indigenous roots, and vibrant rhythms!
Today's Mission: Your Heritage Map
Hands-On Studio
✍️
Your Name Story
Write your name proudly. Who chose it? What story does it hold?
🍲
Family Roots
Draw or write 2 special traditions, favorite meals, or languages you hear at home.
🤝
Share With Pride
Discover what makes each friend unique. We grow stronger together!
"Our differences make us beautiful, and our shared kindness keeps us united!"
My Heritage Map Activity Sheet Viva Heritage • Student Activity
My Heritage & Identity Map
Name:
Date:
Just like a mighty tree has strong roots, our families give us roots of culture, language, stories, and love. Draw or write in each section below to celebrate your unique heritage!
1
My Name & Nicknames
Write your full name, what people call you, or what your name means to your family:
2
Flavors of Home
Draw or write your favorite meal, treat, or recipe shared with family or friends:
3
Celebration & Tradition
Draw a holiday, song, festival, or tradition your family celebrates:
4
Words & Sayings
Write special words, greetings, or phrases spoken in your home or community:
Heritage Connection: Looking at Our Class
What is one thing you learned today about Hispanic heritage, or one thing you share in common with a classmate?
Day 1 • Cultural Foundations & Heritage Roots "Cada persona es un tesoro — Every person is a treasure!"
Trailblazer Spotlight Slides Day 2 • Courage & Justice
Grades K–4
Trailblazing Leaders
Meet remarkable Hispanic heroes who changed history with courage, kindness, and hard work!
🌾
Cesar Chavez
Farmworkers
📢
Dolores Huerta
Civil Rights
🚀
Dr. Ellen Ochoa
Astronaut
⚾
Roberto Clemente
Humanitarian
Voices in the Fields: Cesar & Dolores
¡Sí, Se Puede!
🌾
Cesar Chavez
1927–1993 • Arizona & California
Led peaceful 300-mile marches and grape boycotts so farmworkers had shade, clean water, and living wages.
"You cannot uneducate the person who has learned to read."
📢
Dolores Huerta
Living Legend • Civil Rights Leader
A brave mother of 11 children and activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers and coined:
"¡Sí, se puede!" — Yes, we can!
Lesson: You are never too young to speak up for fairness and kindness!
Aiming High: Space & Sports Trailblazers
Stars & Service
🚀
Dr. Ellen Ochoa
1st Hispanic Woman in Space
Flew on 4 space shuttle missions (logged 1,000 hours in space!), invented optical inspection systems, and played the classical flute in orbit.
Director of NASA Johnson Space Center
⚾
Roberto Clemente
#21 • Puerto Rico Legend
Hall of Famer with 3,000 hits and two World Series rings. Even greater than his bat was his giant heart of service helping communities in need.
Presidential Citizens Medalist
"Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don't, then you are wasting your time on Earth." — Roberto Clemente
What Is Your Changemaker Superpower?
Class Discussion
❤️
Kindness
Helping a friend who feels left out on the playground.
🛡️
Courage
Speaking up when something isn't fair, like Cesar & Dolores.
🔭
Curiosity
Asking big questions and reaching for the stars like Dr. Ochoa.
🤝
Service
Sharing food, supplies, or a helping hand like Roberto Clemente.
Next: Open your Changemaker Trading Cards to create your own hero badge!
Changemaker Trading Cards Activity Viva Heritage • Day 2 Activity
Trailblazer Trading Cards
Name:
Date:
A changemaker is someone who uses courage and kindness to solve problems. Read about these 4 trailblazers, then create your own official Changemaker Badge below!
🌾
Cesar Chavez
Justice
Protected farmworkers through peaceful marches and boycotts for fair pay.
⭐ Peaceful perseverance & unity
📢
Dolores Huerta
Courage
Teacher and civil rights leader who created the cry "¡Sí, se puede!"
⭐ Powerful voice & organizing
🚀
Dr. Ellen Ochoa
Curiosity
First Hispanic woman in space, NASA leader, inventor, and flutist.
⭐ Reaching for the stars & STEAM
⚾
Roberto Clemente
Service
Puerto Rico baseball hero who dedicated his life to aiding communities in need.
⭐ Generosity & helping others
Design Your Changemaker Card
Draw your portrait and declare your changemaker mission!
🎨 My Hero Portrait
Draw yourself doing something great
My Changemaker Title / Superpower:
A problem in our school or world I care about fixing:
One kind action I will take this week:
Day 2 • Trailblazing Leaders & Courage "¡Sí, se puede! — Yes, we can make a difference!"
Vibrant Arts Slides Day 3 • Creativity & Expression
Grades K–4
Rhythms & Murals
Step into a colorful world of storytelling paintings, bold murals, and infectious Latin rhythms!
🎨
Visual Masters
Frida & Diego
🪇
Folk Instruments
Güiro, Maracas, Drums
💃
Lively Beats
Salsa, Cumbia & Son
Colors of Mexico: Frida Kahlo & Diego Rivera
Art Masters
🌺
Frida Kahlo
1907–1954 • La Casa Azul
Painted 55 iconic self-portraits surrounded by lush tropical flowers, pet spider monkeys, and vibrant Mexican embroidery.
"Feet, what do I need them for if I have wings to fly?"
🏛️
Diego Rivera
1886–1957 • Monumental Murals
Painted gigantic murals across public building walls showing Mexican history, Aztec ancestors, farmers, and factory workers.
Art made for everyone to see and celebrate their heritage!
Takeaway: Art is a mirror that shows who we are and what we love!
Feel the Beat: Salsa, Cumbia & Folk Music
Musical Heritage
🪇
El Güiro
A carved hollow gourd scraped with a wooden stick. Essential in Puerto Rico and Dominican merengue!
Scritch-Scratch!
🎵
Las Maracas
Gourd rattles filled with seeds or dried beans. Shaken in pairs to drive upbeat salsa and cumbia dances!
Ch-Ch-Ch!
🥁
Las Congas
Tall wooden drums with deep resonant bass tones. The joyful heartbeat of Afro-Cuban rhythms!
Boom-Tap-Boom!
"¡Azúcar!" — Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa, energized the world with joyous rhythm and vibrant costumes!
👑
Studio Challenge: Color, Beat & Emotion
Creative Studio
🌺
Frida's Frame
Draw a self-portrait framed by symbols of nature, flowers, pets, or things you love most.
🥁
Rhythm Match
Match the traditional instruments to their sound and cultural origin.
🎨
Emotion Palette
Select warm or cool colors that show how Latin beats make you feel inside.
"Every stroke of color and tap of a drum tells a story of who we are!"
Color and Beat Studio Sheet Viva Heritage • Day 3 Activity
Color & Beat Studio
Name:
Date:
Artists tell stories with colors, and musicians paint pictures with sounds. Explore traditional instruments, then create your own nature-framed self-portrait inspired by Frida Kahlo!
Part 1: Instrument Detective (Draw a line or write the letter)
A. Las Maracas
Shaken rattles filled with seeds
Sound: Ch-ch-ch!
B. El Güiro
Scraped hollow gourd with grooves
Sound: Scritch-scratch!
C. Las Congas
Tall drum with rich, deep tones
Sound: Boom-tap-boom!
Part 2: My Nature & Symbols Portrait (Inspired by Frida Kahlo)
Draw yourself surrounded by flowers, leaves, or favorite symbols!
Frida surrounded her portraits with lush leaves, vibrant Mexican flowers, and animal friends that represented strength. Fill this canvas with your face and the natural world around you:
Part 3: Music Reflection
When you hear lively Latin music like salsa or cumbia, how does your body and heart want to move? What colors come to your mind?
Day 3 • Rhythms & Murals "El arte y la música unen los corazones — Art and music unite hearts!"
Tradition Showcase Slides Day 4 • Culture & Celebrations
Grades K–4
Traditions & Flavors
Explore how families gather, celebrate life, share mouthwatering dishes, and create festive papel picado!
🕯️
Festive Holidays
Día de Muertos & Posadas
🍲
Family Flavors
Tamales, Arepas, Plantains
🏮
Folk Art
Papel Picado Banners
Festivals of Love & Remembering
Family Customs
🌼
Día de los Muertos
Nov 1–2 • A Joyful Reunion
Not scary at all! Families build colorful altars (ofrendas ) with golden marigolds, photographs, pan de muerto, and favorite foods to honor beloved ancestors.
🕯️ Candlelight guides spirits home with warmth!
🪅
Las Posadas & Feasts
December • Community Songs
Neighbors carry lanterns from house to house singing festive carols. The night concludes with sweet fruit punch, tamales, and 7-pointed star piñatas!
🌟 Celebrates hospitality and welcoming all guests.
Big Idea: Traditions remind us that love and memories connect generations forever.
Flavors That Bring Us Together
Culinary Heritage
🌽
Tamales
Steamed corn masa wrapped in banana leaves or corn husks. Rolling tamales brings whole families together for holidays!
Mexico & Central America
🥟
Empanadas & Arepas
Golden baked or fried pastry pockets filled with savory seasoned meats, cheese, or sweet guava from Colombia & Argentina.
South America
🍌
Tostones & Maduros
Crispy salted green plantains (tostones) or sweet golden ripe maduros cooked to caramelized perfection!
The Caribbean
In Hispanic cultures, the kitchen is the heart of the home, where love and family history are seasoned into every recipe.
Papel Picado: Art of Perforated Paper
Folk Art & Mission
🏮
What is Papel Picado?
Artisans chisel layers of bright tissue paper into delicate cutouts of birds, suns, flowers, and festive greetings.
Hung overhead on strings, banners flutter in the breeze, symbolizing life's joy and lighthearted movement!
🛂
Today's Passport Goal
Open your Flavors & Stories Passport . Collect all 4 cultural stamps by recording holiday traditions, family foods, and designing your own paper cut pattern!
Flavors and Stories Passport Viva Heritage • Day 4 Activity
Flavors & Stories Passport 🛂
Explorer Name:
Date:
Welcome, cultural explorer! Collect all 4 cultural passport stamps by recording traditions, foods, folk art, and family stories. Draw or write in each passport box below.
🪅 Stamp 1: Celebration & Festivity Customs
Draw or write about a holiday or party (Día de los Muertos, Las Posadas, or family gathering):
🍲 Stamp 2: Culinary Heritage Flavors
Draw a beloved dish (tamales, empanadas, arepas, or a family recipe) and list ingredients:
🏮 Stamp 3: Papel Picado Banner Folk Craft
Design your own paper cutout banner with geometric shapes, sun rays, or flowers:
📖 Stamp 4: Family Story (El Cuento) Stories
Write a lesson, memory, or tale shared by your parents, grandparents, or an elder:
💖 My Favorite Tradition Reflection
"The tradition that makes me feel most joyful and loved is..."
Day 4 • Traditions, Celebrations & Flavors "Nuestras tradiciones son el abrazo de la familia — Traditions are family hugs!"
United Hearts Slides Day 5 • Unity & Celebration
Grades K–4
Tapestry of Belonging
Weaving empathy, kindness, and all our unique heritage stories into one strong, welcoming classroom community!
🤝
Empathy & Respect
Honoring every story
🧩
Classroom Quilt
Every tile connected
🌟
Celebration
Somos una familia
Belonging: Every Voice Matters
Our Core Values
🏡
What is Belonging?
You Are Welcomed Here
Belonging means you are safe, respected, and cherished exactly as you are — your name, family roots, languages, and dreams!
When everyone belongs, our classroom becomes a family where everyone can thrive.
💖
Actions of Empathy
How We Practice It Daily
🗣️ Say classmates' names correctly with pride.
👂 Listen to family traditions with kindness.
🤝 Invite someone sitting alone to join your table.
"La unión hace la fuerza" — In unity there is strength!
Our Collaborative Classroom Quilt
Community Mosaic
🎨
1. Your Unique Tile
Draw a personal symbol of pride, cultural roots, or a kindness superpower on your quilt square.
✂️
2. Connect & Stitch
We align all student squares side-by-side. Every different color and pattern fits together perfectly!
🖼️
3. Our Tapestry
Taped together on our wall, our collective quilt forms a giant masterpiece honoring diversity!
When each thread is woven with respect, the whole tapestry is unbreakable!
Our Hispanic Heritage Pledge
Unity Pledge
📜
"I promise to celebrate my own unique roots,
¡Viva nuestra comunidad! • Long live our community!
Time to create our Classroom Quilt Square! Let's color with joy and pride!
Community Quilt Project Sheet Viva Heritage • Culminating Project
Our Community Quilt Tile
Artist Name:
Date:
Design your square below with pride! Once finished, cut along the outer dotted line. Your teacher will tape all squares together on our wall to create our giant Classroom Quilt of Belonging .
Cut along dashed border
Tile of Unity & Pride Viva Heritage Quilt
Draw a symbol, scene, or pattern that represents your culture, family roots, or kindness superpower:
One special thing about me or my family heritage is:
In our classroom community, I help others feel welcome by:
Classroom Belonging Pledge
"I celebrate who I am, and I honor who you are. We are stronger together!"
Signed:
Day 5 • Tapestry of Belonging • Unit Celebration "Somos una comunidad — We are one community!"
