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Topics Covered
National language arts standards
Culture and community
Symbolism and personal identity
Creating art individually and collectively

Hispanic Heritage Month

Looking for a way to explore and celebrate Hispanic
history and culture in your classroom?

Target and the Smithsonian Institution have partnered to
help teachers and students commemorate Hispanic
Heritage Month with two unique curricula:

Dreams
Carnival Celebrations

The following sections include grade-appropriate lesson
plans and related resources designed to inspire students
of all abilities and backgrounds.

Download, share and prepare for a fun, insightful and
rewarding learning experience!

Subjects
  • Language Arts
  • Social Studies
Grades
K-2
Duration
2 Class Period

Hispanic Heritage Month
Lesson Plans: Grades K-2

Dreams

Introduce young students
to Latino art and culture
through the work of
Carmen Lomas Garza, a
Mexican American artist.
Help students understand
how a painting can tell a
story of a person from a
particular culture group.


View Lesson Plan

 Carnival Celebrations:
Masks

Lead a class discussion
of masks and how they
relate to the Carnival
tradition of Puerto Rico.
Show students images of
Carnival masks, then ask
them to describe what
they see and how the
masks make them feel.

View Lesson Plan
Subjects
  • Language Arts
  • Social Studies
Grades
3-5
Duration
2 Class Period

Hispanic Heritage Month
Lesson Plans: Grades 3-5

Dreams

Introduce young students
to Latino art and culture
through the work of
Carmen Lomas Garza, a
Mexican American artist.
Invite the class to share
opinions about Lomas
Garza's painting, Beds for
Dreams, and discuss the
story told by the painting.

View Lesson Plan

 Carnival Celebrations:
Masks

Lead a class discussion
of masks and how they
relate to the Carnival
tradition of Puerto Rico.
Ask students to describe
presented masks and the
feelings they provoke,
then discuss how masks
reflect cultural traditions.

View Lesson Plan
Subjects
  • Language Arts
  • Social Studies
Grades
6-8
Duration
2 Class Period

Hispanic Heritage Month
Lesson Plans: Grades 6-8

Family Stories

Ask students to compare
and contrast the artwork of
Carmen Lomas Garza and
Jesse Treviño. Encourage
students to interpret the
paintings to reveal the
stories they tell about the
Latino experience, then
draw conclusions about
the artists’ statements.

View Lesson Plan

 Carnival Celebrations:

Explore with students the
Carnival traditions of
Puerto Rico and compare
them to other Carnival
traditions in the United
States and Latin America.
Students will examine
costumes and masks and
draw conclusions about
what they represent.

View Lesson Plan
Subjects
  • Language Arts
  • Social Studies
Grades
9-12
Duration
2 Class Period

Hispanic Heritage Month
Lesson Plan: Grades 9-12

Culture and Community

Ask students to compare
and contrast the artwork of
Carmen Lomas Garza and
Jesse Treviño. Discuss
how these paintings reflect
the emotions and attitudes
of Latino culture, then
encourage discussions
about cultural expressions
in general.

View Lesson Plan

 Carnival Celebrations:

Explore with students the
Carnival traditions of Puerto
Rico and compare them
to other Carnival traditions
in the U.S., Latin America
and Europe. Students
will examine costumes
and masks, and discuss
how celebrations reflect
differences across cultures.

View Lesson Plan

Related Resources

  • Meet The Dreamers
    Watch four Hispanic Americans talk about putting dreams into action.
  • Taking Education on the Road
    Target helps students learn beyond the classroom with Field Trip Grants.
  • More Resources
    Get inspired with tips and tools for teachers at the Target.com Resources for Teachers page.
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