Teaching Central America Week in Massachusetts: 2022-2025

Roleplaying Activity at Cambridge High School

Alejandro Hernandez, a language teacher at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School started class with a mapping activity, asking students to identify countries in Central America and their capitals. Students then explored demographic data from their state and observed the percentage of people of Latinx origin living in Massachusetts.

Students then participated in the Central America: An Introductory Lesson roleplaying activity. Hernandez shared:

Students loved reading the biographies, taking on the characters' roles, and analyzing whether they would connect with others. Moving around the classroom helped students follow their own pace and curiosity, building community with peers and engaging in thoughtful conversations. Debriefing with guided questions for discussions at the end allowed for significant engagement and comprehension from all students. [2023]

Rainbow Weaver in a Kindergarten Classroom

Elizabeth Self, a Kindergarten teacher at East Boston Early Education Center, taught a lesson on community using the book Rainbow Weaver. The class had been reading books about Latina community in particular as a part of Hispanic Heritage month. Self introduced the book by briefly explaining that this book took place in a country where the economy and even environment and way of life had been altered by foreign intervention. While reading the book, Self stopped to discuss and had students turn and talk about perseverance and how the protagonist wanted to help her community. Finally, students had a conversation connecting the text to Hispanic communities and actions Kindergarten students can take to help their communities. [2022]