Every classroom has students of different backgrounds. This includes religion, ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, and cultural beliefs. There are so many components to diversity that allow every person to be so unique. Therefore, it is essential to help students understand the importance of respecting all backgrounds. A great way to do this involves celebrating special events, such as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (AAPI). Luckily, there are exciting AAPI Heritage Month teaching ideas to ensure students learn about diversity with content standards!
When is AAPI Heritage Month?
AAPI Heritage Month occurs during May every year. Now is the perfect time to plan lessons that incorporate special resources. Students will be so excited to gain a stronger understanding of how special our world is.
Importance of Celebrating Diversity
Teachers educate students on so much more than just standards. While it is vital students learn to read, write, add, and subtract, it is also essential they know how to be community members. Thus, they need to understand the importance of celebrating diversity. It is the perfect time to focus on Asian American and Pacific Islander backgrounds during May!
Essentially, bringing in AAPI Heritage Month teaching ideas serves two aspects. It allows students to see that everyone is different. Our differences are what makes each person an individual. Differences can unite people and educate them on the importance of acceptance. Second, focusing on diversity helps students understand the perspectives and experiences of others. When students realize that people have been judged and criticized, they recognize the importance of kindness and compassion. Ultimately, celebrating diversity broadens the perspective of individuals while seeing the importance of treating others with kindness and respect.
AAPI Bulletin Board Resource
One of the best ways to raise awareness for AAPI month is to bring attention to it. The month of May is crazy with the end of the year nearing, so teachers may want to bypass it. Therefore, a bulletin board creates a beautiful display and reminder. Teachers can either display the ready-to-use colorful posters or have students color the pages before hanging up! Each page has inspirational quotes for students and staff to read while walking past. There are so many influential AAPI individuals to pick from, such as Sandra Oh, Bruce Lee, and Ken Jeong.
AAPI Reading Passages
Reading passages are an incredible way to embed AAPI Heritage Month teaching ideas with content standards. Passages allow students to work on comprehension while learning about influential individuals and special events. Luckily, these nonfiction passages focus on five influential figures, such as Michelle Kwan and Jeremy Lin. Each includes a reading passage, comprehension questions, and an answer key. There are two versions- printable and digital- to fit all classrooms.
AAPI Heritage Month Books for the Classroom
Books have the power to influence and motivate students in so many ways. Additionally, they are a great way to teach about special events while focusing on various literary standards. Thankfully, there is an impressive list of AAPI Books for the Classroom! Depending on the age, students may listen to a read-aloud, read with a friend, or read independently. Every book on the list is perfect for elementary students. The options are powerful ways to show students the determination of hard-working individuals to achieve greatness in life.
Thankfully, there are so many incredible AAPI Heritage Month teaching ideas! No matter which options teachers select, students will see the importance of being respectful individuals. Teach even more about diversity with unique and fun resources you can find here. Students will be excited to learn about diversity with the support of their teachers.
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