By Ramón Rivera, Music Educator and pBone Music Ambassador, Mount Vernon, WA
In early September, teachers and administrators like you are getting ready for the start of the school year: sorting out classrooms, learning the names of new students and getting the procedures in your class set. Then, on September 15th - just your second week of school - the Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration begins, running until October 15th.
At this point, you ask yourself, “How can I celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month? How can I get material that my students can relate to? What is a culturally appropriate way to add Latino culture to what I am teaching?”
Educators, I have good news for you: I have some great resources and ideas for your music class. In fact, these ready-to-go lesson plans can be used in any class looking to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
What is Hispanic Heritage Month?
Hispanic Heritage Week officially started on September 17th, 1968, when a proclamation declaring it as National Hispanic Heritage Week in the United States was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. This Hispanic Heritage event was later turned into a month-long celebration signed by President Ronald Regan in 1983. Hispanic Heritage Month is nationally celebrated from September 15th to October 15th, celebrating the contributions that the Hispanic American community has made to our country.
In this blog, I will show you how you can easily celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in your school classroom.
Free Hispanic Heritage Month Resources for Teachers
Here you will find five weeks of resources designed to educate your class about Hispanic Heritage Month. The slides and music used in Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Week are ideal for starter activities, to introduce children to Hispanic music and culture.
The video resources for Mariachi Mondays teach children about the key instruments and culture found in Mariachi: the guitar (guitarra), vihuela, guitarron, trumpet (trompeta) and the Traje de Charro (Mariachi Uniform).
The Top Ten Tuesdays resources feature curated playlists to let your students experience the incredible music that soundtracks Hispanic Heritage Month. From the best solo singers and bands to the greatest instrumental Mariachi tracks, this comprehensive collection of tracks gives you everything you need to celebrate the month in style.
Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Week
Slides and Music
3-5 Minutes of Class Time
An easy way to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month is to show a Hispanic musical artist on your board when the students enter the classroom. This resource covers your first five school days. As the students arrive, you will play music from the chosen artist and display the slide deck on your projector. You will tell the students that September 15th is the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.
We celebrate the first five days of Hispanic Heritage Month by featuring a Hispanic Musical Artist of the Day. The first day celebrates Tejano superstar Selena and the song playing is “Como La Flor”. Have the students clap along or simply enjoy the music. When the song is finished, you can read the quote by Selena: “If you have a dream don’t let anybody take it away”.
You can also have a class discussion:
- Who has seen the movie Selena?
- Who has Selena on their Apple Music or Spotify Playlist?
- What is your favorite Selena song?
- When you hear her music what does it remind you of?
- Why is Selena so important to Hispanic Culture?
You can lead this same lesson for all Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off Slides on the first five days of Hispanic Heritage Month.
List of Hispanic Heritage Month Slides and Songs
September 15
Artist: Selena
Song: “Como La Flor”
September 16
Artist: Vicente Fernandez
Song: “Volver,Volver”
September 17
Artist: Celia Cruz
Song: “La Vida es Un Carnival”
September 18
Artist: Gloria Estefan
Song: “Conga”
September 19
Artist: Carlos Santana
Song: “Oye Como Va”
Mariachi Mondays for Hispanic Heritage Month
3 Minutes of Class Time
Mariachi is the music of Mexico and plays a big part in celebrating Hispanic culture. During the five Mondays of Hispanic Heritage Month, you can show these Mariachi Monday slides and videos. Mariachi is an ensemble of musicians that play regional Mexican Music such as Rancheras, Son, Huapango, Bolero, cumbias and more. Mariachi can be heard at restaurants, weddings, family gatherings and on stage.
The one-minute videos on the Mariachi Monday slides talk about each Mariachi instrument and the Mariachi “Traje de Charro” (Uniform). You can ask follow-up questions to your class such as:
- Where have you seen a Mariachi perform?
- What is your favorite Mariachi song?
- Does your family listen to Mariachi music?
- Does anyone know someone who plays a Mariachi instrument?
Mariachi Mondays Video
Monday #1 Guitar (Guitarra)
Monday #2 Vihuela
Monday #3 Guitarron
Monday #4 Trumpet (Trompeta)
Monday #5 Traje de Charro (Mariachi Uniform)
Top Ten Tuesdays
3 Minutes of Class Time
During Hispanic Heritage Month, you might not know which songs would be appropriate to play in the classroom. Do not fear: I have put together a Top Ten Tuesdays song list for Hispanic Heritage Month. You do not need to play all ten songs; you can play your favorite song, have a class vote, or play any of these songs as the children enter and exit the class.
After you're finished listening to the song, you can ask the following questions such as:
- Have you heard this song at family gatherings?
- What are the instruments used in this song?
- What is your favorite song from the list and why?
Top Ten Tuesdays Hispanic Heritage Month list
- Tuesday #1 Top 10 Hispanic Heritage Month Songs
- Tuesday #2 Top 10 Mariachi Trumpet Songs
- Tuesday #3 Top 10 Mariachi Singers
- Tuesday #4 Top 10 Mariachi Groups
- Tuesday #5 Top 10 Banda Instrumental Songs
Tuesday #1 Top 10 Hispanic Heritage Month Songs
A great song to highlight is “Mi Tierra” by Gloria Estefan. This album features music from Cuba and was recorded in 1993, featuring Latin artists such as Tito Puente, Arturo Sandoval and Paquito D’Rivera. “Mi Tierra” or “My Land” is a salsa song about Gloria Estefan's longing for her homeland of Cuba.
A fun instrumental song on the list that would be great to play for students is the Mexican hit dance song “El Sonidito”, used for dances and family gatherings. If you are looking for a tune to get your students excited for the school day, “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez is a fun and upbeat song for the start or end of class.
Tuesday #2 Top 10 Mariachi Trumpet Songs
When you first hear a Mariachi group perform, the first thing you notice is the trumpet...which is why I made a list of the top 10 Mariachi Trumpet songs. A song you can highlight from the list is “Espana Cani”. This song is a type of Mariachi music called a Paso Doble. When the matador would enter the bullring they would play a Paso Doble and “Espana Cani” is one of the most famous songs in this style. Other Paso Dolble songs on the list include “Novilero” and “Dos Negros”.
Tuesday #3 Top 10 Mariachi Singers
Mariachi singers are a big part of Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. In this list, I included the best of the best: Alejandro Fernandez, Rocio Ducal, Vicente Fernández, Pepe Aguilar, Luis Miguel, Juan Gabriel, Javier Solis, Lupita Infante, Jose Alfredo Jimenez and Angelica Aguilar.
One of the top Mariachi singers is Vicente Fernández, who has recorded over 100 albums and has made over 30 films in his lifetime. “Mexico Lindo Y Querido” by Vicente Fernández is about how beautiful Mexico is and the love of the homeland.
Tuesday #4 Top 10 Mariachi Groups
This list brings together ten of the best Mariachi ensembles in the United States and Mexico. The groups on this list are top-caliber, professional Mariachi ensembles. I included the groups Mariachi Cobre, Mariachi Sol de México, Mariachi Los Camperos, Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles, Mariachi Herencia de Mexico, Mariachi Divas, Mariachi Los Toros, Mariachi Internacional Guadalajara, Mariachi Nuevo Tecalitlan and Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.
I would highlight from this list the song “El Cascabel” by Mariachi Sol de Mexico. This song features all the Mariachi Instruments performing a solo: the vihuela, the guitarron, the harp, the trumpet and the violin section. Mariachi Sol de México, from Los Angeles, California, is directed by Jose Hernandez who is one of the top composers and arrangers of Mariachi Music in the world.
Another Mariachi group from this list that your students will love is Mariachi Reyna de Los Ángeles. Mariachi Reynas de Los Ángeles is the first all-female professional Mariachi group. This Mariachi has released four albums and tours across the United States.
Tuesday #5 Top 10 Banda Instrumental Songs
The music of Banda is made up of brass bands from Sinaloa, Mexico. The instruments in a Banda include tubas, trumpets, clarinets and trombones. This music was made popular by such groups as Banda El Recodo, Banda MS and Banda Machos. Before the days of DJs and electronic groups, the Banda would play for El Baile or dance at weddings and family gatherings.
In this list, all songs are instrumental and students from Mexico will immediately recognize many of the songs. One of the popular songs is “Arriba Pichataro”. The Banda would play this song to get the party started, filling up the dance floor for weddings and family gatherings: Latino families love to dance to this song! They move to this song with a style of dance called Zapateado, which involves tapping the feet to match the music.
Try these follow-up questions for students:
- Have you seen a Banda perform?
- Do you like to dance to Banda Music?
- What is your favorite Banda song or group?
- What does the Zapateado dance look like?
I hope you find these Hispanic Heritage Month resources helpful for your school. They provide an easy way to connect all students to Hispanic culture, history and music. The lessons can be delivered school-wide or in any individual class, so please share these lessons with your fellow teachers and school administrators. You could even use your Latino student leaders in your class to present some of the lessons.
Thank you for celebrating my culture and have fun celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in your classroom with your students!
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