The start of Hispanic Heritage Month is still a couple of months away, but we can’t wait to let you know about LATINO AMERICANS — the first major (and bilingual!) documentary series for television to chronicle the rich and varied history and experiences of Latinos. The much-anticipated series, narrated by Benjamin Bratt, will air on PBS on September and October, 2013: Tuesdays – September 17, September 24 and October 1 – 8-10 p.m. ET. Additionally, the series will broadcast nationally in Spanish on Vme, the Spanish-language channel on public television, over six consecutive Fridays beginning on September 20.
We’re thrilled to finally have such a comprehensive tool to truly educate our Latino kids, and others, about our heritage in this country. Our history is definitely as varied as we are, but there are so many things that bind us together — language being the main one — and give such rich color to our tapestry.
Educational Curriculum in English and Spanish
Education continues to be one of the most important issues Latinos in the US face today. To this end, the LATINO AMERICANS project has a commitment to leverage the stories and content in the series to inspire youth and their families to learn more about their unique cultural heritage, history, and contributions to this nation. A team of Latino educators developed a rich curriculum that will be available at no cost via the PBSLearningMedia.org web site in September,
A total of 14 multi-media lessons and activities have been developed to enrich the learning experience offered through LATINO AMERICANS:
- Six comprehensive lessons address themes across diverse Latino experiences, communities and events.
- Eight mini-lessons focus on a particular event, experience or community in the story of Latino Americans.
- All 14-lesson modules include supporting materials such as discussion guides and lesson plans, and correlate to the program’s web resources such as timelines and maps.
- Resources for grade 4 through college, with an emphasis on critical thinking and writing skills for grades 6-12 in the areas of social studies and civics.
- Teachers, parents and tutors will be able to search content by grade level, subject area, topic or standard.
- All materials are aligned to relevant Common Core and National Social Studies Standards.
- All content are free and accessible online, as of September 2013, at www.PBSLearningMedia.org .
- Story Share: Teachers and students are invited to construct and share their own stories through the program website’s story sharing interface.
Here are some easy things your community, school or organization can do to participate:
Ask for a complimentary one-on-one coaching session on how to use the content in learning settings or with community groups by emailing LatinosPBS@gmail.com.
Promote broadcast tune-in gatherings at local schools, PTA committees, faith organizations, and other service and nonprofit agencies.
Tweet during the broadcast, #LatinosPBS.
Upload a 2-minute video about your family, history, Latino pride: http://www.pbs.org/