2022–2024 Teach Central America Weeks

Teaching for Change’s Teach Central America Weeks generates a rich collection of stories from teachers about classroom and school wide activities.

We share below stories from the 4th (Oct. 3–9, 2022), 5th (Oct. 2–6, 2023), and 6th (Oct. 7–11, 2024) annual week.

A number of publishers donate titles by Central American authors and/or about Central America as gifts for educators who share teaching stories. We extend our appreciation to Groundwood Books, Beacon Press, Copper Canyon Press, Haymarket Books, Verso Books, Hard Ball Press, Arte Público Press, and Shout Mouse Press for their generous support of Teach Central America Week. Many organizations endorse the week.

PENNSYLVANIA

 

PHILADELPHIA

Frankford High School Spanish Language teacher Kaley Lankford used the Why the U.S. invaded Panamá in 1989 lesson by Elizabeth Hertzler-McCain with her high school students. 

To start the class, Lankford asked students to find Panamá on the maps that they keep in their notebooks and what they knew about Panamá. Many students said they knew nothing about the country.  

They then read the "Fast Facts" about Panamá together, which piqued their interest. Students were randomly assigned one of six of the documents in the jigsaw activity. Students completed the expert questions on their own, then did the jigsaw discussion together as a class. Lankford shared:

It was great! This activity was a welcome change from the basic conversation/grammar activities my students had been doing. Students were very engaged and shocked to learn about this part of U.S. history. I am grateful for this easy-to-use resource! [2024]

 

OREGON

 

Eagle Point

Elizabeth Oppelt used Inside the Volcano: A Curriculum on Nicaragua, edited by Willian Bigelow and Jeff Edmundson, in her sophomore World History class.

They started with Lesson 2, Imagine You Were a Nicaraguan, where students completed an assignment exploring life for those living in Nicaragua.

Students worked through the United States in Nicaragua Timeline from Lesson 3, then used Lesson 4’s "U.S. Economic Interests in Central America" and “What is the United States Really Concerned About in Latin America?" to explore if U.S. involvement in Nicaragua aligns with U.S. statements on foreign policy. Students responded in writing to the prompt: "Does U.S. involvement in Nicaragua support U.S. goals in foreign policy? Why or why not?"  

Oppelt shared:

These lessons were eye-opening to my students. Most had no idea that the U.S. was involved in Central America so heavily or that it had such a negative impact on the area. I heard many comments about U.S. behavior being unfair and not okay, which for many of my students may have been a first. Having been taught that U.S. involvement is always a positive thing, seeing U.S. support of dictatorship was a new experience for them and one that forced them to develop more nuanced thinking about where they live. [2024]

 

GEORGIA

CHAMBLEE

Sally Stanhope, a social studies teacher at Chamblee High School, used Central America: An Introductory Lesson with her students to help them learn about U.S. involvement in Central America and the activists who fought for democracy and popular sovereignty in their respective countries. Because most of Stanhope’s ESOL students are Guatemalan, she focused the lesson on Guatemalan freedom fighters like Rigoberta Menchú Tum, Otto René Castillo, Irma Flaquer Azurdia, and Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán. [2022]

RHODE ISLAND

 

Providence

Ariana Wohl at The UCAP School introduced all eight of her middle school student sections to the multilingual Pensamiento Serpentino by Luis Valdez. Wohl learned about the poem during the Indigenous Central America workshop that was part of the October 1 Indigenous Peoples’ Day Curriculum Teach-In. Students repeatedly read the poem in a variety of ways — line by line, chorally, separately by language, alternating language, etc. and discussed its meaning and application to their lives. Students also identified the countries (including the United States!) where Mayan peoples live today. Some of the students had previously studied the ancient Maya, but none knew much about contemporary Mayans. The poem served as an important opener. [2022]

 

Providence

Each morning at Webster Avenue ES, ESL/Bilingual teacher Lindsay Paiva explored the life of a different Central American figure with students by watching videos and looking at pictures. Paiva also read Rainbow Weaver and led a discussion about weaving. Paiva teaches mostly Indigenous Guatemalan students with Mayan roots, and students brought in weaving from home to share with the class. Students also completed the the paper doll activity included in the teacher's guide from Lee & Low. [2022]

WASHINGTON, D.C.

 

CELEBRATING CENTRAL AMERICA AT D.C. INTERNATIONAL PCS

Maximo Alvaro approached teaching about Central America by integrating various cultural, historical, and geographical elements into a cohesive unit in his middle school classroom at District of Columbia International Public Charter School. The unit began with a map activity where students identified the countries in Central America, discussing their locations and key characteristics. To make this more engaging, Alvaro incorporated a lesson that focused on the diverse ecosystems of the region. Students participated in a group project where they researched different biomes found in Central America, such as rainforests and coastal areas. Each group presented their findings, highlighting the unique flora and fauna of their assigned biome, as well as the cultural significance of these environments to local communities. This not only fostered collaboration but also deepened their understanding of the interconnection between environment and culture.

Alvaro also organized a Central American Cultural Day, inviting other classrooms to participate in a celebration of the region’s rich heritage. There were a variety of activities such as traditional dance performances, art displays featuring works inspired by Central American artists, and cooking stations where students could try dishes like pupusas and tamales. A key component of the day was a guest speaker from a local Central American community organization who shared personal stories and insights about the region’s contemporary issues. This immersive experience encouraged students to appreciate the diversity and complexity of Central America beyond just its geography, fostering a greater sense of empathy and global awareness. The event concluded with a reflection session where students shared what they learned, reinforcing the lessons from our earlier unit while celebrating the vibrant cultures of Central America. [2024]

 

Teaching About El Salvador’s Civil War at Columbia Heights Educational Campus

Heber Diaz, a middle school ELA teacher, taught a lesson about the Civil War in El Salvador. Students explored the political and economic factors leading to the conflict, as well as the role of the United States in influencing the war's outcome. This lesson was grounded in both primary sources and secondary analysis to help students understand the impact of Cold War politics on Central America. Diaz used materials that connected the Civil War to larger discussions of human rights violations, migration, and the long-lasting effects on Salvadoran society and the Salvadoran diaspora in the U.S. Students analyzed personal stories of those affected by the conflict and engaged in reflective discussions about U.S. foreign policy and its humanitarian consequences. [2024]

 

Carnaval at Bruce Monroe @ Park view Elementary

One thread: 1619 Project and identity exploration.
A second thread: Who has a monument, and who deserves a monument?
A third thread: the parallels between nature’s ecosystems and social support networks.
A fourth thread: an interrogation of Columbus and how to uplift Indigenous Peoples’ Day.

The throughline: a celebration of Central American history and culture.

D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice was invited back to the strong-knit community at Bruce-Monroe at Parkview for their annual teach-in-style celebration of Central American history and culture. Upon entrance to the Carnaval and clear through departure, we were wrapped into their fold, enjoying all grade levels schooling us about the many threads of Central American history and culture they had studied so far and how they’ve woven it into their units of study. Read more. [2023]

 

Roosevelt Senior High School

Roosevelt Senior High School (DCPS) kicked off Teach Central America Week 2022 with an author visit sponsored by An Open Book Foundation and Shout Mouse Press.

A few dozen students from Roosevelt’s International Academy, which includes many students who are newcomers to the United States from Central America, met in the library/media center to hear from Santos, one of the contributing authors of Voces Sin Fronteras: Our Stories, Our Truth. She and Alexa Patrick, program director at Shout Mouse Press, engaged in dialogue about the book and what impact it has. Read more. [2022]

 

Connecting Pre-Colonial Indigenous Central American Cultures to the Present

Fifth grade Renaissance history teacher Liora Valero connected students’ study of Renaissance-era Central American culture to the present-day realities of Central American countries. Students learned about the Gods & Goddesses of the Nahua, Aztec, and Maya, and then made Hojalatas based on symbols and imagery from different cultures in the area.

By completing the Geography is History activity, students were able to compare and contrast pre-colonized and current cultures and think about how the Indigenous cultures were impacted by colonization and later globalization. Read more. [2022]


High School at the LAB SCHOOL

High School Spanish teacher Julia Snyder used the lesson Geography is History: Locate the Countries of Central America and did a schoolwide KWL chart in the hallway about what they know, want to know, and then we'll follow up with a display about what they've learned. Snyder also used the biographies with upper level classes. [2022]

 

Tejiéndonos en Náhuat EVENT

Casa de la Cultura El Salvador and Teaching for Change hosted this Spanish language event about the revitalization of the Náhuat language in El Salvador via Facebook Live. [2022]

 

 

A Train Called Hope at Hearst ES

Hannah Halpern and Megan Burleigh welcomed Teaching Central America advisor Jeannette Noltenius and her colleague Flori Berrocal to their classes at Hearst ES (DCPS).

First, Noltenius introduced herself and a bit about the work she does with the organization she founded and serves as president of, Casa de la Cultura El Salvador. 

Noltenius then gifted the classes a set of Mario Bencastro’s A Train Called Hope/Un Tren Llamado Esperanza and led the third graders through a reading of the book. Noltenius’ aim was to help the students unpack why people migrate the way they do — often on a long and dangerous journey on a train nicknamed La Bestia (the beast). Read more. [2022]

 

Students Teach About Central America at Cardozo EC

 
 

For her teaching about Central America this year, high school language arts teacher Beth Barkley encouraged her students — most of whom are newly arrived students from outside the United States — to teach other students about the countries from which they migrated. Barkley’s students drew from personal experiences and deep research about Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama, as well as other countries of the Latin American diaspora. While the idea of teaching about Central America is to bring attention to a region that is often neglected in teaching about Latinx heritage, Barkley and her students wanted to more comprehensively recognize and instill pride in the array of cultures present in their classes. However, the center of their research and class presentations remained teaching about Central America. One objective, for example, read, “Our objective is to learn about how countries in Central America are related.” Read more. [2022]

 

Teach Central America Expo at Bruce-Monroe @ Park View Elementary

 
 

For the last three years, dual language teacher Cesarina Pierre has helped coordinate a Teach Central America Expo at Bruce-Monroe ES @ Park View (DCPS). This year’s expo remained an intentional, collaborative, and joyous expression of the importance of teaching about Central America! Pierre teaches about Central America before, during, and beyond the annual Teach Central America Week, and has even facilitated workshops for D.C. area educators on how to establish and grow their practice of teaching about Central America.

At Bruce-Monroe, the whole school engages in long term, multidisciplinary study of the region’s culture and history. Many of the lower elementary grades, for example, read Linda Elovitz Marshall’s Rainbow Weaver, study traditional clothes making, and have even created tutorials about how to weave. Read more. [2022]

 

Learning About Guatemala at Roosevelt HS

MASSACHUSETTS

 

CAMBRIDGE

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. 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]

 

BOSTON

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]

CALIFORNIA

 

BERKELEY

Aida Garcia-Pons, an elementary language teacher at the Black Pine Circle School, used one of the slides from the lesson, Cultural Identity Preservation Through Storytelling: La Tradición de los cuentacuentos. She wrote: 

I showed my 5th grade students la entrevista de Abuelita Gladys. Our school teaches Spanish as a World Language, so our students are not native Spanish speakers and this video, though challenging, was excellent and very well-received. I'm planning on using it again in future years also with upcoming 5th graders. With the video Entrevista a Abuelita Gladys the students got to watch the video 3 times. Once as an introduction, the second time to answer the questions in the handout I'd prepared (they were allowed to write the answers in English) and the third time to check their answers.

Last year I took this same class on a field trip to learn about the murals in the Mission district of San Francisco. One of the murals was precisely of el Salvador and the war and what the artist had left behind. The students made that connection. 

Later this year we'll do another mural tour in San Francisco. Before that, we will also watch Yesenia's story in Spanish with English subtitles. The students will be able to link Yesenia's and Glady's stories to what we learn in the Mission district.

This will be an ongoing unit as the students explore social issues in our local communities in their social studies class and as they hold socratic seminars throughout the year. [2024]

 

LOS ANGELES

Sarah Ballister, an ELA teacher at Dodson Middle School (LAUSD), learned about and decided to participate in Teach Central America Week when signing up to attend the Indigenous Peoples’ Day Teach-In sponsored by Teaching for Change and the National Museum of the American Indian. The teach-in featured a workshop on Indigenous Central America. Said Ballister,

Earlier in my career I would have let days like these pass me by, because I was concerned about doing it “right” or perfectly. But if I wait until I can do something perfectly, I might be waiting a long time, and so will my students.

Ballister used materials shared by Teaching for Change to label a map of Central America using geographical and historical clues, then did an interactive read-aloud of an excerpt from Javier Zamora’s memoir, Solito. Students responded to the text using “I notice. . . ” “I wonder. . .” and “I want to say that. . .” One student wrote,

I want to say that I experienced this before, this story is a mirror for me. [2022]

 

SAN FRANCISCO

Nancy Rodriguez, a social studies teacher at Mission High School, began Teach Central America week with a short lesson on the geography of Central America. Then students listened to and read Yesika Salgado's poem, “Brown Girl.”

Students ended the week by choosing a Central American figure, researching the person, and sharing what they learned with the class. Some figures included Tecum Umán, Berta Caceres, Monseñor Romero, Prudencia Ayala, Rigoberta Menchu, Teofimo Andrés López, Brisa Margarita Terezon, and Maribel Guardia. Rodriguez shared why it is important to her to teach about Central America:

I teach about Central America because as a daughter of Salvadoran immigrants my own experience with Central American curriculum in elementary and high school was very limited. I finally had an amazing teacher in high school who began to teach me about El Salvador and the solidarity movement in the 1980s. I felt seen and my family's history was finally being validated. I now teach at a high school not too far from where I went to high school. The population is about 60% Latinx and most of the students in our Newcomer Program are from Central America. I still believe that it is important to teach all of our students about their own histories and that of their classmates as a form of empowerment & empathy and to create a better understanding of our diverse communities here in the United States.

[2022]

NEVADA

LAS VEGAS

Christopher Wang teaches high school world history at Ed W. Clark High School, a Title I school  where many students have roots in Central America. Some students have parents or ancestors from the region, while others are newcomers, immigrants, and refugees. 

His classes cover Central American civilizations at several points throughout the year. For example, AP World History students learn about ancient Olmec, Toltec, and Mayan civilizations in their introductory reading. In World History, students cover the history of the Aztecs and Mayans. 

During the "Age of Revolutions," students research a Latin American revolutionary. Many Central American students choose to research Francisco Morazán. Unfortunately, the number of English language sources written about Morazán and the Federal Republic of Central America is lacking, but students have done a good job with their research.

The class also covers Latin America when they study the Cold War. Last year students completed a research project on one of the proxy wars during the Cold War. Students could choose Guatemala, Honduras, or Nicaragua from Central America or a number of other countries involved in the Cold War in the Global South. Students used a variety of sources for their research. Wang found the "Interactive Map: Understanding the Cold War in Latin America" by RetroReport and the lesson by New Visions “How did Cold War proxy wars help to achieve, maintain, and/or threaten world peace?" especially useful. [2024]

OHIO

 

LOVELAND

Abra Koch, Spanish teacher at Loveland High School, taught a lesson about Ruben Darío. Students read Darío’s bio at the Teaching Central America website, then discussed the historical context of the poem "A Roosevelt/To Roosevelt" and the reaction of Darío to the intervention of the United States in Latin American politics and economics, including the separation of Panama and Colombia to allow for the construction of the Panama Canal. Students identified the lines in the poem that expressed Darío's pride in his heritage and chose lines to illustrate and post on the wall for others to see. [2023]

LOVELAND

Abra Koch, Spanish teacher at Loveland High School, taught a lesson about Oscar Romero. Students first discussed the economic, political and social circumstances of the majority of the population of El Salvador in the 1980's. Then students watched the film Romero and discussed, orally and in written responses, the role of the church in a community and the impact of the idea of Liberation Theology. Students created an infographic of El Salvador around the time of the assassination of Archbishop Romero. Then students used the "When we Were Young There Was a War" website to learn about the aftermath of the civil war in El Salvador. Students presented about their findings after completing their research. Students also read the poem “Like You / Como Tú” by Roque Dalton. [2022]

ILLINOIS

 

HARVARD

Anne Gilmore, ESL/Bilingual teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School, had students take a quiz on Central America, which they used to learn about the region along the way.

Gilmore also read several books about Central America. Students particularly enjoyed reading and participating in the activities that accompany the book Sopa de frijoles / Bean Soup: A Cooking Poem. [2022]

AND MORE

 
 

Kristoffer Bonilla played the film Harvest of Empire for his high school students in New Orleans, Louisiana to introduce the root causes of the immigration crisis. [2022]

 

Amanda Flayer used Margarito's Forest as a title for reading circles with 4th-6th grade students in Coarsegold, California. Students read the book with a reading mentor and discussed themes of community movements, environmental values and cultural preservation. [2022]

 
 
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CENTRAL AMERICA QUIZ

Test your knowledge with this learn-as-you-go quiz.