PBS Resources for Hispanic Heritage Month

 

There are so many great resources circulating for Hispanic Heritage Month. And one of the companies that I always check first when I'm looking for material on ANY subject is PBS.

Did you know that PBS LearningMedia and PBS KIDS for Parents have several free, online resources parents can access to celebrate Hispanic heritage all year long?

HHM Resources for Young Children:

First, PBS Parents has this list of recommended picture books that celebrate Latino voices and culture.

Next, explore Spanish culture with this lesson in Flamenco dance, a traditional style of dance and music that originated in Spain.

Of course, Let's Go Luna is one of our favorites because we love traveling the word, even if it is only vicariously! Don't miss these episodes highlighting Mexico City and Peru.

Finally, dive into Puerto Rico with this simple recipe for making Mofongo (shown above!) and then wrap it all up with this tasty Piragua!

HHM Resources for Older Kids:

This video summarizes the origin, purpose, and many ways Americans recognize Hispanic Heritage Month. It's part of PBS KIDS’ All About The Holidays series (available in English and Spanish).

Discover Cuban music with this video in which TimbaSon, a group that performs Afro-Cuban and Latin dance music, performs “El Cuarto de Tula.”

While we're on the topic of music, go ahead and learn all about SALSA with this video that features Enrique Gonzalez performing the song “Así” with his band the Big Maracas.

THEN hop over and learn about music from the Andes with this fabulous video in which Fernando Moya, a musician from Ecuador, and Xenon Llusko, a musician from Bolivia, demonstrate a variety of Andean instruments and perform three pieces from the region.

Be sure to download the support materials that are found with these videos!

PBS Celebrates Día de los Muertos

One of the things I love best about PBS is how hard it works to be inclusive and to reflect the experiences of their viewers. From Sesame Street to Molly of Denali, I feel like the shows on PBS KIDS introduce children to a diverse world and also help empower children from a variety of backgrounds. And the same is true for their programming for adults.

Did you know that PBS has quite a few resources for Día de los Muertos? Sometimes it's hard to get things exactly right, but most of the time, the introduction (to children) is pretty accurate. I've chosen my favorite episode, craft, and lessons that introduce Day of the Dead to families.

First, for the children...

PBS KIDS

One of my son's favorite new PBS KIDS shows, Let's Go Luna!, has an episode dedicated to the Day of the Dead! Click here to watch it online - just skip to the second half of the show (12:00) to watch it.

PBS Parents

PBS's website for parents also has this super fun tutorial to help you Make Your Own Catrina Doll. They are just the cutest and pretty easy for children to make on their own!

PBS Learning Media

There are a few different lessons on here, but these two are my favorites. The first is a comprehensive unit with multiple videos. The second is a nice introduction to the holiday from a personal point of view.

• Día de los Muertos: Tradition and Translation | Craft in America

• Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos | Everyday Learning

PBS

And finally, for teens and adults, there is a wonderful documentary available for streaming on PBS.org. Artbound has this Día de los Muertos episode that features an "altarista" from L.A., and also talks about the history of Day of the Dead in this country.

Other Posts About Day of the Dead:

• Día de los Muertos, Day of the Dead Lesson Plans and Activities
  
  
• Last-Minute Print-and-Go Day of the Dead Activities
  
  
• Monarch Butterflies & Day of the Dead
  
  
• Dia de los Muertos Nichos

PBS Shows on DVD: The Berenstain Bears & Dinosaur Train

As the busy holiday season approaches, parents look for ways to give their kids some downtime at home but still keep them learning or busy. If this sounds like you, then maybe you'll love learning that last month, PBS KIDS released new DVDs of their popular shows The Berenstain Bears and Dinosaur Train.

DVDs are a great alternative to just putting on the TV and letting your kids watch for hours. You can control not only the content, but the amount of time spent watching AND you can do it commercial free. :)

THE BERENSTAIN BEARS: Tree House Tales, Volume 1 has 26 stories from this beloved bear family. I love this show because of the important values it teaches, such as kindness, consideration, respecting others, and more. I don't worry about what my child is learning when he watches it. And did you know that you can find lesson plans and activities for the Berenstain Bears on PBS?

DINOSAUR TRAIN: Dinosaurs Big and Small was also released on DVD. It contains 10 episodes focused on - Yep! - shapes and sizes. Lots of great math concepts taught in these episodes: comparing, shapes, counting, and more. And like the other one, you can find great lesson plans for Dinosaur Train online. Check out PBS Learning Media.

Oh, and you can also stream some of the episodes from these DVDs on the PBS KIDS Prime Video Channel!

But if you are traveling and looking for something to keep the kids occupied on a long trip, both DVDs are inexpensive and can be found on Amazon:

PBS Learning Media: Day of the Dead

Have you ever visited PBS Learning Media? It's an awesome resource for homeschooling parents and educators. I was happily surprised to find this little video on their site. They don't have a whole ton of stuff on Day of the Dead, but there are a few videos and activities.

The interesting thing is that they also have a growing collection of Spanish-language educational materials that cover subjects like math, science, social studies, and more.

You don't have to register to view most of these materials, but if you do, you can save your favorites and share them. And registration is free!