The Real History of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is one of the most misunderstood holidays in America. The first week in May, every Mexican restaurant starts promoting specials and many people assume that it is Mexico's independence day. I found that none of my students knew anything about the real history of the holiday and wanted to change that! I created this resource to do just that.

The holiday actually commemorates a victory at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. This was a massive and unexpected victory for the Mexican army against a much larger French force. In Mexico, the holiday is primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla,where it is known as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla.

This fantastic Common Core-aligned reading is excellent for a quick lesson on the history of Cinco de Mayo! The one page article explains the history of Cinco de Mayo, its meaning, and how it is celebrated today.

Following the 1 page article is a set of reading analysis questions to gauge student understanding and allow them to share an opinion on why the holiday has become so popular in the United States. An answer key for this is included for your convenience.

Thanks so much for stopping by to check it out!

PS: As a reminder, you can get this resource PLUS over 500 more amazing teaching activities for World or American History through a simple monthly subscription to my site StudentsofHistory.org! Joining gives you immediate access to every engaging resource — each highly reviewed by thousands of teachers across the world! Save yourself time, energy, and sanity by joining today!

History of St. Patrick's Day Lesson Plan Resource

This fun St. Patrick's Day History Reading, Worksheet, and Celtic Cross Activity is an excellent resource to use in your classroom to celebrate the holiday! 

This special holiday activity briefly tells the story of St. Patrick in Ireland and how the holiday came to be celebrated today. It is written in an engaging way for younger students to understand the history behind the real Saint Patrick and how his myth has grown today.

After the reading, students answer 5 short reading comprehension questions, then either color or create their own Celtic Crosses using included templates.

☘ This is a fantastic holiday activity for your students! ☘ 

For more great holiday teaching resources, see this complete bundled set of Holiday History Common Core Readings, which includes this resource!

Thanks for looking!

History of Thanksgiving Reading and Worksheet

This concise history of Thanksgiving in America explains how the holiday grew from its roots in England to the major event that it is today. Over the 1 page reading, students will learn about the contributions of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and more to creating Thanksgiving as it is today.

Following the 1 page reading on Thanksgiving, students answer a set of Common Core-aligned comprehension and opinion questions, including writing about their favorite traditions, understanding the difference between primary and secondary sources, and explaining what hey are thankful for.

For more great holiday teaching activities, see this complete bundled set of Holiday History Common Core Readings!

Thank you for looking and a Happy Thanksgiving to you!

PS. This and over 600 other amazing teaching resources are also included in my subscription plan at StudentsofHistory.org. This includes every lesson plan material you'll need for the entire school year! There are packages for both US or World History that include project based learning, PowerPoints, primary source activities, interactive notebooks - they're all there waiting to be download and used.

The History of Halloween Worksheet and Guided Reading Activity

Looking for a way to integrate Halloween into your classroom this year? This holiday handout tells the history of Halloween from its Celtic, Pagan, and early Christian beginnings up through its mainstream popularity in the United States today.

It includes the historic background to many popular Halloween traditions, including jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, costumes, and more. Following the 1 page reading, students answer a set of CCSS-aligned comprehension and opinion questions before creating their own traditional Halloween postcard based off several examples shown on the handout. An answer key is even included for your convenience.

     

Thanks for looking and Happy Halloween!!

For more great holiday teaching resources, see this complete bundled set of Holiday History Common Core Readings!

Thanks for stopping by!

New Black History Month Teaching Resource!

This fantastic resource for Black History Month includes 13 biographies of famous African-Americans and 3 different project ideas for implementation in your classroom!

Each 1-page biography is easy to read for students and includes the major details of each person's life along with pictures and quotes. The biographies include figures from the Harlem Renaissance, Civil Rights Movement and include:

• Martin Luther King, Jr.
• Stokely Carmichael
• Malcolm X
• Thurgood Marshall
• Jackie Robinson
• Rosa Parks
• Billie Holiday
• James Weldon Johnson
• Claude McKay
• Duke Ellington
• Paul Robeson
• Zora Neale Hurston
• Louis Armstrong

These can be read individually by students or in groups and then turned into one of 3 different projects of varying complexity.

The first, simplest project is to create a mask of their person using a template and be prepared to talk with other students and answer questions as if they were the people they read about.

The 2nd project has students creating a "biography box" using an included cut out box template and directions for decorating the box with details from the biography.

The 3rd project has students creating a poster which they will present based on their person's life and accomplishments featuring visuals and details of what they learned from the reading. A rubric for this project is included.

Finally, there is a 1 page reading comprehension worksheet that asks students higher-level reflection questions about what they read in the biography!

No matter what type of class you have surely one of the 3 projects will suit them well! You can also use the biographies throughout the year for  units on the Harlem Renaissance or Civil Rights Movement.

You can download this amazing resource for your classes by clicking here now!

Thanks for looking!

History of Santa Claus and Christmas in America Common Core Reading

This entertaining Common Core-aligned reading activity features a 1 page article on the history of Santa Claus in America. It explains how the image of Saint Nicholas changed from Europe to America and how the famous poem "The Night Before Christmas" and Thomas Nast's cartoons came to transform Saint Nicholas into the image of Santa Claus that we enjoy today.

Following the article is a set of reading comprehension questions that students can answer to demonstrate their understanding. An answer key for this is provided. You can download this for your classes by clicking here!

Thanks for looking and happy holidays!

The History of Halloween Lesson Plan Worksheet

Every year around Halloween I love to teach my history classes about the History of Haloween as a holiday and its traditions.  This great handout tells the history of Halloween from its Celtic, Pagan, and early Christian beginnings up through its mainstream popularity in the United States today.

It includes the historic background to many popular Halloween traditions, including jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, costumes, and more. Following the 1 page reading, students answer a set of CCSS-aligned comprehension and opinion questions before creating their own traditional Halloween postcard based off several examples shown on the handout. An answer key is included.

Students always love this type of interesting reading as opposed to the usual things they tend to receive in their classes. You can download this to use in your classes by clicking here!

Thanks for looking and Happy Halloween!!

The History of St. Patrick's Day

Here is a great reading for students on the history of St. Patrick's Day and who Saint Patrick really was. A great resource for younger students who are interested in why the holiday is connect to Ireland and the cultural connections involved. 

You can download this simple, 2 page lesson here for just $1!