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Grades 3-5 Resources

Please see the resources below.

 

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Full Lessons

Intro to AAPI Month Lesson Elementary Students
Yayoi Kusama Art Grades 2-5
Yuri Kochiyama Grades 3-5
Drawn Together Grades 3-5

Texts

My Paati’s Saris Read Aloud for Elementary Students
Ohana Means Family Read Aloud for Elementary Students
Drawn Together Written by Minh Le Illustrated by Dan Santat A story about a grandfather and grandson who speak different languages but learn to communicate through their art
Coolies Written by Yin Illustrated by Chris Soentpiet The 1860s construction of the Transcontinental Railroad told through the eyes of two brothers who leave their village in Canton seeking a better future in America. This story reveals the harsh truth about life for the Chinese railroad workers, while celebrating their perseverance and bravery. Lesson Plan
Nadia's Hands Written by Karen English Illustrated by Jonathan Weiner When Nadia is chosen to be a flower girl in Auntie Laila's traditional Pakistani wedding, her hands are decorated with beautiful designs made with mehndi, and she comes to understand the rich culture she has inherited.
Uncle Tino Written by Jane Va`afusuaga Illustrated by Nanette Lela`ulu James and Jessie are embarrassed by Uncle Tino's old car and the way he honks the horn so loudly when he drives them to school. But when the Samoan culture group needs help to prepare for the end of year concert, it turns out that Uncle Tino is full of surprises.
"2 Degrees" & "Tell Them" by Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner Poetry written by Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner: "2 Degrees" and "Tell Them" about the impact of climate change on the Marshall Islands Essential questions: How does climate change affect the way or where people live and work? What are local communities trying to do about climate change? Second Poem can be found below.

“Tell Them” byKathy Jetñil-Kijiner Click Here

Videos

Yuri Kochiyama (4:11) A video highlighting some of the many accomplishments and life of Yuri Kochiyama
A Place in the Middle (24:21) & Teacher Guide Video documentary: A young Hawaiian girl who dreams of leading the boys-only hula group at her school and a teacher who empowers her through traditional culture. Learning about traditional Hawaiian culture, philosophy, and history can help prevent bullying and create a school climate of aloha. Teacher Guide can be found below.
AAPI Civil Rights Heroes - Larry Itliong (2:04) Larry Itliong: Filipino labor worker and advocate worked toward better working conditions for farm workers, including co-leading the 1965 Delano Grape Strike with Cesar Chavez.
Filipino-American Farmworkers (6:56) Essential questions: What is power? How can abuse of power be avoided? What role did labor unions and strikes play in the experiences of Filipina/o workers in early to mid-1900 U.S. history? What can we learn from them, especially about dignity, labor, and activism? Who were influential leaders at the time? What did they do to make a positive change and bring social justice to their community and the world?

A Place in the Middle Teacher Guide

Additional Resources

Britannica Kids - Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - Elementary Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month takes place in the United States every May. The month celebrates the cultures and achievements of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). The term AAPI includes people from all Asian countries and the areas of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia in Oceania. Many educators use AAPI Heritage Month as a time to teach their students about the contributions Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders have made to the United States and the world. To find out more about the contributions of AAPI individuals, see Asian Americans at a glance.
Posters: AAPI Prominent People This set of AAPI Prominent People Posters introduce 33 change makers. Each poster includes a brief summary of their life contributions, accomplishments, pictures, and other resources.
Lesson Plan: Min Jee's Lunch Lesson plan (with text and read-aloud video) to help students explore what happens when people make assumptions about Asians
Lesson Plan: Chinese Labor and Transcontinental Railroad The Transcontinental Railroad connected the two halves of the country and it impacted western migration, as well as national and international trade, emphasizing the Chinese railroad workers' significant contribution to these consequences. Negative repercussions of this technological advancement included loss of Native lands and the near elimination of the buffalo.
Timelines: A Different Asian American Timeline & Asian Americans Then and Now Immigration laws that affected Asians immigrating to the United States Essential questions: How can we examine the Asian immigration experience to America in light of concurrent global events? What were causes and effects of immigration laws? Asian Americans Then and Now can be found below.
Lesson Plan: Patsy Mink Rep. Patsy Takemoto Mink (HI) became the first Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) and woman of color to serve as Congressperson and her experience as an AANHPI woman contributed to the passage of the 1965 Civil Rights Act and, more notably, Title IX and The Women’s Educational Equity Act.
Resource List: Asian American Community Organizations Examples of local organizations that support Asian American community members: Community advocacy, organizations, and government partners to create legal pathways to citizenship; ways they offer support for students, elderly, families, immigrants, refuges, people with food or home insecurity, and other various community members

Asian Americans Then and Now Timeline

Grade Level Standards

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