How to Celebrate Caribbean American Heritage Month in the Classroom

For hundreds of years, the United States and the Caribbean have intertwined cultures and experiences. June was nationally declared as Caribbean Heritage Month in 2006. Here are some ways to observe the month in your classroom.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

1. Post a large map on the board and ask students to name all the cultures that are in the Caribbean. Students should then create a class book that details the demographics, currencies and famous Caribbean Americans from each country.
2. Create a Caribbean American Hall of Fame. Assign students a citizen of Caribbean American descent, such as Colin Powell and Sidney Poiter. The students must then create a multi-media presentation to convince you why that person deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
3. Ask students to read literature from an assigned culture and create original poetry using Caribbean dialects.
4. Visit a local museum. Have each student write a letter to the museum to create awareness of this Heritage Month and suggest ways for the museum to observe it.
5. Locate Caribbean Americans and invite them in as guest speakers.
6. Host a Caribbean festival. Assign a different country for each student to represent. Have them bring in a dish that represents the cuisine of the country. You should bring in the music and décor to complement the festivities.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure to obtain permission from parents for any field trips.