<p>This Learning Lab accompanies the picture book, My Sister's Quinceañera. A little girl feels left out at her sister’s quinceañera, until she realizes the joy of celebrating her big sister—and that she'll get to have her own quinceañera one day! </p> <p>Created in collaboration with Crown Books for Young Readers, this book is a tribute to family and tradition.</p> <p>This Learning Lab features background information on quinceañera traditions in the United States and their connections to family, culture, and community. It also includes a breakdown of the specific quinceañera components,  primary source images and museum objects, thinking routines and stand-alone learning activities. </p>

<p>This Learning Lab accompanies the picture book, Please Pass the Tamales. A mouth-watering picture book that celebrates the rich cultural diversity and culinary traditions of tamal-making across Latino communities in the United States. </p> <p>Created in collaboration with Crown Books for Young Readers, this is a delightful celebration of family, culture, and tamales.</p> <p>This Learning Lab features background information on tamales in the United States and its impact on Latino communities and American Foodways. It also includes a historical timeline, primary source images and museum objects, thinking routines and stand-alone learning activities. </p>

<p style="text-align: center;">This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History's and the Smithsonian's Latino Center's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas:  Diosa Costello, <strong>Latina Broadway Star</strong>.</em> After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the assets we have in our digital collection as well as additional resources that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Diosa</em> Costello was a pioneering <em>Latina Broadway performer</em><em>, building a decades long career with her talent in </em><em>music, dance, and acting. She </em><em>starred in movies such as Too Many Girls! and the legendary Broadway show South Pacific.</em> Her foundational story paves the way for many of our beloved Latinas actress and musicians of today! </p>

<p>This bilingual publication highlights ten Latino patriots and spans the American War of Independence to the Vietnam War. The heroes presented are merely a small group of the thousands of Latinos who have served in our armed forces with distinction, many receiving honors for their service. The publication is meant to enhance awareness among all Americans of the positive contributions that the Latino community has made and continues to make to U.S. society.</p> <p>Originally published in 2007, this resource serve grades 7/8 and 9/10 social studies, U.S. History, AP Military History, Spanish Language courses and life-long learners. They include critical thinking, writing, language arts, visual arts, historical inquiry activities.  Each war era presents biographies and interesting facts on each of the patriots, a lesson plan for each era, two extension activities (one for 7/8th grade and one for 10/11th grade), and five handouts. Wars and topics covered include:</p> <ul><li>American War of Independence</li><li>Texas Revolution and the Mexican American War</li><li>Manifest Destiny</li><li>U.S. Expansionism</li><li>Civil War</li><li>World War I</li><li>World War II</li><li>Korean War</li><li>Vietnam War</li></ul> <p><br> Also included in the publication are teacher and student resources, as well as the listing of Latino Medal of Honor recipients. Please note that Captain Humbert “Rocky” Roque Versace, Jr. was erroneously omitted from this elite group of men at the time of printing (2008). Captain Versace was born on July 2, 1937. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy and began his tour in Vietnam in May of 1962. During a mission in October 1963, he was taken Prisoner of War by the Viet Cong forces and was listed as Missing in Action. His fluency in English, French, and Vietnamese aided him during his capture. After more than two years, he was executed by his captors. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously by President George W. Bush on July 8, 2002, making him the first Army POW to receive the Medal of Honor. <br></p> <p></p>

<p>This learning kit from the National Museum of the American Latino highlights five important Latinos(as) who have worked for their local communities and are featured in the exhibition <a href="https://latino.si.edu/exhibitions/presente" target="_blank"><em>Presente! A Latino History of the United States</em>.</a> The learning kit provides an activity sheet and steps to create a community art piece. </p>

<p>This Learning Lab features stories of Latinas in the U.S. Army and spotlight five Latinas that span different military eras and that have served the United States Army in various capacities.  The Learning Lab collection includes additional resources and classroom activities such as creating object biographies of Smithsonian Collections and additional questions for class discussion using Project Zero's Thinking Routines. </p>

<p><strong>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino and National Museum of American History's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, <strong>Taína Caragol Talks About Luisa Capetillo: Breaking the Mold</strong>. </em>After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the objects and resources we have in our digital collection as well as additional information that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.</strong></p> <p><strong>Luisa Capetillo was a feminist and a labor organizer. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Luisa Capetillo dared to dress as a man at a time when women were not wearing suits or even pants! It was her intellect that made her a fearless labor organizer.</strong></p>

<p><strong>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino and National Museum of American History's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, <strong>Ashley Mayor Talks About Graciela: The Power of Music</strong>. </em> After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the objects and resources we have in our digital collection as well as additional information that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.</strong></p> <p><strong>Graciela helped popularize Mambo music during the 1950s in the New York City Latin music scene. Her unparalleled voice allowed the trailblazing Afro-Cubana to use music to break color lines and stereotypes.<br></strong></p>

<p>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino and National Museum of American History's video <em>Latinas Talk Latinas, Cynthia Vidaurri Talks About Jovita González: Documenting a Community. </em> After watching the video, which is located in the second tile of this collection, please return to this page to learn more about the objects and resources we have in our digital collection as well as additional information that will help you further explore the topics and themes presented in the video.<br><br>Jovita González was one of the earliest folklorists to document the border between the United States and Mexico as its own cultural zone. She wrote several groundbreaking books with innovative documenting and writing techniques.</p>

<p>This resource is designed to accompany the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Latino's book <em><em>Wishing on a Star With Estrella </em></em>created in collaboration with Capstone and written by Vanessa Ramos and illustrated by Eugenia Nobati.<br></p> <p>Sixth grade is hard enough, but Mexican American Selena Estrella Herrera has to do it in a new town. Her family has moved to El Paso to help care for her grandfather (who seems not to want them there and insists on speaking only Spanish). One upside to being at a new school, though, is that she can finally leave behind her embarrassing obsession with musical megastar Selena—whom her parents named her after even though she can’t sing. She renames herself *Strella, avoids her grouchy grandfather, and tries to move on with her life. Then *Strella starts a National History Day project. The topic her team chooses? Selena. Can *Strella embrace her Tejano heritage and her old love of Selena and still become her own person? And will she ever discover what her own gifts are? In diary format, the <em>Nuestras Voces</em> series profiles inspiring characters from yesterday and today, and honors the joys, challenges, and outcomes of Latino experiences.</p> <p>This Learning Lab helps identify objects in the Smithsonian's collection that could be found in <em><em><em>Wishing on a Star With Estrella</em></em>.</em> They are grouped into themes for easier viewing.</p> <p>What is in a collection? It has objects that were used or worn by someone. Examples of objects include articles, photographs, artifacts, and videos. Objects can be anything from a baseball to a piece of clothing. It could even be a space shuttle! Objects help museums tell more complete stories. Museums also take care of objects. That way, future visitors can see them, too.</p> <p>Each Learning Lab includes a thinking routine. They are from the Harvard Graduate School of Education's Project Zero. These questions can help create discussion around the stories and objects here. This Learning Lab can serve middle school and high school students. Especially if they are interested in Latino culture. It can help with a Spanish project exploring family traditions.<br><br></p> <p>For more information on the <em>Nuestras Voces </em>series, please visit www.latino.si.edu.<br></p>

<p>This learning lab collection explores the origins and history of the Cuetlaxóchitl (phonetic spelling cuet-lax-o-chitl) plant. Find out interesting facts about the plant that we have all come to know as the Christmas plant. Discover the legend behind the plant and the science behind the magical color. Then, try your handicraft skills out and make your own poinsettia plant using materials found at home or in the classroom. The learning lab includes additional resources and videos to continue exploring. </p>

<p>Latinas and Latinos have had a long legacy of contributing to space exploration from Arturo Campos, an electrical engineer that helped solve the power crisis on the Apollo 13 mission and Franklin Chang Diaz and Ellen Ochoa, the first Latino and Latina astronauts respectively, to today and the team of three (3) Latinas Diana Trujillo, Christina Hernandez, and Clara O’Farrell who helped lead the Mars Perserverance Rover Team. On the International Space Station, astronauts like Frank Rubio continue to pursue answers to science's greatest questions.  Explore this Learning Lab collection to learn more about these space pioneers through Smithsonian objects, exhibitions, articles, and video resources. Go a step further and enjoy exploring space through our Create-It activities for elementary, middle school, and high school students. </p>