Students in Mrs. Ozols’ Spanish classes at Cohoes High School celebrated Hispanic Heritage earlier this month by pairing up in groups and giving a variety of presentations to their peers.
They were tasked with choosing an aspect of their culture in the United States that has been influenced by citizens of Hispanic origin, such as food, dance, music, theatre, cinema, arts, sports, government and holidays.
“Once they chose their topic and researched it, they presented it to the class and included an interactive element, such as making food, creating a trivia game, etc.,” said Mrs. Ozols.
Some of the presentations included the works of playwright, composer, and actor Lin Manuel-Miranda, actress America Ferrera, and sharing foods such as churros and chimichangas. When doing their research students were encouraged to think about why they chose their topic, who the key Hispanic Americans are within their topic and how the contributions of Hispanic Americans changed this part of our culture. They also had to include important dates, interesting facts and include an interactive element. For some who chose a food, that meant videoing themselves cooking and sharing it (and the food!) with their classmates.
Students enjoyed presenting their projects and felt that this was a fun way to learn about a different culture. According to one sophomore who researched actress America Ferrera, “The project was important because it taught me about how people in other cultures can have an influence on our country.”