It's Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!
Commemorate this annual May celebration that recognizes the rich heritages, cultures, histories, and present-day accomplishments of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the United States. This includes people from the Far East, Southeast Asia, and the Indian subcontinent, as well as those who have origins in the Pacific Islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and familiarize yourself with these diverse cultures through the following DE resources.
Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Channel
All Grade Levels
Learn more about the various cultures and countries that make up the continent of Asia. Explore articles, activities, audiobooks, podcasts, and more that reveal how Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders celebrate their heritage and continue to shape the United States as activists, authors, and changemakers.
Celebrating Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Student Choice Board
Grades 3-8
Use this Student Choice Board that invites students to learn about and celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage. Students can investigate topics that interest them and then demonstrate their understanding by completing one of the recommended activities.
Find more timely tools and resources with our
May This Month at DE Studio Board!
FIVE: India
Grades K-5
Share this video to show younger students five interesting facts about the country of India, including one about a festival where you paint an elephant from trunk to toe!
Japanese Fairy Tales
Grades 3-8
Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with this selection of classic fairy tales from Japan, featuring the son of a peach, a cruel stepmother and an enchanted mirror, and a warrior with a mission from the Dragon King! These tales were first translated in 1908 by Yei Theodora Ozaki, based on the Japanese version by Sadanami Sanjin.
Lost World
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Watch this video that illuminates the impacts of sand dredging on Cambodia’s identity, values, and survival, and hear from a Native Cambodian woman who shows how the manufactured removal of land from Cambodia’s coastline threatens to overpower their culture.
The Pacific Islanders Discover Hawaii
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Over 1,400 years ago, the South Pacific Islanders observed the migration of the pacific golden plover. See how the Polynesians followed the flock for over 400 years, and how it eventually led them to the Hawaiian Islands.
Why You Should Be Proud of Your Name
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Share this video that reveals the meaning behind Land of Big Numbers author Te-Ping Chen’s name. In this video, she tells students how she learned to embrace her heritage and how it’s shaped her identity.
Women Like Mulan Didn’t Need to Go to War in Disguise
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Check out this Science News for Students passage that reveals how women in ancient China, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Korea fought in wars. Discover how female skeletons show battle scars consistent with fighting injuries, revealing that women likely fought alongside men in ancient times.
