Celebrating May Holidays

Below are resources and activities you can incorporate into the classroom for the Holidays that last all month long! 

Month Long Holidays 
Teen Self-Esteem Month: This holiday is sponsored by “I Am Worth More,” a non profit that works to connect teens with resources and support. This holiday is centered around the importance of helping teens voice their needs, share their perspective, and work towards building a healthy life. To celebrate in your school:

• Practice Mindfulness to find a sense of calm, stay focused, and help students to be their best self.
• Amazon has a great book called “Mindfulness for Teens in 10 minutes a day.” These exercises will help you and your students connect and build your relationship. 

National Inventors Month: This holiday was created to promote the contributions that inventors have given to our society. Inventors create, build, and fuel the innovations in our world. Lots more information can be found at Invent.org, which includes the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Some activities you could do with your class in celebration of Inventors month include: 

• STEM lessons such as Walking paper horses, Paper helicopters, and straw rockets.
• Create a Maker’s Space and allow student to build and design completely through their imagination. Allow students the agency to have control over what and how they will build.
• Read and discover how many items we use every day were invented. Create your own Inventor Hall of Fame in the classroom. There are LOTS of great books on Amazon! 
• Brain breaks on youtube about guessing the inventor. Here’s a fun video to get you started! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qdSWReaRlg

Asian American & Pacific Islander Month: This holiday pays tribute to Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history, and are fundamental in its future success, going back generations. To learn more click here. Celebrating this holiday will help to build inclusiveness in your classroom. Activities you can do in the classroom include: 

• Learning about the countries in Asia
• Practice Origami, perhaps making a traditional paper crane. 
• For read aloud books click here and scroll down for 10 fantastic books that can be added to your classroom library to enjoy year round! 

 
Haitian Heritage Month: Throughout the month of May, we celebrate the culture, art, fod, and traditions of Haiti and its people. Haitian Heritage Museum has events, programming, and lectures to learn more! To celebrate in the classroom try: 

• Reading books about Haiti
• Learning about the rich culture 
• Dance to traditional Haitian music
• Pick a read aloud from Scholastic to add to your library! 

Jewish American Heritage Month:  The National Archives has “put the power of primary sources to work in the classroom” with ready to go lessons, activities, and so much more! We honor the huge role that Jewish communities played in America’s formation, a history of over 350 years of achievements by  Albert Einstein, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and so many more! To honor Jewish American Heritage in your classroom consider: 

• Discover the rich culture and history of Judaism
• Read about the history of Jewish Contributions to America
• Open up a safe space for conversation about the Holocaust and the hardships many Jewish people faced. 
• Add The Hero Two Doors Down By Sharon Robinson to your library! 

National Pet Month: This month is celebrated to honor our pets and all the joy they bring to our lives. Here are some fabulous ways you can celebrate in your classroom: 

• If you have a class pet, it is time to appreciate them. Maybe an extra yummy snack or treat. 
• Have students create their own Desk Pet, if they don't have one already. Many teachers use Desk Pets for behavior management so this could be a fabulous time to introduce a new strategy in your room. 
• Make bird feeders to hang around the school. 
• Encourage students to talk about and share pictures of their pet or a pet they would want to have. 
• Learn about animals with jobs, like service dogs. This could be a great opportunity to build those reading skills and build student engagement. 
• Lots of fun animal related brain breaks on youtube! 

National Foster Care Month: This month, we take time to acknowledge the families and professionals who help our precious youth find foster and adoptive homes. Use this month to actively educate your students on various family structures. Building understanding will foster an inclusive classroom of students that will advocate for each other. Here are some suggestions to bring awareness to your classroom: 

• List of picture books about Adoption and Foster Care at Everyday Reading.
• To learn more about Foster Care, visit the National Foster Parent Association website
• For adoption support groups and more information, click here. 
• Connect with local foster parent associations and have students make thank you cards or letters for the families supporting children in need. 

Get Caught Reading Month: Sponsored by Every Child A Reader, has free, fun, and easy to use resources to bring the magic of reading into your classroom. To celebrate in your classroom: 

• Start a reading challenge between the classes in your grade level. 
• Post “Get Caught Reading” pictures of your students’ favorite celebrities and athletes! 
• Give a little extra *fun and free* reading time for you and your students. 

Mental Health Awareness Month: In May, we bring awareness and understanding of those living with mental or behavioral health issues. We lower the stigma that many people experience when trying to get help, and we normalize continued best practices for our mental health in everyone. To incorporate into your classroom: 

• Take time to take care of yourself!
• Go to the American Hospital Association website to learn more.
• Set time in the day to celebrate the good things and share joy with your class. 
• Try meditation. For adults we recommend Soulful Juls, and for students we suggest Awake and Mindful.
• Take time to stop and ask how a student is really doing, beyond the answer “ok.” 
• Create posters for the room/hallways to advocate for mental health 
• Host a Q&A with health professionals or the school counselor to open a safe space for students to ask and learn about mental health. 
• Child Mind Institute has a great list of picture books about mental health you can add to your library! 

Latino Books Month: Led by Rhode Island Latino Books Award, during the month of May they work to promote literacy through the celebration of Latino authors, illustrators, and books. Highlight the Latino culture and Latin American Identity. Below are links to articles listing the best books to incorporate into your library! 

• List by Penguin Random House
• Article from the New York Times
• Collection from Reading Rockets

Military Appreciation Month: Each May, the President gives an annual proclamation to Americans to remind us to honor those who have served and to give their thanks. There are several specific holidays within the month including Memorial Day, Armed Forces Day, Military Spouse Appreciation Day, VE Day, and Loyalty Day. To celebrate Military Appreciation Month in your classroom consider some of the options below: 

• Make cards or letters for soldiers stationed abroad. 
• Have a Q&A with a Veteran or Active duty professional for students to learn about the military. 
• Collect items to send care packages. 
• Coordinate with your local Operation Welcome Home to support soldiers on their arrival back into the US. 
• ​Article by Here We Read listing 21 fantastic picture books.

... and remember that you are treasured and loved by the AtoZ fam ❤️