Ocotober is Filipino American History Month!
 
This lesson and activity is perfect for teachers and school media specialists who want to give students an overview of Filipino American history with an emphasis on Filipino American books and stories with a fun Filipino American celebrity activity. It comes with 43 Google slides and 2 fun sheets (coloring sheet and a common Filipino phrases crossword puzzle). 
 
The lesson starts off with an introduction slide, a few facts about the Philippines and why we celebrate Filipino History Month, followed by an animated YouTube video that retells the arrival of Filipinos, and their progress and struggles living in the U.S. Then, the lesson emphasizes the importance of uplifting Filipino American voices and their stories. Stacks of YA books written by Filipino and Filipino American authors are displayed with links attached to the book spines. These links take students to book trailers or the author's website where the book is listed in further detail. Here, the students can read more about the authors, read the book summary, and see the full cover. If completed as a class, this is a good pausing point to discuss some of the books together.
 
The slides after, explore common topics, themes, and focus points often found in Filipino American books such as Filipino food, folklore and mythology, family, identity, complex culture clashing, and more. Here, students can learn new words for different Filipino dishes and mythological creatures. Towards the end of the lesson is a fun actvitiy that challenges students to recall all they know about popular Filipino American celebrities. On one slide, students are given three clues: what kind of celebrity it is (singer, actor, rapper, etc.), a couple relevant graphcis, and a quote. After figuring out who the celebrity is and filling their name in the blanks, the slide after will confirm who the celebrity is. Celebrity slides come with a short bio and YouTube video that showcases the celebrity talking about their Filipino heritage or interacting with others while in the Philippines. 
 
This lesson and activity could be fun to do together as a class or in small groups, but it's also really great for completing independently, as each student can move at their own pace. However, the celebrity game is a lot of fun to do as a class or in small groups. The students get rowdy and really excited to discuss and figure out who the celebrity is. Often, they're surprised to find that some of their favorite celebrities are actually Filipino!
 
Please note: All links and videos can be deleted and/or replaced if needed. Otherwise, this lesson and activity is not editable. To make videos play, just press the white play button or the red YouTube play button. To fill in the celebrity blanks, simply click above the blanks and a text box will appear. 
 
Here is the list of YA books mentioned in this lesson. Please read carefully as the book spines cannot be edited or changed if your school has banned or challenged this book. However, the link attached to the bookspine can be deleted if needed:
 
- The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco
- My Heart Underwater by Laurel Flores Fantazzo
- When Oceans Rise by Robin Alvarez
- This Is Not A Personal Statement by Tracy Badua
- Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto
- Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin
- The Spirit Glass by Roshani Chokshi
- Where Dreams Descend by Janella Angeles
- Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
- Wing of the Lucost by Joel Donato Ching Jacob
- Something in Between by Melissa De La Cruz
- Chasing Pacquiao by Rod Pulido
 
I hope you take the time to celebrate Filipino History Month with your students this October. Please take comfort in knowing that this lesson and activity was created by a Filipino American and has been made with pride, love, and accuracy to the best of my knowledge.