Community and Educator Resources

The Castro Valley Board of Education has proclaimed Heritage Months/Group Recognitions throughout each school year. This page is dedicated to sharing resources with our community and district educators to recognize the group highlighted for the month. Each month listed is the month that CVUSD officially acknowledges that heritage/group; however, we understand and agree that celebrating each group throughout the year is one of the ways that we create a sense of belonging for all of our students.

MAY IS ASIAN AMERICAN AND PACIFIC ISLANDER HERITAGE MONTH

In 1977 Jeanie Jew, then president of the Organization of Chinese Americans, was concerned about the lack of recognition of the Asian Pacific American communities during the celebration of the bicentennial. With the help of multiple politicians, Asian Pacific American (APA) Heritage Week was created in 1978. May was later designated as Asian - Pacific American Heritage Month in 1990 and renamed Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in 2009. This month celebrates the history, achievements and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in the United States. The month of May was chosen to mark the arrival of the first Japanese immigrants to the United States on May 7, 1843, as well as the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 19, 1869, thanks in large part to the work of as many as 20,000 Chinese immigrant laborers. The AAPI community represents over 30 countries and ethnic groups that speak over 100 languages.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Resources

CVUSD BOARD RESOLUTION

Asian American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month

WEBSITES

Asian Pacific Heritage Month.Gov

Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage

Oakland Asian Cultural Center

EPIC - Pasifika Art

San Francisco Asian Art Museum

Asian American Education Project

National Parks Celebrate AANHPI Heritage

PBS-Asian Americans

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FOR EDUCATORS

Teachers Guide to Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage and U.S. History

Asian Americans- Secondary Lesson Plans using short clips from the PBS documentary

Spotlight on Asian Americans- 20 min videos on four Asian Pacific Americans (elementary focus)

What is the Dream Act and Who are the Dreamers- High School Resource

10 Great Books to Read for AAPI Heritage Month- Books and Lessons (K-8)

VIDEOS

Asian American Stories of Resilience and Beyond- short films on the complexities of Asian Americans

Why Asian American?- 11 min video

Noguchi and Hasegawa Together Again – UC Press Blog

Gene Luen Yang - Author- 3 min video

Yuri Kochiyama - Activist

Minidoka National Historic Site- Japanese Experience in America - 30 min video

Model Minority Myth- 10 min video

Isamu Noguchi- sculptor and Saburo Hasegaway - artist 10 min video

Why a Royal Princess from the Pacific is in Arkansas- The Marshall Islands

ARTICLES

Lunar New Year

11 Moments from Asian American History That You Should Know

Chien-Shiung Wu- Nuclear Physicist

Larry Itliong- Labor Leader and Activist

Jeremy Lin- Basketball Player

March - Women's History Month

MARCH IS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

Women’s History Month began as a local celebration in Santa Rosa, California in 1978 by The Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women. The week of March 8 corresponds with International Women’s Day. The Women’s History Week movement spread across the country. In 1980, a consortium of women’s groups and historians—led by the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women's History Alliance)—successfully lobbied for national recognition. In February 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first Presidential Proclamation declaring the Week of March 8th 1980 as National Women’s History Week. In 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9, designating March as "Women's History Month".

Women's History Month Resources

CVUSD Board Resolution

WEBSITES

FOR EDUCATORS

Women who did amazing things- Numerous short videos( elementary)

Dr. Mabel Pin-Hua Lee- Lessons on Voting Rights for Chinese Americans (secondary)

Zitkála-Šá (“Red Bird”)- Lessonsabout this Native American activist, educator, and writer (secondary)

Afro-Latina- Lesson and Video (secondary)

Women’s History Activities- Lessons (K-12)

Women Scientists- (K-12)

Stacey’s Extraordinary Words- Read a-loud of Stacey Abrams children’s book (elementary)

Women at Work- Explores the lives of women during WWII (secondary)

VIDEOS

History behind Women's History- 2 min video

Afro-Latina- Lesson and Video (secondary)

Women in Aeronautics-4.5 min video

Without a Whisper- 27 min video- hidden history of the influence of Native Women on the Women’s Rights Movement

Some memorable words - Ruth Bader Ginsburg - 3 min video

ARTICLES

Annie Lee Cooper and Oprah’s video portrayal

Title IX and the fight for women’s rights

Clarice Phelps -First African American to help discover an element on the periodic table and video.

February-African-American/Black Heritage Month

FEBRUARY IS BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. Also known as African American History Month, the event grew out of “Negro History Week,” the brainchild of noted historian Carter G. Woodson and other prominent African Americans. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

African-American/Black Heritage Month Resources

CVUSD Board Resolution

African-American/Black Heritage Month

WEBSITES

Black History Month.gov

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Exhibit: Lived Realities: Suffering/Hope

Exhibit:Blurred Lines: Holy/Profane

Afrofuturism- Art

Code.Org

Reading Rockets

Celebrating Black Leaders- PBIS Kids For Parents

28 Days of Black History

Black Lives Matter- A Resource Collection for Families

1619 Project - The History and Legacy of U.S. Slavery, A New York Times Magazine Project

FOR EDUCATORS

CVUSD Admin-Created Slideshow Calendar Activities

The Do’s and Don'ts of Teaching Black History Month

Interview with author Jason Reynolds (All American Boys, Miles Morales, Stamped, etc.)- 16 min video

BLACK HISTORY TRIVIA - Google Docs

BLACK HISTORY AND WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH TRIVIA 2025 - Google Docs By Ms. Maduakolam Smith

Have You Thanked An Inventor Today? By Patrice McLaurin- 9 min. Read aloud video

Teacher Created BHM Library Reading Room - CVUSD Email Required

Lifting Our Voices- Articles on Educating African American Students

Tynker Coding Project

Teaching Maya Angelou Poems

Black Cowpokes of the Wild West and Lessons

VIDEOS

Kids explain Black History Month- 2 min. video

Origins of Black History Month- 1.5 min. Video

Still I Rise recited by Maya Angelou with beautiful visuals - 4.25 min video

Black History Month Short Videos List - CVUSD Email Required

10 Young Black Entrepreneurs 8 min video

Forgotten Images - Exhibit and Museum

Brad Lomax: The Forgotten Black Panther's Revolutionary Story- 10 minute video

Black Love Day is February 13th - 2 minute short video

Marley Dias/Augusta Baker on Book Diversity

The History Channel Vault - Black History videos ranging from 40min-1.5 hours

Education is a Civil Right- Who was John Lewis - 5 min video

ARTICLES

Major Taylor First African American World Champion Cycler

Mining the Jewel of Black History Month

Walter Gordon - Cal Berkeley Alumni

Black Women Mathematicians in Aeronautics

November - Native American Heritage Month

NOVEMBER IS NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

Native American Heritage Month is a time to celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native people. It is also an opportune time to educate the general public about tribes, to raise a general awareness about the unique challenges Native people have faced both historically and in the present, and the ways in which tribal citizens have worked to conquer these challenges.

Native American Heritage Month Resources

CVUSD Land Acknowledgement

CVUSD Board Resolution

Click for message from Deb Holland

Websites

Muwekma Ohlone Tribe - Our Local tribe's website and pronounciation

Confederated Villages of Lisjan - Our Local tribe's website

https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/- Local Indigenous Land Trust

Native Health

American Indian Cultural District

Native American Heritage Month

First Nations Development Institute

National Park Service - American Indian Heritage

Smithsonian Institute National Museum of the American Indian

We Are Teachers: Indigenous Peoples Day

30 Stories for 30 Days of Native American Heritage Month

Reports/Data

National Congress of American Indians

Global Investigative Journalism Network: Indigenous Data Sovereignty

Worldbank.Org - Indigenous Peoples Overview

For Educators

Ohlone Curriculum

Bay Area History of Ohlone in Indian Canyon - 9 minute video

Sharice’s Big Voice - Picture Book by Sharice Davids, Kansas Congresswoman

Redbud Resource Group - 6-12 Lessons

Invisible No More: Voices from Native America by Raymond Foxworth and Steve Dubb | An Island Press book

49ers Another perspective - High School Video, 11 minute video

Smithsonian Lesson Resources with Filters -Native Knowledge 360

Smithsonian Infinity of Nations Art Collections by Region

2024-2025 CA Indian Education for All - year long Calendar of Events

PBIS Native American Heritage Collection

We Are Teachers: Indigenous Stories For the Classroom (read alouds)

We Are Teachers: Upper Grades Fiction

The Impact of the Gold Rush on Native Americans of California

Standing Rock - Roleplay

Videos

Corrina Gould of Sogorea Te’Land - Local tribe and “Landback”- 6 min video

Konkow Valley Landback- CA Tribe and Landback -11 minute video

There,There- Local Author Tommy Orange - 6 min video

Building a better futures for local Native American communities - 7 minute video

The Cherokee Alphabet - 1 min video

Indigenous worldview can preserve our existence- 3 min video

PBIS - Native Peoples - American Experience Collection - Multiple videos

Articles

Maria Tallchief, America's First Prima Ballerina

Stickball, the inspiration for lacrosse

Celebrating Indigenous North American Stickball

Nicole Mann- 1st Native American Woman in Space

September 15th - October 15th - Hispanic Heritage Month

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Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 - October 15th. September 15th is an important starting date for this month because it is the independence anniversary for Latin American countries El Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. The independence days of Mexico and Chile fall on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Dia de la Raza also falls within this month, on October 12. Hispanic Americans have been integral to the prosperity of the U.S. and their substantial contributions to our nation are immeasurable.

Hispanic Heritage Month Resources

CVUSD Hispanic Heritage Month Board Resolution

Websites

Hispanic Heritage Month.gov

National Archives

National Museum of the American Latino

For Educators

31 Days of Hispanic Heritage Month Resources (TK-8)

Latina/o/e and English Learner Data

Free Latina/o/e History Biography Google Slides

Learning through murals

Tecuan. The Wild Beast - Story and activity with Mexican masks

Teaching and Learning about Dia de los Muertos

Cesar Chavez on food and solidarity

Areli is a Dreamer- Lower Elementary Read-a-loud. A true story by Areli Morales

Virtually Explore Pyramids of Teotihuacán and Machu Picchu

Videos

Simon Bolivar- El Libertador - "The Liberator"

Jorge Ramos - News Reporter (4 minute Time’s Interview on Challenging Authority)

Dolores Huerta- Activist (4 minute Biographical Video)

Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor

Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Supreme Court of the United States. From the collection of the Supreme Court of the United States.

What b eing Hispanic and Latinx means in the U nited States(12 minute Ted Talk)

Young People Talk Identit y and Belonging (4 minute video)

PBS Series- 50 minute episodes on Latino Americans

Somos - 3 mintue clip on Latino/a/e diversity

Articles

Dia de la Raza

Vicente Guerrero

10 Inspiring Latinas Who've Made History

You Say Latino- A mini-comic

Nicole Hernandez Hammer - Sea-level researcher and climate activist

June- Pride Month

Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States which marks the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory practices and laws agains LGBTQ+ Americans. The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals have had and continue to have currently and historically, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Pride Month Resources

CVUSD Board Resolution

Pride Month

Websites

UC Davis LGBTQIA Resource Center