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Teaching with Historic Places

Heritage Education Services


Hispanic History

To celebrate Hispanic Heritage and generate public appreciation for diverse cultures, Teaching with Historic Places highlights on the web the following lesson plans that consider Hispanic contributions to American history. Included is a Spanish version of the lessons, Forts of Old San Juan: Guardians of the Caribbean. Based on historical sites listed in the National Register of Historic Places, these lessons were created by National Park Service interpreters, preservation professionals, and educators. The lessons are free and ready for immediate classroom use by students in history and social studies classes.

Para celebrar la Herencia Hispana y generar en el público la apreciación hacia diversas culturas, Educando con Lugares Históricos está destacando en la red los siguientes planes de lecciones que consideran las contribuciones hispanas a la historia americana. Se incluye la versión en español Los Castillos del Viejo San Juan: Guardianes del Caribe. Basadas en lugares históricos inscritos en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos, estas lecciones fueron creadas por intérpretes del Servicio Nacional de Parques, profesionales en el área de la preservación, y educadores. Las lecciones son gratuitas y están listas para uso inmediato en el salón de clases para estudiantes en los cursos de historia y estudios sociales.

Californio to American: A Study in Cultural Change (8)
Evaluate several centuries of dramatic changes to an adobe ranch house and its surroundings in suburban Long Beach to analyze the interaction between Spanish and Anglo culture in California.

Castolon: A Meeting Place of Two Cultures (17)
Compare the Hispanic and Anglo influences on settlements along the Texas-Mexico border region of the Rio Grande. (National Park)

Digging into the Colonial Past: Archeology and the 16th-Century Spanish Settlements at Charlesfort-Santa Elena (155)
Discover the site of a 16th-century Spanish town that was founded before Roanoke, Jamestown, and Plymouth, and learn how archeology uncovered the story of Santa Elena. (National Historic Landmark)


Descubre cómo las fortificaciones españolas en la isla de Puerto Rico contribuyeron a proteger los cada vez mayores intereses de España en el Nuevo Mundo.

Frederica: An 18th Century Planned Community (31)


The Hispano Ranchos of Northern New Mexico: Continuity and Change (96)

San Antonio Missions: Spanish Influence in Texas (2)
Explore a group of 18th-century missions in modern San Antonio to learn about Spanish colonization, their influence on native peoples, and the patterns of Texas culture. (National Park/National Historic Landmark)



The Vieux Carré: A Creole Neighborhood in New Orleans (20)
Examine New Orleans's distinctive French Quarter, a vibrant reflection of its French, Spanish, and American heritage, and recall the city's role in American westward expansion. (National Park/National Historic Landmark)

Ybor City: Cigar Capital of the World (51)
Discover how immigrant cigar makers in this section of Tampa, Florida, adapted to life in the U.S. in the late 19th and early 20th century while maintaining their ethnic identity. Also explore their involvement in the Spanish-American War. (National Historic Landmark)


For more information about Hispanic History,
visit the National Register of Historic Places feature.
