AAPI Heroes & Cultures Activity Pack: Reading, Puzzles & Games

Give your Grades 3-5 students a respectful, story-filled introduction to Asian American and Pacific Islander heroes with this 30-page print-and-go activity pack. Seven heroes, one from each of seven heritages, each get a short biography with comprehension questions: Anna May Wong, the Chinese American film star; Fred Korematsu, who stood up to internment; Sammy Lee, the Korean American Olympic diver; Larry Itliong, the Filipino American farm labor leader; Eugene Trinh, the Vietnamese American astronaut; Kalpana Chawla, the Indian American astronaut; and Duke Kahanamoku, the Native Hawaiian swimmer and father of modern surfing.

Students begin with a contents page that maps the whole pack, then read each life story and answer questions about it. The back half of the pack practises the same learning through puzzles and games: a twelve-word heritage word search, a ten-clue crossword, a map match across Asia and the Pacific, a flags activity, a food and celebration match, and a timeline that orders eight milestones from earliest to latest. A writing page with thoughtful prompts and a seven-question final review round out the student pages, and complete answer keys are included for every keyed activity.

The language throughout is respectful and person-first, and the pack teaches about the heroes and their cultures without asking students to imitate anyone. Black-and-white friendly and ready to print on US Letter paper, it works beautifully for social studies centers, morning work, fast finishers, substitute plans, and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month activities in May, or any month of the year.