Level: All School – Rally Level – Fun, Energetic, Celebratory
Grades: K-12
School Quarter: 3
Related Grade Level Activities:
- Elementary Lower: Discovering Personal and Cultural Uniqueness
- Elementary Upper: Discovering Personal and Cultural Uniqueness
- Middle School: Tourism Fair
- High School: Parallel Historical Events
Activity: All-school cultural festival
Theme Alignment: Historical Reflection and Progress
Contemplating where New Mexico and the nation were 250 years ago, where we are today, and the journey taken to get here; and history as a lens to inform our futures.
Toolkit Overview (In this toolkit):
- Background
- Step-by-step guide or how-to checklist to implement a schoolwide festival
- Major Resources
- Idea list of local multicultural groups/orgs to invite to have a booth/do a performance; align with an annual festival
- Ideas for booth activities
Invitation email template - Booth Registration Template
- Performer Registration Template
- Ask script for local donations: restaurant/grocery stores to donate refreshments, local printers to donate swag bags
- Thank you note Template
Background:
In 1776, New Mexico already had multiple cultures contributing to the unique character of the region. Since then, people from all over the world have come to call New Mexico home. A cultural fair is an opportunity for students to learn about different cultures and their contributions to the state and the country. While the influence of Spanish-speaking cultures is undeniable and the importance of Pueblo, Navajo, Apache and other indigenous groups is widely recognized, people are often less aware of the presence and influence of Black, Vietnamese, German, and other cultural groups. A school wide fair is an opportunity for students to learn about all of the history and cultures that are present in their local region and around New Mexico.
How To:
Link to Implementation / How to
Resources
- Directory of multicultural groups/orgs to invite to have a booth/do a performance; align with an annual festival
- Ideas for booth activities:
- Games
- Crafts
- Coloring sheets/books
- Practice simple phrases in the culture’s language: Hello, Goodbye, Please, Thank you, Yes, No.
- Application for eligible organizations to host a booth
- Non-profits, Tribal Entities, or artist/artisan collectives.
- Application for Performers
- Invitation email template
- Cultural Fair Program Template
- Booth List
- Performance Schedule
- Ask script for donors:
- local restaurant/grocery stores to donate refreshments
- Ask script local printer to donate programs
- Thank you note templates for organizations, performers, and sponsors/donors
In Classroom Activities:
- Overview of diversity of New Mexico’s population
- Point out lesser known histories, including black colony established in 1900s, Buffalo Soldiers
- European groups, including Italian and German
- Asian, particularly Vietnamese (after fall of Saigon), Korean, Filipino, Chinese, South Asian