Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is celebrated every May to recognize the contributions, cultures, and histories of AAPI communities. 🗓️
This month offers a wonderful opportunity for teachers to bring stories, traditions, and impactful lessons into the classroom.
By engaging students with meaningful activities, you can help them develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the AAPI community.
Incorporating AAPI Heritage Month into your classroom promotes cultural appreciation, inclusivity, and awareness. 🩷
Below, you’ll find 30 engaging activities designed to spark curiosity, encourage creativity, and celebrate the incredible diversity within AAPI cultures! ⬇️
Literacy and Storytelling Activities
Read-Alouds – Bring AAPI voices to life by reading books featuring characters and stories from different AAPI backgrounds. 📕
Some great options include Drawn Together by Minh Lê, The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi, and Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say.
After reading, encourage students to reflect on the story’s themes and how they connect to their own experiences. You can also pair the books with a writing or drawing activity inspired by the story.
Author Studies – Introduce your students to incredible AAPI authors like Grace Lin, Linda Sue Park, and Alan Say.
Read some of their works and discuss what makes their storytelling unique. You can explore how their cultural backgrounds influence their writing and even have students create mini-biographies about their favorite author.
This activity is a great way to encourage young readers to seek out diverse voices in literature.
Write a Story – Give students the opportunity to create their own stories inspired by AAPI folktales. ✏️
Start by reading traditional folktales from different AAPI cultures, such as Momotaro, the Peach Boy from Japan or The Crane Wife from Hawaii.
Then, challenge students to write their own version of a folktale, either retelling it in their own words or putting a creative twist on it.
They can also illustrate their stories and share them with their classmates!
Poetry Reading – Introduce students to beautiful poetry by AAPI poets like Naomi Shihab Nye and Cathy Song. 🌸
Read their poems aloud and discuss the emotions and imagery they use. Then, encourage students to write their own poems inspired by themes of culture, identity, or family.
This is a great way for students to express themselves while also connecting with the rich literary traditions of AAPI communities.
Interview Project – Have students conduct interviews with someone from the AAPI community, whether it’s a family member, neighbor, or guest speaker.
They can ask about traditions, family history, or personal experiences. Then, students can present their findings in a short report, podcast, or video. 🎤
This activity helps students build connections and learn about AAPI heritage through personal storytelling.
Classroom Library Display – Set up a special AAPI-themed book display featuring picture books, chapter books, and nonfiction works by AAPI authors.
Encourage students to explore the books and write short reviews to share with their classmates. 📖
You can also create a “book passport” where students check off books they’ve read and write a reflection on each one.
Letter Writing – Have students write letters to AAPI authors expressing their thoughts on a book they’ve read.
They can share what they learned, how they connected with the story, or ask questions about the writing process. 💭
Many authors appreciate hearing from young readers, and this activity makes literacy a more personal and meaningful experience.
Folktale Exploration – Read and discuss traditional AAPI folktales, then have students act them out in small groups.
They can create simple props and costumes to bring the stories to life.
This activity helps students engage with storytelling in a hands-on way and deepens their understanding of cultural traditions.
Compare Cultures Through Stories – Take a well-known fairytale, like Cinderella, and compare different versions from AAPI cultures.
For example, Yeh-Shen: A Cinderella Story from China offers a unique perspective on the classic tale.
Discuss similarities and differences, and have students rewrite a favorite fairytale with cultural elements from an AAPI country.
Book Review Project – Assign students to read and review books featuring AAPI characters or written by AAPI authors.
They can create posters, write blog-style reviews, or even record short video book recommendations. 📙
This activity helps students practice critical thinking while also sharing great reads with their classmates.
History and Social Studies Activities
Research AAPI Trailblazers – Have students research famous AAPI figures like Patsy Mink, Duke Kahanamoku, or Dalip Singh Saund.
They can create posters, write reports, or even dress up as their chosen figure for a living history presentation.
This is a great way for students to learn about influential AAPI individuals and their contributions to society.
Timeline Activity – Work together as a class to create a timeline of key events in AAPI history.
Students can research different moments, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act, the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, or the achievements of AAPI activists.
This visual representation helps students see how AAPI history has shaped the United States.
Immigration Stories – Discuss the experiences of AAPI immigrants by reading real-life stories and first-hand accounts. 🤎
Have students imagine they are an immigrant from an AAPI country and write journal entries about their journey and challenges they faced.
This helps students empathize with different perspectives.
Civil Rights Movements – Teach students about AAPI activists who fought for civil rights, such as Grace Lee Boggs and Larry Itliong.
Discuss their contributions and how they worked alongside other movements to create change.
Students can then write about what activism means to them.
Map Exploration – Have students locate AAPI countries on a map and research the geography, culture, and history of each place. 🗺️
They can create travel brochures highlighting interesting facts.
Cultural Artifact Museum – Students can research artifacts from different AAPI cultures. They can present their findings to the class, creating a mini-museum.
Holidays and Celebrations – Explore AAPI holidays like Lunar New Year, Diwali, and Obon. Students can create crafts or presentations on these celebrations. 🎊
Famous AAPI Leaders – Discuss AAPI leaders in politics, sports, and entertainment. Have students write a paragraph about which leader inspires them the most.
Discussion on Identity – Talk about identity and how stereotypes affect AAPI communities. Create a safe space for discussion and reflection.
Community Guest Speakers – Invite AAPI community members to share their experiences and traditions with the class.
Hands-On and Creative Activities
Traditional Dance Exploration – Introduce students to traditional dances from various AAPI cultures, such as the hula from Hawaii, Bharatanatyam from India, or the Chinese ribbon dance. 💃🏽
Show video clips or invite a guest dancer to demonstrate. Students can then try learning a few basic movements and discuss the cultural significance behind each dance.
This is a great way to incorporate movement and appreciation for performing arts.
Origami Workshop – Teach students the Japanese art of paper folding by demonstrating how to make simple origami figures like cranes, lotus flowers, or frogs. 🐸
Discuss the cultural significance of origami and its role in Japanese traditions. Students can create their own origami pieces and write a reflection on the experience.
You can also tie this into a lesson about Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes.
Calligraphy Practice – Explore the art of calligraphy from different AAPI cultures, such as Chinese, Japanese, or Arabic script. 🖋️
Provide students with practice sheets to try writing characters with brushes or markers. Discuss how calligraphy is used in art, history, and communication.
Students can create their own name in calligraphy and decorate it with cultural symbols.
Cooking Demonstration – Introduce students to AAPI cuisine by demonstrating or sharing a simple recipe, such as Vietnamese spring rolls, Indian naan, or Filipino halo-halo.
If cooking isn’t possible, you can discuss traditional ingredients and watch a cooking video. Have students research different AAPI dishes and create a class cookbook. 🍜
Music Appreciation – Play traditional and modern music from AAPI cultures, such as Taiko drumming from Japan, K-pop from Korea, or ukulele music from Hawaii.
Discuss the instruments used and the history behind the music. Students can create their own rhythmic patterns inspired by AAPI music or draw while listening to different styles.
This activity helps students appreciate musical diversity. 🪘
Textile and Fabric Art – Explore traditional AAPI textiles like Indian saris, Hawaiian tapa cloth, or Indonesian batik.
Show examples of patterns and discuss their cultural meanings. Students can then create their own textile-inspired artwork using fabric paints or paper collages.
This hands-on activity connects art with cultural storytelling.
Shadow Puppet Theater – Teach students about Indonesian Wayang Kulit shadow puppetry.
Show examples of traditional puppets and performances. Then, have students create their own shadow puppets and put on a short performance based on a folktale.
This activity encourages creativity while honoring a historic storytelling tradition.
Tea Ceremony Exploration – Introduce students to traditional tea ceremonies from Japan or China. Discuss the significance of tea in these cultures and show videos of a ceremony in practice. 🍵
If possible, allow students to taste different types of tea and compare flavors. They can then write a reflection on what they learned about mindfulness and tradition.
Martial Arts Demonstration – Discuss the history of martial arts like Taekwondo, Karate, or Muay Thai. Show video clips or invite a local instructor to give a demonstration. 🥋
Have students reflect on the discipline, focus, and history behind martial arts. This is a great way to discuss perseverance and respect in different cultures.
Hawaiian Tiki Craft – Teach your students about Tiki poles and how they were used in Hawaiian cultures, while creating beautiful writing craft projects. 🌸
Students can draw or choose from 8 Tiki faces to create their personalized Tiki pole based on traits that they, or their family members have. Read more about this craft here!
Save Time and Money!
Get all of the printables in this blog post at a huge discount with this AAPI bundle! 💚
By incorporating a few of these activities, you can help foster appreciation and respect for the diverse cultures and histories of AAPI communities.
However you choose to celebrate, the most important thing is to make learning meaningful and fun for your students. 💕
Which of these activities will you try first? 🤷🏽♀️
Go ahead and tag me on Instagram, so that I can share in your celebration!
Wishing you a happy AAPI Heritage Month!
Talk again soon,
Affiliate Disclaimer:
This article, along with other articles on Kimberly’s Classroom, may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through the link, I earn a small commission. Clicking these links does not cost you extra, but does help this website to keep great tips and freebies coming your way. Thank you!
