The museum has many
subjects students can choose from as a topic for a written essay. Each of these subjects can be researched using several resources: a visit to the museum; online exhibits; photographs and archival material available from our archives or online through Yakima Memory; and continued exploration in the classroom.
Latinos have a long history in the Yakima Valley, and various aspects of their culture have been featured in special exhibits at the Yakima Valley Museum. We also continue to add examples of Latino arts and crafts to our permanent collections.
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Visiting the Museum |
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Begin your study with a visit to the museum. Learn more about taking a tour of the museum through our tour information page, and contact the Education Office to schedule your visit.
Prepare each student to utilize one of the available worksheets during their visit. The museum has clipboards and pencils available upon request. |
 We suggest using a worksheet called Note Taking Web. As students walk through the museum with a docent, or spend some focused time with a particular object or exhibit, they write down main ideas and details in the surrounding "detail bubbles." Upon their return to the classroom, they use the Note Taking Web to develop a main topic from the notes taken at the museum. They then use details from the Note Taking Web to create the body of their essays. |
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La Virgen De Guadalupe
Polychromatic clay sculpture
By Zenoyda Rafael Jolion, 2003
Michoacán, Mexico
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Museum Exhibits |
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| The Talking Wall – This is located in the area of the museum that features exhibits about making a home in the Yakima Valley. You can listen to eight Valley residents whose families chose to live here. To learn more about the Garcia family, click here. |
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Online Resources |
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| Yakima Memory – Yakima Memory contains images, movies, audio, and documents. Click here to find more information about the Garcia family. |
| Faces of Tradition: Portraits of Mexican Artists in the Yakima Valley – A special exhibition at the Yakima Valley Museum in 2007. You may visit it online and download an educational booklet. |
| The Traditional Arts of Morelia, Yakima's Sister City – A special exhibition at the Yakima Valley Museum in 2004. Visit it online. |
| Fiesta: Faces of Mexico – Exhibited at the Yakima Valley Museum in 1995. Click here to view. |
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Community Guests |
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 Students are able to gain insight into a culture with the help of an "expert speaker." Ask a member of the community to visit your classroom and share an aspect of their culture. During your visit to the museum, our curators can serve as experts to help students learn more about the artifacts they see here. |
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Hands-on Activities |
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 Papel picados (Mexican cut paper art) are traditionally created for the Noche de los Muertos holiday celebration. Papel picados are hung at the gravesite to represent wind, one of the four elements. Create papel picados in your classroom. |
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