The end of October is a spooky time of year the world over! The Mexican festival of “Día de Muertos”, or Day of the Dead, is celebrated annually on 31st October to 2nd November in order to remember lost friends or family and help their souls’ spiritual journeys. Here are a few ideas for a Day of the Dead themed lesson.
1. For Art teachers:
Use resources such as this one from Mexic-Arte Museum to try your hand at papier mache skulls, paper masks or cut-out banners to decorate your classroom.
2. For Spanish or English teachers:
Read some macabre ‘Calavera‘ poems with your students – either in the original Spanish, or their English translations. Students can even try their hand at writing one and illustrating one for the classroom wall.
3. For Humanities teachers:
Compare and contrast different traditions around the world. How is the Day of the Dead similar or different to Halloween celebrations? National Geographic has some gorgeous resources that you could use to bring the lesson to life.
4. For ESL teachers:
Try these graded activities to teach about the Day of the Dead. Again, if you have a multicultural class, this could be a nice opportunity for students to talk about their home cultures and traditions in their country.
There are lots more resources and ideas across the web – here are just a few. Are you marking Halloween or the Day of the Dead with your students? Let us know how!
