Top 3 Creative and Comprehensible Día de los Muertos Classroom Activities
Wracking my brain trying to think of an innovative way to teach about Día de los Muertos celebrations in Mexico when kids have already studied it…how can it feel NEW? And how can I keep the lessons in the target language - even for level 1 students?
Enter my go-to solution when I’m stumped like this - GAMIFY!
I developed these three student-favorite activities and absolutely captivate their attention! PLUS: I get to add a Culture grade to my gradebook!
After giving a brief explanation about the products, practices and perspectives, and watching this video from the Spanish and Go Youtube Channel, I dive right into the activities.
1. The Scavenger Hunt:
Hang the clues (common products used during the Día de Muertos celebration) around the room.
In teams, students work together to read the prompts in comprehensible Spanish. They search for the clue and write its answer by the prompt.
First team done wins! AND gets to be a grader for remaining teams (they love this power!)
This is great to inspire movement and collaboration in the classroom!
2. Calavera de Azúcar Project
Students first color their calavera and image flaps.
Then, they read similar clues and match them up to the 2nd page of the calavera project.
Once verified they are correct, they cut out the images and glue them over the flaps.
On the 3rd page of the calavera, they write in English or Spanish depending on level about the cultural products, practices and perspectives about the Día de Muertos celebration in Mexico.
3. Lotería
Distribute the bingo cards.
Read (or have a student read) descriptors from the call sheet. These are the same clues they’ve been using in both prior projects so they are now familiar. Students can use their calavera project as a resource, which gets them to re-read yet again!
Assessment
I typically give them a Google form assessment for this unit, so most of it is auto-graded and I only have to check the reflection and cultural comparisons prompts.
Wishing you all the very best,
Catherine
😉Pro-tip: Decorate the halls with the colored in Calaveras and see kids who don’t take Spanish marvel at them…keep encouraging those World Language course sign-ups!
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