In Mexico during El Dia de los Muertos families remember, honor, and celebrate their loved ones who have died.

In this unit students discover the Aztec and Spanish influences on this holiday. They conduct an oral history with a relative. They express that ancestor's history as a poem, ofrenda (memory box), memory quilt, or tombstone. Finally, they experience The Day of the Dead festivities in the classroom.

A fifth-grade parent commented,"I think the kids should do more projects like this. It is so good for them to learn more about their family."

"El Dia de los Muertos:The Day of the Dead" from Pamela Zimba and KALEIDOSCOPE OF LEARNING spans grade levels and subjects from elementary to secondary, from world cultures to art. Lesson plans are detailed with reproducibles included.

Grade Levels

3rd - 8th

Total Pages

32 pages

Teaching Duration

1 Week