Día de los Muertos

Here are some of my favorite things to do for students to experience Día de los Muertos culture. 

1) Calaveras - Sugar Skulls – Click here to see step by step instructions and where to buy the molds to do this fun activity where students make their skulls by putting sugar mixture in the mold and then next day they decorate them!

2) Ofrenda Diorama – Altar – Click her to for an informative PowerPoint with the diorama instructions, clip art, and a community assignment. Students create a foldable diorama out of one piece of paper and create an ofrenda. They bring a picture of a family member or famous person who has passed away to include on it. They include all components typically on an ofrenda.  Before gluing the diorama together students can keep folded in binder and pop up when presenting to people for the community outreach activity. For folding instructions, click here. and go to page 7. Do step 3 if you are having them pop up and show others in the community and complete step 4 (cut off the triangles and glue) before turning in to you. 
Teachers can print out the clip out on various colored paper and pass around and students cut out what they need to include on their ofrenda as well as a photo of the person and any additional items required.

This is my FIRST paid Teachers Pay Teachers, thanks for your support!

3) Pan de Muerto – Day of the Dead Bread – Collect a $1 donation from students and buy bread from a local panadería. I usually start asking a week before I need to make the order asking each day and send out a little email to parents as well.  I buy loaves that are pretty big so I just need 5 loaves a period which is $5 a loaf. On Día de los Muerto we talk about the significance of this bread, they eat it and it ties in nicely with them doing the ofrenda diorama as they get a real taste of the culture. When I worked in a city with no panadería, I had students make Pan de Muerto and bring in to share and we voted for the best pan.