Prior to this day, I handed out the lyrics for the song and we practiced the song, first listening to the first couple verses to get the tune and then joining in to sing.
On the day of Las Posadas, all teachers did the following:
15 minutes - hand out lyrics and practice song with your kids. Have 4 kids stay inside classroom at door to be the Posaderos (teacher goes in hallway with rest of group).
10 minutes - We will all go with our classes and proceed clockwise to our first door (have doors open but posaderos inside and peregrinos remain outside). Push play on boombox. Everyone sings in unison first 2 verses. After the posderos say "Los voy a apalear", pause the song. We move onto next door as we don't want to get a beating!! Hit play once al are at the next door and sing remainder of song!
At second door sing verses 3 & 4 and then the posderos and peregrinos sing the todos part all together. Students have a seat in that classroom. Teachers go back to their own classrooms to do an activity with the group in their classroom.
15 minutes - Begin activity of teacher’s choice with the group of kids in room. (All the teachers in my department had kids make a Flor de NocheBuena...see the PowerPoint below for instructions. Once I got the students started on cutting/gluing, I played the villancicos in the PP starting with Feliz Navidad. It was so neat hearing them sing this song while keeping their hands busy making their flor!) After 15 minutes release kids back to their classrooms.
50 minutes - Teachers does their own activities with their own kids (food, movie, etc.). Watch Las Posadas: Christmas in Mexico about Las Posadas if desired.
We have a 90 minute periods but this can be easily accommodated to 50 minutes by having the students return after the procession and watch 10 minutes of the Las Posadas:Christmas in Mexico video starting about 8 minutes in where they talk about La NocheBuena and then show a procession and some typical foods.
I played only the 10 minute portion myself while I got the food ready that students had brought. Then we had our fiesta and I played villancicos videos from YouTube.