Host a celebration of the Day of the Dead in your classroom. Invite class members to bring one dish that represents Mexican culture, the country where the holiday was first celebrated. Ideas include cookies decorated to look like the figures from the holiday or traditional Oaxacan fare such as mole. Be sure to inform students and parents of any severe allergies of students in the classroom so they can avoid them when choosing dishes. Create labels for each dish using both the Spanish and English name.
Ask students to create an acrostic using the Spanish name for the holiday, "Dia de los Muertos." Choose a word that represents the holiday in some way, using each letter in the holiday's name. For example, for "dia," students might choose the word "death" and write it underneath the letter "d." For older Spanish students, encourage them to use only Spanish words in their acrostic.
Create paintings of the figures used in the celebration of the Day of the Dead. Examples might include paintings of actual wooden masks, known as calacas. Provide students with photographs of real figurines and various art materials to complete the project such as watercolors, tempera paint or finger paints, depending on the age of the children. Encourage students to write the Spanish word for their item somewhere on the painting. Display these throughout the classroom during your celebration of the holiday.
Invite a guest speaker to visit your classroom and discuss the Day of the Dead with your students. Encourage him to bring actual memorabilia from the celebration and explain the history and culture behind the holiday. Ask students to create a list of questions before the speaker arrives to ask after the speech. Remind students of proper behavior during a guest speaker prior to his arrival.