Instruct the children in your classroom to draw some of the symbols of celebration of Dia de los Muertos. According to the Teacher Link website, the most frequent signs of celebration are skulls and skeletons. Give your students crayons or paints to create skulls and skeletons on construction paper. Students then paste their creations onto sticks and conduct a skull and skeleton parade through your class celebrating the lives of those who have passed away.
Divide your students into groups and guide them through researching famous people who have passed away. Each group should then give a presentation about the person it is assigned to research. Information included in the report should be the person's name, what he accomplished while alive and why he is important today.
Students can learn about Mexico, where the Dia de los Muertos holiday originated, according to the Cal State LA website. Give each student a map of the country of Mexico. Just like the United States, there are states in Mexico. The students should label each of the states on the map of Mexico. Label the five bodies of water surrounding Mexico. Students can then work in groups, each researching a city in Mexico and presenting information such as its location, major exports, tourist attractions and most common jobs in that city.
As mentioned in the Inside Mexico website, Dia de los Muertos is a day of celebration. In Mexico this is done by having a festival. Host a festival in your classroom. Serve Mexican foods such as tortillas, meats and salsa for your students to try. Candies are part of the festival as well, set bowls on the tables with different types of candies. Finish the party with more candy by filling a pinata with candy and allowing the students to break it and collect the candy as it falls out.