Día de los Muertos lesson: teach the days, the ofrenda and why it is not Halloween in 30 minutes

How to run it

30 minutes, 6 steps. The time on the left is when each step starts.

1. 0:00
   1

   Warm-up

   3 min

   On the board

   A table is set for guests who are not coming through the door. It has candles, flowers, a glass of water, their favorite food and a photo. Who is the table for? Why would someone set it?

   You do

   • Read the question aloud. Students write a one sentence guess.
   • Take three guesses aloud. Do not correct anyone yet.

   Say: Keep your guess. By the end of class you will be able to check it.

2. 3:00
   2

   The days and the idea

   5 min

   On the board

   • November 1 and 2: Mexican families remember relatives who have died. In the tradition, November 1 is for children and November 2 for adults.
   • An ofrenda is a small, personal altar for one person, with that person's favorite foods and things.
   • Marigolds, candles, papel picado, water, bread and a photo each have a meaning on the ofrenda.
   • It is not Halloween: its roots are Indigenous ancestor traditions joined with Catholic feast days, and its purpose is to welcome and remember relatives.
   • 2008: UNESCO lists it as "Indigenous festivity dedicated to the dead." It was first proclaimed in 2003.

   You do

   • Read the five facts aloud, one slide at a time.
   • After the first fact, ask who guessed the table was for remembering someone.
   • Tell students they can listen without sharing. Some students may have lost someone close, and this holiday is about love and memory.

   Say: Families treat this holiday with care, so we will too.

3. 8:00
   3

   What each piece is for

   6 min

   On the board

   Each piece on this list has a job. el cempasúchil (marigold): its color and scent lead souls to the altar. la vela (candle): its flame lights the way back home. el papel picado (cut paper): adds color and stands for air. el agua (water): quenches the thirst of souls after a long trip. el pan de muerto (bread of the dead): shows affection for the dead. la comida favorita (favorite food): pleases the dead with their own dishes. el retrato (photo): shows which loved one is expected. la calaverita (small skull): a symbol of death in Mesoamerican cultures.

   You do

   • Read each line aloud and have students repeat the Spanish name. Say cempasúchil as sem-pah-SOO-cheel.
   • Read three jobs without the names, for example "quenches the thirst" and "shows which loved one is expected," and ask which piece does each job.
   • Point out that these meanings come from Mexican government education materials, and that families and regions explain some pieces in different ways.

   Say: Learn the job first. Then a table full of objects becomes a message you can read.

4. 14:00
   4

   Read an ofrenda

   9 min

   On the board

   Abuela Rosa's ofrenda (an invented example): a photo of a woman with glasses. A path of marigold petals. Four candles. A glass of water. Pan de muerto. A plate of her tamales. A cup of sweet black coffee. Knitting needles with purple yarn. A small radio. Sort each item: traditional piece or personal item? Then finish two sentences: "Rosa liked ___. We know because ___."

   You do

   • Pairs draw two columns, traditional pieces and personal items, and sort the list. Next to each traditional piece they write its job from the last step.
   • Reveal the sort. Traditional pieces: photo, marigold path, candles, water, pan de muerto. Personal items: her tamales, her coffee, the knitting needles and yarn, the radio. Favorite food is a traditional piece, and the specific dish is what makes it hers.
   • Pairs finish the two sentences, then three pairs read them aloud.
   • Students may invent their own person for any writing. No one has to name a real family member.

   Say: The traditional pieces are shared. The personal pieces are what make it Rosa's table and nobody else's.

5. 23:00
   5

   Same week, different holidays

   4 min

   On the board

   Halloween is October 31. Día de los Muertos is November 1 and 2. Give one reason these are not the same holiday.

   You do

   • Ask for one reason from each pair.
   • Add the three from the facts if students do not name them: different roots (Indigenous and Catholic), a different purpose (welcoming and remembering relatives), and symbols with their own meanings.
   • Do not rank the holidays. The point is that they are separate.

   Say: Two holidays can sit next to each other on the calendar and still be about very different things.

6. 27:00
   6

   Exit ticket

   3 min

   On the board

   Name one piece on an ofrenda. Say what it is for.

   You do

   • Students answer on a scrap of paper and hand it to you at the door.