Day of the Dead Lesson & Día de Los Muertos “Coco“ Activities - Google Digital Resources
Explore the rich traditions of Mexico's Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, with this engaging lesson that connects the culture to themes in Pixar’s movie, *Coco*. This lesson incorporates a guided 5-E format, making it easy for you to implement.
Start with a fun warm-up called “Memory Game: Mexico” to kick things off. Then, test your students' knowledge of Día de Los Muertos through a “Fact or Fiction?” activity before introducing different customs related to the holiday. Accompanying fill-in notes are provided to support the lesson.
Following that, challenge your students to analyze elements of a traditional Day of the Dead celebration with a “Coco” analysis activity. A printable “walk-around” poster version is also included for in-class instruction.
Finally, assess student learning with a creative activity in which they write a recipe explaining how to celebrate Día de Los Muertos. While students do not need to have seen the movie to participate, many have, and they often enjoy exploring these connections!
Both print and interactive digital versions of the materials are included, making it suitable for traditional in-class learning or digital 1:1 classrooms. Everything you need is provided!
Includes Google Resources: Digital & Print
- Guided 5-E Slides Lesson
- Fill-in Notes
- Investigate “Coco” Activity
- Evaluate Activity & Rubric
- Investigate Poster Set – 9 Total
- Answer Keys
- Teacher Reference Guide
5-E Guided Lesson:
- Engage: “Memory Game: Mexico” Warm-up Activity
- Explore: “Fact or Fiction?” Activity - “Bet You Didn’t Know: Day of the Dead”
- Explain: Vocabulary & Fill-in Notes
- Elaborate: “Pixar’s Coco" Investigation Activity
- Evaluate: “Dia de Los Muertos Recipe” Summative Activity
Aligned with Social Studies Standards: CCSS, TEKS, ELPS, and NCSS
Total Pages: 54
Time: 1 Hour
Grades: 5-12