Subjects

Social Studies, Holidays, Halloween, Art

Grades

4-7

Brief Description

Using guided class discussion, students will discover some of the traditions behind Halloween and learn how this festival is celebrated in a different culture. They will compare a Canadian celebration of Halloween with a Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos).This activity introduces students to the idea of rituals as social and cultural tools that help families deal with rites of passage such as the death of a loved one.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Be able to describe how Halloween is celebrated in their community
• Be able to define their own concepts of Halloween
• Recognize a diversity of cultural traditions and cultural expressions
• Consider how festivals and celebrations help us deal with stressful life passages
• Consider alternatives to consumerism

Keywords

Halloween, Day of the Dead, Día de los Muertos, culture, Mexico, ritual, death, rite of passage

Materials needed

• access to the ¡Hola Canada! The Latin-American Collections at the Simon Fraser University Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology web site
• projector
• white board or flip chart

Evaluation

Note which students participate actively in the discussion, and which contribute creative ideas to the chart and discussion. Teachers may want to informally quiz students the next day about the basic concepts of the Day of the Dead and Halloween.

Related Lesson Plans

Day of the Dead - Sugar SkullsDay of the Dead - Make a Remembrance