Newsela | Día de los Muertos Activities for Your Classroom

Día de los Muertos activities can help students learn that Day of the Dead is more than another holiday near Halloween. The Mexican holiday is a time when families welcome back and celebrate loved ones who have died using food, gatherings, and traditions.

Use these classroom activities to build background knowledge, compare cultural celebrations, and connect Día de los Muertos traditions to ELA, social studies, science, and math.

[Teach the history of Día de los Muertos in social studies](id-ss)

Start with the holiday’s cultural and historical context before students compare it with nearby seasonal traditions or celebrations worldwide. These social studies activities help students build background knowledge, notice similarities and differences, and discuss why cultural traditions matter.

Teach the history of the Day of the Dead

Use this elementary-level activity to help students build background knowledge before they compare Día de los Muertos with other holidays. The lesson starts with image observations, moves into reading, and ends with a discussion or creative responses that students can connect back to what they learned.

Mini lesson plan: Day of the Dead history

Use this lesson to introduce the meaning and traditions of Día de los Muertos through images, reading, discussion, and a short creative response.

Lesson goal Students learn about Day of the Dead and its importance in Mexican culture.

Materials

Newsela text set: Teach about the history of the Day of the Dead
Image 1
Image 2
KWL Chart
Draw with Writing graphic organizer

Introduce

KWL Chart: Show students Image 1 and Image 2 from the text set. Ask what they notice, what connections they can make, and what they already know or want to know about Day of the Dead.

Explore

Reading task: Assign students to read either Day of the Dead is a holiday to remember loved ones or Day of the Dead sweets and treats. Have them highlight details about what Day of the Dead is and how people celebrate it.

Demonstrate

Partner Discussion: Pair students with someone who read a different article. Ask them to discuss what Day of the Dead is, how people celebrate it, and why it matters to learn about holidays from different cultures.

STEAM Challenge

Design a Sugar Skull: Have students design a colorful sugar skull to represent a loved one, historical figure, or character. Then ask them to write 3–4 sentences explaining who they chose and why.

Compare Halloween and Día de Muertos traditions

Use this activity to help students see that Halloween and Día de los Muertos may happen close together on the calendar, but they come from different histories and traditions. Students brainstorm what they know, track evidence, and discuss similarities and differences of how each holiday has been observed over time.

Social studies resource set

Resources for comparing Halloween and Día de Muertos

Use these resources to help students compare the histories, symbols, and traditions of Halloween and Día de Muertos.

Resource	Reading Level / Runtime	Spanish?
The Aztec roots of the Day of the Dead Video	6:10
Halloween owes its tricks and treats to the ancient Celtic New Year’s Eve Article	620L–1220L
Mexican celebration Day of the Dead comes to life for American retailers Article	570L–1270L	Yes
Day of the Dead sweets and treats Article	310L–1290L	Yes
Skeletons aren’t meant to scare you on Day of the Dead Article	430L–1170L	Yes
Time Machine (1892): The customs of Halloween Article	580L–1170L	Yes
Halloween’s scary fairies Article	350L–1050L
The most popular Halloween candy in America, by state Article	410L–1300L

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Compare Día de los Muertos with cultural celebrations around the world

Use this text set when you want students to compare Día de los Muertos with other cultural and religious celebrations. The resources can help students recognize how communities use food, music, rituals, and stories to honor history and identity.

Social studies resource set

Resources for comparing cultural celebrations

Use these resources to help students compare Día de los Muertos with holidays and cultural celebrations from around the world.

Resource	Reading Level	Spanish?	Read More
Skeletons aren’t meant to scare you on Day of the Dead Article	430L–1170L	Yes
Halloween owes its tricks and treats to the ancient Celtic New Year’s Eve Article	620L–1220L		Halloween Blog
Opinion: What Kwanzaa means for Black Americans Article	610L–1230L	Yes	Kwanzaa Blog
St. Patrick’s Day Traditions Article	450L–1360L	Yes	St. Patrick’s Day Blog
History and significance of Diwali, the festival of lights Article	530L–1110L	Yes	Diwali Blog
What is Eid and how do Muslims celebrate it? Six questions answered Explainer	610L–1190L	Yes	Eid Blog
Celebrating holidays around the world Article	430L–1060L	Yes
Celebrating Juneteenth, Freedom Day Article	300L–940L	Yes	Juneteenth Blog
The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Article	540L–1140L	Yes	Ramadan Blog
The History of Hanukkah Article	440L–1350L	Yes	Hanukkah Blog

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

[Analyze Día de los Muertos and Halloween in ELA](id-ela)

Use this ELA text set, created by Mississippi teacher Bertha Williams, when you want to compare Día de los Muertos and Halloween through informational text, evidence, and author’s purpose. Students start with guided highlighting, then move on to independent reading, quizzes, and a written response requiring them to cite evidence.

ELA text set

Día de los Muertos and Halloween text set

Use this text set to help students compare Halloween and Día de los Muertos while practicing close reading, annotation, text evidence, central idea, text structure, and author’s purpose.

Essential question

What are the differences between Día de los Muertos and Halloween?

Resource	Reading Level	Spanish?
Halloween owes its tricks and treats to the ancient Celtic New Year’s Eve	620L–1220L
Latino community celebrates Day of the Dead: “This is the one chance… to guide them back”	530L–1280L	Yes
Opinion: Disney’s “Coco” is a smash hit in Mexico, fueling big hopes for its U.S. release	580L–1140L	Yes
Mexican celebration Day of the Dead comes to life for American retailers	570L–1270L	Yes
Day of the Dead sweets and treats	310L–1290L	Yes
Skeletons aren’t meant to scare you on Day of the Dead	430L–1170L	Yes
Halloween’s scary fairies	350L–1050L
Time Machine (1892): The customs of Halloween	580L–1170L	Yes

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Standards alignment

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.1 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.2 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.8.6

[Connect Día de los Muertos traditions to science and math](id-sci)

Key Takeaways

● Start with a visible tradition. Skeletons, rock candy, marigolds, candles, and papel picado give students concrete entry points for science and math questions tied to the holiday.
● Keep the learning task specific. Ask students to explain a phenomenon, support a claim, observe a structure, or analyze a pattern instead of stopping at a holiday-themed craft.
● Match each resource to the subject move. Use science resources for bones, sugar crystals, plants, and light, then use math videos for symmetry, shapes, transformations, and scale.

Students can use Día de los Muertos traditions as entry points for questions about bones, sugar crystals, flowers, and patterns. They can move from cultural context into hands-on science and math connections without turning the activities into crafts alone.

Explore why we have bones

The science text set, designed by educator Patriciaanne Fox, asks the question “Why do we have bones?” This is a fun one to use for Day of the Dead because skeletons and skulls are well-known symbols of the holiday.

Students choose two resources, highlight what’s new and what they already knew, and write a 1–2 paragraph response using evidence from texts.

Science text set

Skeleton lessons for exploring why we have bones

Use these resources to help students investigate the skeletal system and explain why humans have bones.

Compelling question

Why do I have bones?

Resource	Reading Level	Spanish?
A tiny skeleton found in Chile might look like an alien, her genes don’t Article	580L–1110L	Yes
Celebrate your skeleton this Halloween Article	410L–960L	Yes
How bones grow Explainer	410L–1010L	Yes
The long and short (and flat and irregular) of it: bone shapes Article	420L–1000L	Yes
Brainy bones: the hidden complexity inside your skeleton Article	420L–1000L
Big Questions: Why do we have bones? Article	310L–920L	Yes
Learning how the bones and muscles work together Explainer	560L–1020L
The skeletal system Infographic	790L–920L	Yes

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Make rock candy to study sugar crystals

Use this hands-on activity to connect Día de los Muertos sugar skulls with the chemistry of crystals. Students can make rock candy, then use the paired readings to learn how sugar molecules form crystals through nucleation and why seed crystals help bigger crystals grow.

Science activity

Make rock candy to study sugar crystals

Use this activity to connect Día de los Muertos sugar skulls with the chemistry of sugar crystals, nucleation, and seed crystals.

Materials

Gather these supplies before students make rock candy and observe how sugar crystals form.

Granulated sugar

Grill skewers

Clear plastic cups

Large pot that holds at least 4 quarts

Measuring cups

Transparent tape

Food coloring

Roll of paper towels

Nitrile or latex gloves

Small digital scale

Rock candy and sugar chemistry resources

Use these resources to connect the activity to sugar crystals, chemistry, and why sugar tastes sweet.

Resource	Reading Level	Spanish?
Make your own rock candy Activity	400L–940L
Sugar’s chemistry: A short but sweet explanation Explainer	430L–1150L	Yes
Big Questions: Why does sugar taste so good? Explainer	370L–940L	Yes

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Study marigolds through flower anatomy

Use this activity to connect Día de los Muertos marigolds with plant structure. Students can examine a flower, remove one part at a time with tweezers or another classroom-safe tool, group the parts they find, and draw what they notice. Then use the paired resources to connect their observations to plant anatomy, water movement, and pollination.

Science resource set

Flower anatomy resources for studying marigolds

Use these resources to help students connect a flower observation activity to plant parts, water movement, and pollination.

Resource	Reading Level	Spanish?
Plant anatomy Explainer	440L–950L
How plants pump water Infographic	820L
The process of pollination Explainer	820L–890L	Yes

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Use Generation Genius science videos for plant and light connections

These Generation Genius science videos can help younger students connect familiar Día de los Muertos symbols to observable science ideas. Marigolds can lead into plant parts, pollination, and growth conditions. Candles and ofrendas can lead into light, reflection, and vision.

Generation Genius science videos

Plant and light videos for Día de los Muertos connections

Use these videos to connect marigolds, candles, and ofrendas to plant science and light concepts.

Topic	Grade Band	Runtime	Use For
Parts of a Plant	K–2	10:59	Study the parts of cempasúchil (marigolds), one of the flowers strongly associated with Día de los Muertos traditions.
Pollination and Seed Dispersal	K–2	11:08	Use marigolds as the real-world plant connection and explore how flowering plants reproduce and spread.
Plants Need Water and Light	K–2	10:48	Connect to growing marigolds and what these culturally significant flowers need to survive.
Plant Growth Conditions	K–2	12:31	Students can investigate conditions that affect marigold growth.
Introduction to Light	K–2	10:05	Candles and light are common elements of ofrendas, creating a meaningful entry point into how light lets us see.
Light Reflection & Vision	3–5	9:40	Build on the use of candles and light by exploring how light travels and allows objects to be seen.

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Use Generation Genius math videos for symmetry, shapes, and patterns

These Generation Genius math videos connect Día de los Muertos-inspired designs with shape attributes, symmetry, angles, transformations, and scale. Papel picado is a natural fit here because students can look for repeating forms, lines of symmetry, and proportional design choices.

Generation Genius math videos

Math videos for Día de los Muertos-inspired designs

Use these videos to connect papel picado and decorative designs to shapes, symmetry, angles, transformations, and scale.

Topic	Grade Band	Runtime	Use For
Identify & Draw Shapes By Attributes	K–2	10:29	Find and describe geometric shapes and repeating forms in papel picado or other decorative designs.
Lines of Symmetry	3–5	11:58	Excellent fit for papel picado and symmetrical decorative designs. Students can identify or create lines of symmetry.
Intro to Angles	3–5	12:52	Identify angles within geometric papel picado patterns or other decorative designs.
Transformations: Reflections & Translations	6–8	13:34	Very strong for analyzing repeating and reflected patterns in papel picado designs.
Transformations: Rotations & Dilations	6–8	15:31	Explore how a motif can rotate, repeat, or change size within a decorative pattern.
Scale Drawings (Using Scale Factor)	6–8	15:58	Students could enlarge or reduce a traditional-inspired geometric design while preserving proportions.

Scroll left to right to see the full table.

Teach cultural holidays year-round with Newsela Learning Suite

Día de los Muertos activities can help students build background knowledge, compare cultural traditions, and connect meaningful symbols to ELA, social studies, science, and math. They also give students a chance to practice close reading, discussion, observation, and evidence-based thinking through a topic that’s rich with history and cultural meaning.

Newsela Learning Suite can help you extend that work beyond Día de los Muertos by providing multimodal content on historical and cultural events throughout the year. Not a Newsela customer yet? Sign up for free and start your 45-day trial to explore premium content and activities you can use all year for other culturally relevant topics in your classroom.