Most American students are very familiar with Halloween, but have they ever heard of Día de los Muertos? Chances are they are already amped up at this time of year, so why not capitalize on this excitement by squeezing in a little extra cultural enrichment?

This resource includes a Day of the Dead reading comprehension (in English), a list of Spanish vocabulary words that cover key elements of both Day of the Dead and Halloween, and 8 different fun practice worksheets. These also make great bell-ringers, homework or work for early finishers!

Includes:

1. English Reading Comprehension: Kickstart the lesson with a 2 page illustrated reading passage that covers the basics of Día de los Muertos including origins and new holiday-related vocabulary.
2. Short Answer: Provides an opportunity for students to apply knowledge and check comprehension of reading passage
3. Vocabulary List: From la ofrenda to la bruja, continue lesson with a curated list of 25 Day of the Dead and Halloween words in Spanish
4. Venn Diagram: Engage your students in critical thinking as they categorize their new vocabulary by grouping it according to the appropriate holiday.
5. Repetition-Based Learning: Utilize the power of repetition to solidify vocabulary retention. Students will practice writing seasonal words multiple times, enhancing their memory and fluency..
6. Word Jumble: Challenge your students' word recognition skills with an exciting word jumble activity. They'll create their own jumbles to reveal names of Halloween and Day of the Dead vocabulary.
7. Drawing and Labeling: Tap into your students' artistic side as they sketch and label their new words. This activity promotes creativity while reinforcing vocabulary and spelling.
8. Word Search: This activity enhances spelling, vocabulary recognition, and problem-solving skills.
9. Matching: Learners to make connections between words and their translations. By actively associating and pairing words together, learners establish meaningful connections that enhance their understanding and retention of vocabulary.
10. Creative Writing: Students draw from previous language knowledge to create complete sentences relevant to the new vocabulary. This is a slightly more advanced activity that allows students to use higher-level thinking and creativity to form sentences using verb tenses and additional they are familiar with.

The constant buzz and excitement always makes late October one of the most challenging seasons to teach. Give YOURSELF a treat this Halloween/Día de los Muertos - Busy, Happy, and Quiet Students!

*Answer key is included only for Short Answer and Wordsearch activities. Answers will vary for other activities.

If the vocabulary here doesn't quite fit what you are looking for, try my Fall Emergency Sub Lesson Plan.

Check out my other Emergency Spanish Sub Plans for lots of other themed vocabulary sets that can be used for a sub or when you just need an in-person mental health day! :)