Summer 1 – Topic -week 3 (wk. 4. 5. 20) - Halo Mexico

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Create key

vocabulary page

Read through

‘Day of the

Dead’

PowerPoint and

create key

vocabulary/

glossary page

Answer

questions

Create a

paragraph about

Day of the Dead

by answering

questions.

Draw skull

Draw (and

colour if

possible) your

own ‘Day of the

Dead’ style

skull.

Mark work

Mark your work

and correct if

needed.

Bank Holiday

Have a lovely

bank holiday.

Week beginning: 4th May

Over the course of this week, you will be researching and learning about a famous

Mexican celebration- Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Day of the Dead is

celebrated across 3 days between October 31st and November 2nd. This is a celebration

during which the dead are honoured, although it is not a sad time; instead, it is a fiesta

(festival/celebration) of flowers, food, candles, parades, prayer and fun.

Monday

Date: Monday 4th May

Title: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) vocabulary

Task:

1) Watch video: https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/101-video-

shorts/0000015f-53ae-de6d-a9df-f7fea78c0000

2) Read through ‘Day of the Dead PowerPoint’.

3) Write the date and title into your Topic book.

4) Create a Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) vocabulary list into your Topic book

using the PowerPoint you have just read to help you. Please choose at least 6 words.

You may wish to do this over a double page in your book as I would like you to include

illustrations- be as creative as you can. If you have access to colours, try to make your

pictures bright and bold.

Here are some words (and pictures) you may wish to include. (These words will be in the

answers on Thursday):

Día de los Muertos

Calacas

Calavera

Cempasúchil

Copal

Pan de muerto

Ofrendas

Las Velas

Tuesday

Date: Tuesday 5th May

(Can you remember the name of a Mexican celebration that is held on this day?)

Title: Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Task:

Write the date and title into your Topic book.

Today I would like you to create a paragraph about Day of the Dead by answering the

following questions into your book. Make sure you write in full sentences.

1) What is Day of the Dead?

(Day of the Dead is…)

E.g. Day of the Dead is a traditional Mexican celebration during which the dead

are honoured. However, the occasion is festive, rather than morbid. The fiesta

includes spending time in cemeteries, making shrines to the dead, and displaying

artistic skulls and skeletons.

2) When does Day of the Dead take place?

(Remember to answer in full sentences like in the example above.

Day of the Dead takes place over…..

Day of the Dead is celebrated between…..)

3) Where is Day of the Dead celebrated?

(Day of the Dead is celebrated in….)

4) Name five things which take place during Day of the Dead festival.

(Five things which take place during the Day of the Dead festival are:)

Extension: Write one fact of your own to add to your paragraph. Remember to write in

full sentences.

You may wish to add a picture to your work that is relevant to the Day of the Dead; for

instance, an altar or a Mexican marigold. Please do not draw a skull as we will do this

tomorrow.

Wednesday

Date: Wednesday 6th May

Title: Day of the Dead Skull

There is probably no more iconic symbol for Day of the Dead than the skull, or

“calavera”. The “calavera” is usually an ornately decorated representation of a skull,

often featuring flowers, animals, and other decorations. During the holiday, this

imagery is seen everywhere, from Ofrendas, to paper crafts, and even to cartoons on

newspapers.

Everything about Día de Muertos is bright and colourful, especially the decorations.

Here are meanings behind some of the colours and symbols you’d see on Dia de los

Muertos.

Yellow – Represents the sun and unity, because under the sun, we’re all the same.

White – Using this colour in decorations represents spirit, hope and purity.

Red – Represents blood and life.

Purple – For this holiday, purple represents mourning, grief and suffering.

Pink – The bubbly colour signifies happiness.

Marigolds – People spread petals from these round, yellow-orange flowers to guide

spirits of loved ones to the celebration.

Ofrendas – Altars that are festively adorned with decorations, candles, food and

photographs.

Flowers - to symbolize life

Cobwebs - symbolize death

Burning candles set inside the eyes of a skull - a sign of remembrance

Task:

1) Draw your own Day of the Dead skull. Try to decorate your skull using symbols

and colours (if possible) that you’d see on Dia de los Muertos.

2) Here is a video that will help you to draw an outline for your scull (watch until

3:30). It is up to you if you watch the full video for ideas on how to decorate

your scull.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h53SiATbLzE

Or

Use https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ah-hwhqzbQ if you prefer.

Extension: Write two to three sentences explaining why you have chosen the colours

and symbols on your skull

Here are the steps to creating the outline for your skull (screenshotted from video):

1) Draw two even circles

2) Turn paper 180 degrees

3) Draw a love heart

4) Turn paper back over

5) Draw cheeks

6) Draw an upside down U shape

7) Draw a U shape

8) Draw mouth

9)

10)

11)

Thursday

Date: Thursday 7th May

Mark topic work where appropriate- see topic answers for this.

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to email us.

Seahorses@signhillsacademy.co.uk

Mantarays@signhillsacademy.co.uk

Swordfish@signhillsacademy.co.uk

Year 6

Sugar Skull Design Examples:

Day of the Dead Powerpoint