What is Dia de Los Muertos? Instructional Slide Deck

Before integrating Dia de Los Muertos activities into the classroom, you must first teach the students the details and cultural traditions behind the celebration. While creating this Dia de Los Muerto activity for elementary students, we discovered many facts about the Day of the Dead.

• Dia de Los Muertos means the Day of the Dead in Spanish.
• It is a Mexican holiday celebrating the lives and memories of those who have passed away.
• It’s a time when families gather to remember their deceased loved ones.
• People decorate their homes with candles and flowers and set up an ofrenda (in English, these are called altars) in their homes where they can leave offerings.
• It’s celebrated on November 1st —the day that the dead would rise from their graves—and lasts for two days. 
• People clean and decorate graves with marigolds and other flowers and leave colorful offerings like sugar skulls, candles and toys.

Dia de Los Muertos for Kids – Ready-to-Teach Resources

Promoting cultural awareness and celebrating Mexican culture with Day of the Dead or Dia De Los Muertos activities at school is easy. This instructional slide deck is the perfect place to start!

 It offers easy-to-read (and teach) text, bright colors, vivid photographs, videos, and checks for understanding throughout the presentation. It’s the perfect way to introduce your young students to Mexican culture and this memorial holiday. Celebrate culture, promote multiculturalism, and practice reading skills, all while exploring parts of the world beyond your classroom.

How Do You Teach Your Students about The Day of the Dead?

In addition to standard instructional use, use this Day of the Dead slide deck as a resource for

• Dia de Muerto Celebrations at School
• Introduction to an elementary culture project, or as a lead-in to a schoolwide Dia de Los Muertos 2022 celebration.

Easily Download & Print

Use the Download button to download the Google Slides version of this resource. 

This resource was created by Beth Hindi, a teacher in Texas and Teach Starter Collaborator.

Don’t stop there! We’ve got more Day of the Dead activities to shorten your lesson planning time:  

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