Día de los Muertos — Student Pack

1. Symbol Detective

An ofrenda (home altar) welcomes deceased loved ones back for a visit. Write the letter of the category that best fits each object. Some objects can do more than one job — pick the role that best fits.

Categories: A = Guides the spirits (light & scent) · B = Nourishes visiting spirits · C = Remembers a specific person · D = Represents life's fragility / the cycle

• Marigolds (cempasúchil)  —  Category: ______
• Candles  —  Category: ______
• Copal incense  —  Category: ______
• Water  —  Category: ______
• Salt  —  Category: ______
• Pan de muerto  —  Category: ______
• The person's favorite foods  —  Category: ______
• Photographs  —  Category: ______
• Personal objects  —  Category: ______
• Papel picado  —  Category: ______
• Sugar or clay calaveras (skulls)  —  Category: ______
• Monarch butterfly imagery  —  Category: ______

2. Map the Tradition

Map description: The map centers on Mexico and highlights several places associated with Día de los Muertos. In the west, Michoacán and the town of Pátzcuaro with its lake island of Janitzio are marked, known for candlelit nighttime vigils in cemeteries and Purépecha traditions. To the south, Oaxaca is highlighted, known for marigold-filled altars and neighborhood street processions called comparsas. Mexico City is marked in the center, including nearby Mixquic and its large cemetery observances. Farther north, the map shows U.S. diaspora communities in cities such as Los Angeles, San Antonio, and Chicago, where museums and neighborhoods host public celebrations. Together these points show one tradition expressed in many local ways rather than a single fixed practice.

Locate Mexico and the named regions (Michoacán/Pátzcuaro, Oaxaca, Mexico City, and U.S. diaspora communities).

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Compare two regions' practices using the description — for example, Michoacán's quiet candlelit vigils and Oaxaca's lively comparsas.

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Wonder: what stays similar and what changes as the tradition moves between regions and across the border?

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3. Fact or Misconception?

Read each statement and write the letter of the category that fits best.

Categories: S = Supported · M = Misconception · D = Depends on community or family

• Día de los Muertos is basically 'Mexican Halloween.'  —  ______
• The main days are November 1 and November 2.  —  ______
• November 1 is often dedicated to remembering children who have died.  —  ______
• The tradition blends pre-Hispanic Indigenous practices with Catholic observances.  —  ______
• Marigolds' color and scent are believed to help guide spirits.  —  ______
• Every family builds its altar exactly the same way.  —  ______
• La Catrina is an ancient Aztec goddess of the dead.  —  ______
• Painting one's face as a Catrina skull is a centuries-old ritual requirement.  —  ______
• Sugar skulls (calaveras) are always meant to be eaten.  —  ______
• Monarch butterflies are seen as the souls of the dead returning.  —  ______
• Papel picado is a purely pre-Hispanic art unchanged for millennia.  —  ______
• The ofrenda is meant to welcome and honor loved ones, not to scare people.  —  ______
• Comparsas (satirical costumed street parades) happen the same way everywhere in Mexico.  —  ______

4. Pattern & Design Hunt

Papel picado description: A single rectangular banner of thin colored paper has a design cut out of it so that light passes through the holes. A wide border frames the edges, and the interior is organized by a vertical line of symmetry, so the left and right halves mirror each other. A central medallion of curling, flower-like shapes forms a clear focal point, surrounded by rows of small repeated diamonds and half-circles that create a steady rhythm. Scalloped points run along the bottom edge, and the paper's bright color contrasts with the wall behind it. The overall effect is delicate, balanced, and lively.

Notice repetition and symmetry — where do shapes repeat, and where does one half mirror the other?

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Identify the focal point and color choices — what draws your eye first, and how does color affect the mood?

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Infer why the design might be arranged this way — how do the cut-out holes, border, and rhythm work together when the banner hangs and moves?

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5. Memory Story

Día de los Muertos is, at heart, about remembering. Create a short remembrance: a six-word remembrance, a mini story (3–5 sentences), OR an illustrated memory card with a short caption.

Subject — Who or what are you remembering? (a person, place, tradition, pet, or memory — real, historical, or fictional)

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Six-word remembrance — Sum up the subject in exactly six words.

______ / ______ / ______ / ______ / ______ / ______

Mini story or caption — 3–5 sentences, or a caption for your memory card, telling why this subject is worth remembering.

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One symbol I would add — Name a marigold, favorite food, object, or image you'd place with this memory — and say why.

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Illustrated memory card (optional)