Mrs. Suba's Class Created Ofrendas for Dia De Los Muertos!
Students in Mrs. Suba’s classroom recently observed Día de los Muertos with a special cultural exploration project!
Día de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead”, is an annual holiday in Mexico that takes place from November 1st to November 2nd. It is regarded as a joyful celebration in memory of those who are no longer with us.
A customary activity of Día de los Muertos celebrations is to create Ofrendas. Ofrendas, or “Offerings”, are miniature altars decorated with pictures, memorabilia, and favorite items of the departed person. Tradition states that these offerings are placed so that the souls of the departed will visit and hear the words of the living.
Mrs. Suba’s eighth graders created small Ofrendas using shoeboxes as part of a weeklong classroom celebration. Students were asked to dedicate their project to a loved one, family member, famous person, or pet who has passed away. Each day throughout the week, the students added a different element to their project, including a biographical paragraph written entirely in Spanish to give students practical experience in written communication while building and reinforcing vocabulary.
On the final day, students are given the opportunity to share their project with the class, and many do. In the process, each member of the class tends to learn something new about their classmates. According to Suba, this is one of the most memorable and emotional class meetings of each school year at MCS.
