Day Of The Dead ESL Lesson Plan

OBJECTIVE & OVERVIEW

This Day of the Dead ESL lesson plan contains PDF worksheets, activities, and digital materials for intermediate B1 students. By the end of the lesson, students will understand and be able to talk about Day of the Dead traditions and celebrations. They will also be able to use relative pronouns to describe someone special to them or explain Day of the Dead to someone.

PREVIEW & DISCUSSION

The first part of this ESL lesson plan on Day of the Dead has students compare and contrast this special day to Halloween. There are some images and vocabulary terms to help students make their comparisons. Then, students discuss a few questions related to these two celebrations. There is one more vocabulary activity provided for students to match the definitions to some Day of the Dead related vocabulary terms.

VIDEO & LISTENING COMPREHENSION

The video that this lesson is based on is narrated by a man named Antonio who celebrates Day of the Dead. He explains the holiday in detail, including its origins and some of its traditions. In the viewing and listening activities, students answer some questions, do a matching exericse, and a true/false exercise.

DISCUSSION & GRAMMAR

After students watch the video, they'll discuss a few more questions about Day of the Dead and celebrations/traditions in general. Next, students read some quotes from Antonio in the video, each of which contains one example of a relative pronoun (that and who). Students do a short activity about the rules and usage of these relative pronouns, and proceed to do an activity in which they transform and connect two different sentences using these two relative pronouns.

TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE SPECIAL

In this lesson plan, there are two options for students to choose from for the communicative activation. In the first option, students engage in a discussion or give a short presentation about someone special (it can be a family member, a friend, a teacher, etc.) who has influenced them in some way. In this activity, they'll use both relative pronouns they stuided earlier in the lesson. In the second option, students can take part in a role play exercise in which one student invites another (their friend) to a Day of the Dead celebration, and explains the basics of the holiday. They are also prompted to use relative pronouns in this exercise.

Benefits of using this Day of the Dead ESL lesson plan:

Cultural Sensitivity: Encouraging students to learn about and discuss the Day of the Dead promotes cultural sensitivity and respect for diverse traditions.

Personal Connection: Discussing someone who has influenced them personally allows students to make a personal connection to the topic, making the lesson more engaging and relevant.

Grammar Application: Students practice using relative pronouns "who" and "that" naturally in their speech, reinforcing grammar rules in a practical context.