Day of the Dead: Annotation Guide & Mini Research Assignment {7 - 12 ELA}

Try something other than Poe in your secondary English classroom this Halloween; instead, send them off to try a mini-research project! This mini-research project gives students the chance to learn about the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead while honoring the lives of amazing poets and authors who have died.

This product has two parts: a mini-research project and a fiction/poetry reading annotation guide. The two parts can be used together or separately - that's up to you! The mini-research project sends students to their school databases to look up biographical information about famous poets (or other dead authors if you choose!). With the information they've learned, students will create a colorful handout to present to the rest of the class and to place on a bulletin board or door dec "Author Altar" set up in the style of Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead.

The Product Includes:

• Lesson Plan suggestions
• The Research Assignment - A one-page overview of a three step research process. The original copy (PDF) has students focus on dead poets, but I've also included an editable Google Docs compatible version for you to edit as you please! You can easily send students to research a number of dead authors (see list at the end of description)
• An "altar" handout for students to complete while researching, present, and then place on your classroom (or door dec) altar. This item is a PDF and cannot be changed so that I can protect the copyright of the clipart artists.
• Rubric for the research project
• EXTENSION: An open-ended annotation guide for any Day of the Dead related short stories or poetry (PDF)
  • List of suggested poems and short stories included

Ways to Use this Product:

TWO DAYS:

Day One:  Assign Research Assignment: Day of the Dead Author Altar

Day Two:  Present Authors

THREE DAYS:

Day One:  Open with a Day of the Dead poem or short story;

introduce Research Assignment

Day Two:  In-class work day on Author Altars and research

Day Three:  Present Authors

FOUR DAYS:

Day One:  Put students into eight groups.  Assign two groups the poem from Komunyakaa, assign two groups the poem from Vasquez, assign two groups the poem from Campo, and assign two groups the short story from Gonzalez.  Have students read and annotate for their assigned reading.

Day Two:  JIGSAW!  Now that students are experts in their own reading assignment, reassign the groups so that the groups contain one student from each reading assignment.  Students should share their poem/story and a summary of what they learned.

Day Three:  Assign Research Assignment: Day of the Dead Author Altar; Read and discuss overview article

Day Four: Present Authors

FIVE DAYS:

Day One:  Put students into eight groups.  Assign two groups the poem from Komunyakaa, assign two groups the poem from Vasquez, assign two groups the poem from Campo, and assign two groups the short story from Gonzalez.  Have students read and annotate for their assigned reading.

Day Two:  JIGSAW!  Now that students are experts in their own reading assignment, reassign the groups so that the groups contain one student from each reading assignment.  Students should share their poem/story and a summary of what they learned.

Day Three:  Assign Research Assignment: Day of the Dead Author Altar; Read and discuss overview article

Day Four: Provide an in-class work day

Day Five:  Present Authors