Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
Congratulations on your purchase of the Really Good Stuff®
Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit, a creative set of lessons
that helps English language learners and all students practice
oral language along with reading comprehension, literature, art,
and writing.
This Really Good Stuff® product includes:
• 25 Photo Cards
• 1 Day of the Dead Game Mat
• 2 Write Again™ Dry-Erase Graphic Organizers
• 21 Magnetic Skeleton Parts and Accessories
• This Really Good Stuff® Teaching Guide
Introducing the Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit presents five
engaging content-based lessons that address English
Language Development (ELD) standards (speaking, reading,
and writing) as students learn about the Day of the Dead
holiday. Students will learn how the holiday is observed and will
be introduced to the skeleton art of José Guadalupe Posada,
the artist whose work is the inspiration for today’s popular
Day of the Dead folk art around the world. The Kit includes a
Day of the Dead game, a read-aloud literature lesson, a
teacher-directed ELD art lesson, and a writing activity, plus
suggestions for home-school connections. This comprehensive
Really Good Stuff® Teaching Guide, which includes
differentiated questioning strategies, ensures that even an
inexperienced teacher will be successful in helping students
develop their English vocabulary and syntax.
The 25 Photo Cards, used in Lessons 1 and 3 (and anytime
you find them helpful) show:
• 3 Day of the Dead holiday scenes (#s A1–A3)
• 16 skeletons that match the photos on the Game Mat
(#s 1–16)
• 6 additional skeleton photos (#s 17–22)
3–5 ELD Standards and Instructional Goals:
Beginning—Read aloud simple words in stories.
Early Intermediate—Read simple vocabulary, phrases, and
sentences independently; use pictures and graphic organizers
to write simple sentences appropriate for Language Arts and
other content areas.
Intermediate—Demonstrate internalization of English
grammar, usage, and word choice by recognizing and correcting
when speaking or reading aloud.
Target vocabulary: died, dead, grave, cemetery, candles,
decorate, celebration, remember, skull, skeleton, believe, symbol
Teacher Preparation
• Get out the Photo Cards #s A1–A3. Also get out a Day of
the Dead skeleton figurine if you have one.
• Copy the What Is Day of the Dead? Reproducible for
every student.
• Write the five questions (below) on sentence strips and
place them in a pocket chart.
• Have available blank sentence strips, a pocket chart, and
colored markers.
Introducing the Lesson
Gather students and tell them that this week they are going
to learn about the holiday Día de los muertos, or Day of the
Dead. Pass out the What Is Day of the Dead? Reproducible to
each student, and read the text aloud while students read
along silently with you. Discuss target vocabulary (in bold font)
as needed.
Show and discuss Photo Cards #s A1–A3. Use the text and
sample questions on the backs of the Cards as a guide. These
Cards can be used again at a later time to review and extend
vocabulary, time permitting.
Lesson 1: What Is Day of the Dead?
Lesson Overview
This activity is designed to provide background information
about Day of the Dead and the context for this ELD Kit. This
comprehension lesson provides support through oral
language, visuals, and a group activity in which students read
for information.
K–2 ELD Standards and Instructional Goals:
Beginning—Listening & Speaking: Answer simple questions
with one- and two-word responses.
Early Intermediate—Reading: Read aloud an increasing
number of English words.
Intermediate—Reading: Read and orally responds to
comprehension questions using simple sentences. Writing:
Write simple sentences appropriate for Language Arts and
other content areas.
What Is Day of the Dead?
?
Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a two-day fiesta in Mexico,
co, Peru,
Per and
now many cities in the United States. It takes place on November 1st
st and
an 2nd
around the time of Halloween, but it is not really like Halloween.
ave died
d return
Many people believe that on these days the spirits of people who have
to visit their families, who honor them and welcome them as guests.
s. It is not a
ons and skulls
sad time, but a happy time when the dead are remembered. Skeletons
s
are symbols of death, but they are meant to make us laugh, not to be scary.
spe
To welcome home their ancestors who have died, families prepare a special
altar
love ones.
in their homes, and go to the cemetery to visit the graves of their loved
etery, andd
Many families bring flowers, candles, and picnic lunches to the cemetery,
often spend all night there—talking, eating, singing, and praying.
he
Altars, called ofrendas in Spanish, are decorated with a special flower for the
rigold.
Day of the Dead, called cempazúchil (sem-pah-soo-cheel), which is like a marigold.
ass of
A photo of each dead person, the person’s favorite foods, a candle, and a glass
water are placed on the altar. If it is a child who died, many families put the
ackers
child’s favorite toy on the altar. Parents sometimes shoot off firecrackers
outside the house to help the child find his or her way home.
muertoo.
A special sweet bread baked only for Day of the Dead is called pan de muerto.
Sometimes the bread is made in the shape of a skull or a skeleton, or it has a
ot chocolate
skull and crossbones on the top. In many villages the people drink hot
and eat tamales or other favorite fiesta foods.
Day of the Dead is a fun time for children who like to go the market to see and
etons for Day
buy skeleton toys and decorated sugar skulls. Sometimes the skeletons
of the Dead are homemade, and sometimes they are beautiful workss of art that
rine is
people in other countries like to buy. The most famous skeleton figurine
alupe Posada,
Catrina, who was first drawn by a Mexican artist named José Guadalupe
ebrations.
and has become a symbol around the world for Day of the Dead celebrations.
All teaching guides can be found online:
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Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
Group Work
Assign students to work in five groups, and number the groups.
Pass out two blank sentence strips, a colored marker, and
scissors to each group. Ask groups to read What Is Day of the
Dead? again, but this time they must find the answer to their
assigned comprehension questions (below), which you have
placed in the pocket chart in order. Note: Students may use
words, phrases, or sentences depending on their ELD level. If
you have heterogeneous ELD levels, you might assign the
following jobs according to proficiency level: Facilitator, writer,
presenter, and assistant, if you don’t already have cooperative
learning jobs set up. The writer and presenter should be the
most proficient students.
Each group must agree on an answer to their assigned
question, and the writer will record the answer on the sentence
strip. When every group has finished writing, ask them to decide
which picture best goes with their information.
Whole-Class Share/Presentation
Ask groups to read each question aloud one at a time with you,
and then have the group’s presenter and assistant come up
and insert their answer strip next to the appropriate picture.
The presenter will read the group’s answer aloud. Encourage
students to applaud fellow students.
Comprehension Questions
1. Is Day of the Dead a sad time? Explain.
2. What do families do to welcome home the spirits of their
ancestors or the people who have died?
3. What do many people put on their altars?
4. Describe special foods people eat around Day of the Dead.
5. What do children do for Day of the Dead in Mexico?
Lesson 2: Day of the Dead—a Family Celebration
Lesson Overview
Continue the Day of the Dead theme with a book such as
Calavera Abecedario, a simple story by Jeanette Winter about
a real Mexican family who create papier-mâché skeletons. The
second part of Calavera Abecedario, is a Spanish alphabet of
skeleton characters that will help to stimulate students’
imaginations for the art project in Lesson 4. The plot and
character development are fairly simple, but this picture book
creates several terrific opportunities to develop and expand
your students’ vocabularies. If you do not have this book, you
can adapt the lesson to any Day of the Dead storybook.
The Importance of Interactive Questioning
for Vocabulary Development
For all children who are learning to read, but especially for
English language learners, attention to vocabulary
development is essential. We know reading aloud increases
the vocabularies of students, but by itself it is not sufficient
to build or increase comprehension. Many researchers
contend that the real value of reading aloud activities for
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vocabulary growth lies not in the reading alone, but in the
teacher-student talk that accompanies the reading. Isabel
Beck, Ph.D., and Margaret McKeown, Ph.D., in 2001 reported
that this process, which they call “Text Talk,” proved to be
successful in helping students retain new words and
recognize them in later reading. In this lesson, you’ll focus on
a few “word families” in the context of a story about making
art. In addition you’ll talk about the names for people in our
human families. The book Calavera Abecedario, provides many
more opportunities for word learning lessons than we present
here, e.g., the use of compound words and affixes, so you can
use this lesson as a starting point and template for further
activities. We encourage you to use TPR (Total Physical
Response) or have students pantomime the actions
whenever possible.
K–2 ELD Standards and Instructional Goals:
Beginning—Listening & Speaking: Respond to simple directions
using physical actions; answer simple questions with one- and
two-word responses.
Early Intermediate—Listening & Speaking: Ask and answer
questions using phrases or simple sentences.
Intermediate—Listening & Speaking: Ask and answer
instructional questions using simple sentences.
3–5 ELD Standards and Instructional Goals:
Beginning—Reading Fluency & Systematic Vocabulary
Development: Read aloud simple words in stories.
Early Intermediate/Intermediate—Use knowledge of English
morphemes, phonics, and syntax to decode and interpret the
meaning of unfamiliar words in written texts.
Early Advanced—Use common roots and affixes when
attached to known vocabulary.
Target vocabulary: grandfather, son, grandson, grandmother,
daughter, granddaughter, torn, wrap, press, dries, fasten,
snips, paint
Teacher Preparation
• Have the book Calavera Abecedario, or another Day of the
Dead story, ready to read.
• Have the students sit close to you so they can see the
illustrations in the book.
• Have several pieces of chart or butcher paper and markers
on hand.
Introducing the Lesson
Hold up the book and ask students what they see on the cover
(skeletons, letters). Ask children what they think the book will
be about. If using Calavera Abecedario, explain that calavera is
one of the words in Spanish that means skeleton (there are
others), and abecedario means alphabet.
Read the book and show students the illustrations. Explain
that the letters in the second section are the alphabet in
Spanish, and ask if the students can figure out what each of
the skeletons might be.
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Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
• You will be showing the students Skeleton Photo Cards
#s 1–22. Have the students seated nearby so they can
see the photos, unless you plan to pass them around.
• Prior to the lesson, read the Differentiated Questioning
Strategies and look over the questions below, thinking
about your students’ EL levels in order to focus on those
questions most appropriate for your students.
Introducing the Lesson
Tell students that the photos you are going to show them
include skeleton folk art inspired by the drawings of Mexican
artist José Guadalupe Posada. Point out that some artists
use papier-mâché to make skeleton figurines, as the family in
Calavera Abecedario does; others make their figurines
(sometimes called sculptures) out of clay; and others paint on
plates, as in #s 1 and 13. If students are interested and time
allows, ask them if they can determine the medium used by the
artists. (The media used for photos shown on the Game Mat
are listed below.)
Show and discuss each of the Skeleton Photo Cards, identifying
what is shown, and what the skeleton is doing and/or wearing.
Along with the 16 photos that match the Game Mat,
additional photos show two Catrina skeletons, Posada’s iconic
image, and display plates that feature Posada-style drawings.
Pass the Photo Cards around so students can get a closer
look. Then place them in a pocket chart for later use.
The photos in this activity will also serve as visual models and
inspiration for the upcoming art and writing lessons when the
students create their skeleton characters in Lesson 4.
Day of the Dead Game Mat
#1.
Catrina with
watermelon –
wood plate
#2.
Mariachi
woman –
clay figurine
#3.
Flamenco
dancer –
papier-mâché
#4.
Doctor –
papier-mâché
#5.
Soccer
player –
papier-mâché
#6.
Basketball
player –
papier-mâché
#7. Indian
women –
clay figurines
#8.
Folk dancer –
papier-mâché
#9.
Policeman –
clay figurine
#10.
Chefs –
papier-mâché
#11. Mariachi
singer –
clay figurine
#12.
Mariachi with
guitar –
clay figurine
#13.
Angry woman
– clay plate
#14.
#15.
Piano player
Baseball
– clay figurine player –
papier-mâché
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#16.
Musicians –
clay figurine
Interactive Questioning
Use the questions in this guide to develop your students’
academic and everyday language. Refer to the Differentiated
Questioning Strategies and the list of questions below for
guidance on providing “comprehensible input,” i.e., how to
stretch your English Learners and take them to the next
level. These questions are just the beginning, though. You will
need to respond to their answers (which can vary depending
on their proficiency in English). Therefore, the entire process
of questioning cannot be scripted and is necessarily quite
spontaneous.
Treat this as a fun and fast-paced game. Children enjoy finding
and pointing to the skeleton(s) you are describing. Feel free to
extend the lesson and to reinforce the vocabulary by playing
Bingo with the students at a later time.
Questions:
Ask the questions and have students point to the skeletons
you are describing.
• Which skeleton is next to the soccer player? Which one is
below him?
• Is the basketball player holding a telephone? What is he
holding? Where is he holding the ball? (over or above his head)
What is he going to do with it?
• Is the singer in #11 holding a ball? Is he holding a basketball
or a microphone? Why is he holding a microphone? Is he the
same as #12? How are they different?
• Are #11 and #12 standing or sitting? (EL 1) Is anyone here
sitting?
• What color dress is number #3 wearing? What is she doing
with her hands?
• Who else is a dancer? What is the dancer in #8 doing with
her hands? Is her dress the same as the dancer’s in #3?
How is it different?
• Is number #15 wearing a dress? No? Then what is he wearing?
What color are his pants? What else is he wearing? What
kind of ball does he have? Does he wear special clothes to
play baseball? Does anyone else wear special clothes? What
do we call those clothes? (a uniform)
• Does #4 play a musical instrument? (Model the contraction:
No, he doesn’t.) Who plays a musical instrument? What are
these people called?
• Who can describe the skeletons in #16 and tell me what
they do?
• Do basketball and soccer players play music or do they play
sports? What do we call people who play sports? (athletes)
Which of these skeletons are athletes?
• Who is wearing a hat?
• Is skeleton #1 a man or a woman? What is she holding? What
do you think she is going to do with it?
• What is the woman in #14 doing? Where do you think she
works? (Repeat question for chefs, etc.)
• Is the man in #9 a doctor? No? What is his job? Which
skeleton is a doctor?
• Look at the woman in #13. Does she look happy? How do
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Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
Interactive Read-Aloud
Read the book a second time, but before you do, tell students
that this time you will focus on certain words, write them on a
chart, and talk about other words that are in the same word
family. Discuss and write the following words on chart paper as
you encounter them in the book. Here is a sample interactive
read-aloud of Calavera Abecedario.
Father—Ask, “Who are Enrique, Felipe, and Miguel? Who is their
father?” (Don Pedro) “Are they fathers?” (No, they are boys;
they are Don Pedro’s sons.) Write son on the chart.
Torn—Ask, “What did the sons do with the brown paper?”
(They tore it into pieces.) Demonstrate tearing a piece of
paper. Ask students: “What did I do?” (I tore the paper. The
paper is now torn into pieces.) Write the words tore and torn
on the chart.
Wrap—Ask, “What does the father do with the paper?” (He
wraps it around the bamboo.) “This word we spell with a w, it is
different from rap music.” Write wrap on the chart. Have you
ever given someone a present? Did you cover the present or gift
with special paper? You wrapped it with wrapping paper. Candy or
granola bars are wrapped in papers called wrappers. What do we
do with the wrapper? Yes, we put it in the trash or recycling.”
Next to wrap, write the words wrapped, wrapping, wrapper.
Press—Ask, “What do the boys do next? (They press the
paper). Ask, “Can you show me how you press with your fingers?
We have to press down on our pencils or markers or the writing
won’t show, right?” Demonstrate how it looks if you don’t press
when you write with a marker. “If we just put our fingers on the
computer keys, will it type?” (No, we have to press the keys.)
“So, what are we doing when we press? We must push down and
apply pressure.” (Write press and pressure on the chart.) Ask
children to think of other things we press (telephone keys,
elevator buttons, wrinkled clothes, etc.). Note: The word press is
just one example of a common verb that has many real-world
uses and therefore is important to know.
Dries—Ask, “What did the sun do? Yes, it dried the paper.
Why?” (Because it was wet.) “When you wash your hair, and you
go outside, does the sun dry it? After it dries, is your hair soft
or hard? After we wash clothes in a washing machine, we
sometimes put them in another machine to dry. Do you know
what that is called?” Write dry, dries, and dryer on the chart.
“After the clothes dry, will they be soft or hard? After the
paper dries, will it be soft or hard? The paper that has been
mixed with the paste and pressed in molds will dry hard. And
what does it look like now?” (skeleton bones)
Fasten—Ask, “What do they do next with the paper bones?
They attach them, or fasten them. When we drive in the car we
put on our seatbelt—we fasten our seatbelt.” Write fasten on
the chart.
Snips—Ask, “What does the woman do to the cat? Yes, she
cuts the hair on its tail. We usually call the hair on an animal—
like a cat, or dog, or lion—the fur. What does she use to cut
the fur?” (scissors) “Does she cut a lot of hair or a little bit?
Snip is another word for cutting little pieces. Write snip on the
chart. “Have you ever watched someone cut an onion into little
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pieces? Show me what they do. Do we call that snipping the
onion or chopping the onion? Yes, and do we chop it with a pair
of scissors or a knife?”
Paint—Ask, “Why does the woman snip the cat’s hair? Yes, to
make a brush. Is she going to make a hairbrush? No, that’s for
brushing your hair. Show me how you brush your hair. What do
we call a brush we paint with?” Write the word paintbrush next
to paint. “Show me, how do we use a paintbrush?” Point out
that when we put two words together that make another word
it is called a compound word.
Grandson and Grandfather—Say, “Don Pedro is now old. He is
a father, and a grandfather. What do we call the sons of his
sons?” Discuss the relationship between the different boys and
men and draw a diagram if you wish. Then ask a girl if she is a
grandson. Write the word daughter and explain that girls are
not sons but daughters. Ask if the girls have a grandfather and
what his wife is called. Write the word grandmother. Then ask,
“And what are girls called—are they called grandsons? No, they
are called granddaughters.” Write granddaughter on the board.
Home-School Connection
Explain to the students that, like Don Pedro, most parents
pass on what they know to their children. Tell students you
would like them to talk to their parents about their
grandparents. They should ask their parents to share
something their parents taught them that they are also
passing on. It could be how to cook something, how to take
care of a garden or animals, how to make something, or how
to play a sport. Tell them they will be sharing with the class
what they learn from talking with their parents.
Lesson 3: Day of the Dead Game
Lesson Overview
This is a game using our Day of the Dead theme to build oral
language in a comprehensible and enjoyable way. Students will
learn essential common nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
prepositions as they describe, compare, and classify skeleton
figurines. Students will also develop specific vocabulary they
will later use in the skeleton art and writing activities in
Lessons 4 and 5.
ELD Standards and Instructional Goals:
Beginning—Listening & Speaking: Respond to simple directions
using physical actions; answer simple questions with one- and
two-word responses.
Early Intermediate—Listening & Speaking: Ask and answer
questions using phrases or simple sentences.
Intermediate—Listening & Speaking: Ask and answer
instructional questions using simple sentences.
Teacher Preparation
• For a small-group game, have the Day of the Dead Game
Mat ready for students to point to the skeletons that
you describe. For a whole-class game, make a copy of the
Day of the Dead Game Mat Reproducible for students to
use at their desks or tables.
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Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
you know?
• Which space has three skeletons? Are they men or women?
Do they look sad? What is the woman in the middle holding
in her hands? What is the woman on the right holding? How
are the women different?
Guessing Game
State the clues as students look at the Day of the Dead
Game Mat. Encourage them to answer in complete sentences.
• I am thinking of a skeleton in a uniform, who plays a sport
where you never kick the ball. Who is he? (basketball player)
• These are women who perform on a stage but don’t play an
instrument. Who are they? (dancers, #3 and #8)
• He helps people feel better. Who is he? (#4 doctor)
• These skeletons look like they are friends. Who are they? (#7
women)
• I’m thinking of the skeleton who is between the musicians.
Who is it? (#15, the baseball player)
Lesson 4: Skeleton Art Project
Lesson Overview
This is a teacher-directed ELD art lesson. The focus of this
activity is the oral vocabulary and language structures that
are introduced and practiced, not the art itself. Students
should be encouraged to speak and actively use the target
vocabulary in order to meet the following instructional
objectives.
ELD Standards and Instructional Goals:
Beginning—Listening & Speaking: Respond to simple directions
using physical actions; answer simple questions with one- and
two-word responses. Reading: Demonstrate comprehension of
simple vocabulary.
Early Intermediate—Listening & Speaking: Ask and answer
questions using phrases or simple sentences.
Intermediate—Listening & Speaking: Ask and answer
instructional questions using simple sentences.
Target vocabulary: singular and plural body parts (bone, arm,
leg, hand, foot, head, skull, ankle, elbow, shoulder); occupations;
present and past tense verbs (trace, cut, paste, glue, bend,
move, decorate); prepositions/directional vocabulary (above,
below, under, next to, behind, in, on, left, right)
Teacher Preparation
• Separate the unique Magnetic Skeleton Parts and
Accessories.
• Have a cookie sheet or magnetic board ready for use with
the Magnetic Skeleton Parts and Accessories.
• Make copies of the Skeleton Parts and Accessories
Reproducible for each student.
• Provide one piece of black 12” x 18” construction paper per
student, along with scissors and glue or glue sticks.
• Optional: Set up a place where students can choose other
colors of construction paper (scraps are fine) for making
additional accessories.
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Directed ELD Art Lesson
1. Ask students to brainstorm different occupations or public
figures they could depict as skeletons. Write their ideas on
the board and put the students’ initials next to their
contributions. If students are struggling to come up with
ideas, remind them of the Photo Cards you shared with them
earlier, and perhaps make some additional suggestions.
2. After you record at least a dozen ideas, demonstrate how
we all use our heads, hands, arms, and feet to make what is
called an action. Choose one character as an example, and
ask the students to name an action that character would
do. Ask for a volunteer to demonstrate, and then show
students how to create a representation of the action with
skeleton pieces,
explaining how bones
are connected with
joints, e.g., how we
bend our arms at
the elbow, our legs
at the knee, etc.
Note: This is a good
time to review left
and right. Total
Physical Response
(TPR) and the
Hokey Pokey are
great ways to teach
left and right.
3. Explain (and
demonstrate, if you
have beginners) how
students will
choose one character and then trace, cut, and glue paper
skeleton pieces, clothes, and accessories (patterns
provided by RGS) on a piece of black construction paper to
create a skeleton character engaging in some activity, e.g.,
soccer player, musician, teacher, etc.
Independent Art Activity
While students are busy cutting out their skeleton pieces,
circulate among them and ask: “What will your skeleton be? What
will he be doing? Can you show me how she will stand and how her
arms will go? What will he wear?” Use the target vocabulary
during your conversation and assess students’ comprehension.
Once students have told you about their skeletons, provide glue
sticks so that they can paste all the pieces onto the
construction paper. Collect the finished projects, which will be
used for the writing activity the following day.
Lesson 5: Skeleton Art Writing
Lesson Overview
This lesson is a continuation of the Skeleton Art Project in
Lesson 4. Students will write a story or description of their
skeleton character, beginning with pre-writing activities using
graphic organizers, and concluding the activity by sharing their
pictures and writing with the class.
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Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
The Importance of Oral Language Development
Teaching and practicing the steps of the writing process are
important for all young writers, but for English learners it is
essential to develop students’ ideas orally before they begin
to write. Using graphic organizers, such as character maps
and sentence frames, provides very important scaffolding
support for Beginning and Early Intermediate level students.
The objectives for the final writing product will be determined
by the grade level and language proficiency of your students,
but keep in mind that vocabulary development and syntax
are more important in this lesson than correct spelling and
writing conventions. If you are able to listen to each student
read his or her writing and provide brief feedback, this can be
an important learning opportunity to further increase your
students’ language and writing skills.
3. Put up the Sentence Frame Graphic Organizer next to the
Character Map. Demonstrate how students will take the
ideas from their Character Map and fill in the blanks of the
Sentence Frame, encouraging them to use complete
sentences. The completed Sentence Frame Graphic
Organizer will be the student’s rough draft.
ELD Standards for Writing
Beginning—Write pattern sentences using previously learned
oral language.
Early Intermediate—Write a short narrative that includes
elements of setting and character; write a short paragraph
following a model given by the teacher.
Intermediate—Independently create a cohesive paragraph that
develops a central idea.
Early Advanced—Self-monitor and self-correct grammatical
structures, spelling, and conventions of writing.
Teacher Preparation
• Choose one of the Skeleton Photo Cards and think about
the story you will tell students about your character.
• Have the Character Map and Sentence Frame Write
Again™ Dry Erase Graphic Organizers and a dry erase
pen ready.
• Make copies of the Character Map and Sentence Frame
Reproducibles for each student.
• Have students’ skeleton pictures from the previous lesson
and writing paper available.
Writing Demonstration
1. Choose one of the Skeleton Photo Cards and tell the
students a story about that character. Tell students that
they will soon be writing a story about their skeleton but will
first need to think about some of the details. Show the
students the Character Map Graphic Organizer and explain
that they will complete one just like it about their skeleton.
2. Demonstrate how to complete the Character Map using the
skeleton you chose, first writing the skeleton’s name on the
skull in the center. Then ask the students to help you answer
the following questions: What does your skeleton do? What
does he or she wear? Tell about a special day your skeleton
had, what happened, and how it felt. Encourage students to
use descriptive details about their skeletons. This last step
is most appropriate for Intermediate and Early Advanced
students to encourage the development of their stories.
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Independent Writing
Pass out students’ skeleton pictures and the Character Map
and Sentence Frame Reproducibles. Ask students to complete
them the best they can. Circulate among students to assist
them in developing their ideas.
Depending on the abilities of your students, we recommend
that students revise and edit their rough drafts with a
partner, in addition to reading them to you. If you are able to
briefly conference with each student, giving them this attention
can provide an important learning opportunity to further
stretch their language and writing skills. Have students copy
their frame sentences on writing paper for their final drafts.
Writing/Reading for an Audience
Ask each student to stand and share his or her skeleton
picture with the class. You can hold the picture while the
student reads his or her story. Each story can later be
mounted and displayed on a wall or bulletin board next to the
skeleton picture or attached to the picture itself.
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Day of the Dead ELD Holiday Kit
Differentiated Questioning Strategies
ELD Level 1—Beginning
Beginning English learners need questions that allow them to give nonverbal or physical
responses, yes/no answers, and one- or two-word replies. Examples:
1. Point to the ____. Put your finger on the ________.
2. Is this a _____? (yes or no answer)
3. Is this blue or red? (the answer is provided so that it may be easily repeated by student)
4. What is ____? What color is______? (requires one- or two-word response)
ELD Levels 2 and 3—Early Intermediate/Intermediate
Early Intermediate and Intermediate students can reply to questions using phrases or
simple sentences that include a predicate and noun. Intermediates should be asked to use
more complex sentences and detail. Examples:
1. Name some of the things you see in the picture.
2. What is happening in this picture/story?
3. Describe the character, place, or object.
ELD Level 4—Early Advanced
Early Advanced English learners should be asked inferential and abstract questions. They
are able to respond with detail in compound and complex sentences. Examples:
1. How do you think the ___ feels? How do you know?
2. How are the characters/places/objects different or the same?
3. Which of these go together and why?
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
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What Is Day of the Dead? Reproducible
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Day of the Dead Game Mat Reproducible
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Skeleton Parts and Accessories Reproducible
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Character Map Reproducible
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Sentence Frame Reproducible
Helping Teachers Make A Difference®
© 2011 Really Good Stuff® 1-800-366-1920 www.reallygoodstuff.com Made in Guangzhou, China #304750