It’s time to celebrate Cinco de Mayo! This unique holiday is a colorful celebration of history, Mexican culture, and cheering for the underdog. The festivities are so popular in cities across the U.S., it’s possible that more people celebrate Cinco de Mayo here than in Mexico. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce new vocabulary while engaging students with fun, authentic cultural activities. ¡Vámonos!
Make a Piñata
Who doesn’t love the idea of breaking open a paper mâché treasure trove of candy? Students will be sure to get onboard with this lesson, but there’s one caveat. The piñata must be decorated in the colors of France’s flag and other French symbols. Why? students might ask. This is your chance to teach the history behind Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla where a much smaller Mexican force defeated the larger and better equipped French army. This victory prevented France from establishing a monarchy in Mexico. To celebrate this Mexican victory, students will go to “battle” against a piñata representing the French army.
Vocabulary: la batalla, la victoria, los ganadores, el ejército francés, la bandera, la piñata, los dulces
Play Lotería
This popular Mexican game is just like Bingo, and students will love shouting out “¡Lotería!” when they win. Traditional lotería cards consist of images displayed in a 4×4 table. The cultural images are symbolic of many aspects of Mexican history and society. Each picture is labeled so students have a plethora of new vocabulary words to practice. You can also create or have students create their own cards with images and words related to Cinco de Mayo.
Vocabulary: el Cinco de Mayo, la batalla, la victoria, el ejército, los franceses, la bandera, el mariachi, Puebla, la celebración, el General Ignacio Zaragoza, el desfile, la herencia, el baile folclórico, la música, el premio
Design Alebrijes
What are alebrijes? They are fantastical creatures made up of at least two distinct animals. For example, it could be a snake with a bird’s head or a donkey with wings. Alebrijes are considered Mexican folk art with their vibrant, colorful forms made from paper mâché or wood. The patterns on the figures range from small, white polka dots to bright, bold flowers. Have students research alebrijes and learn the names of animals in Spanish. Then, tell them to let their creativity shine by designing their own surreal creature. They can draw, paint, or, if possible, sculpt them out of clay. To tie the activity in more with Cinco de Mayo, have students decorate their creations with traditional designs seen on pottery from Puebla, Mexico.
Vocabulary: la culebra, el colibrí, el burro, el armadillo, la tortuga, el gato, el perro, la rana, el conejo, el mono
By Kelli Drummer-Avendano
Also read:
¡Viva la lengua! Celebrating Cinco de Mayo through Spanish Language Learning and Cuisine in the Classroom
8 Classroom Activities to Celebrate
