4th and 5th Grade - Sugar Skulls and Skeletons for Day of the Dead!

I have made these two projects in some form over the last couple years... Mostly, because my students BEG me to do them!  I do love teaching both, yet try to find some variety to make them a bit different each year.  My students know everything about Dia de los Muertos!  I'm proud of their work and proud of their interest in learning everything they can about this wonderful Mexican holiday!
Here is my Day of the Dead Prezi I use with all my classes, (Day of the Dead Prezi)

These projects are made with Amaco Cloud Clay, similar to Crayola's Model Magic.  It sticks well to cardboard and dries to it, no need for glue! I highly recommend it!

3rd Grade - Day of the Dead Skelo-cats!

Wow!  This is it! My new favorite project of the year!  Students LOVED it, and I LOVED teaching it!  DOn't you think that is the best part of our jobs! We get to get soooo excited about something and share our enthusiasm with our students.  The perfect teacher/learning moment!  Take a look at our process, We had fun!  Here is my Day of the Dead Prezi I use with all my classes, (Day of the Dead Prezi)

1st Grade - Sugar Skulls

I have been trying to decide what to call these... sugar skulls or calacas?  I was intending to add bones for a neck and shoulders, but we are out of time, so I guess... Sugar Skulls! My 1st graders paint by traveling around the room.  One or two colors per table with a set of paintbrushes in each cup. I give them about 2 minutes per table.... and before you know it they look like these!  This was a "guided drawing", I told them what to paint at first to get the face started and then let them go!  Fun to teach!

Here is my Day of the Dead Prezi I use with all my classes, (Day of the Dead Prezi)

1st Grade - Day of the Dead Skeletons

These Day of the Dead Skeletons were soooo much fun to make!!! Two classes made them on magenta construction paper and two classes made them on purple. The first step was printing foam flower stamps around the border with tempera paint, (I added white to make the colors more opaque).  Then students traced and decorated a sugar skull for the head.  Students were given lots of white strips to cut for bones.  I recommend tag board or poster board, it is easier to cut and glue, plus look a bit thicker like bones!  Love these so much!!!

2nd Grade - Calacas/Calaveras Portraits

These Calacas/Calaveras Portraits, (dressed up skeleton's for Day of the Dead), are all made with cut paper and a little paint.  The dress sombrero's are painted with silver tempera.  Pretty simple! These make me very happy!