Hello Modern Language teachers!
It's Cinco de Mayo! Today is one of those days that students get excited about. However, if you have been teaching a while, you know how easily the real meaning of the day can get lost in the fun. Every year, it's great to pause and remind students (and colleagues) that Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico's Independence Day. Instead, it celebrates the Mexican army's surprising victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Pretty powerful for a small country fighting a world power!
Over the years, I have found that the best way to teach about Cinco de Mayo in Spanish is to keep it simple, make it interactive, visually stimulating, vocabulary-driven at times, and fun and engaging. Let's be real: By May, our students are tired, and we are too! That is why I put together a set of low-prep, engaging activities that make the week leading up to or on May 5th fun, educational, and stress-free.
Depending on the student's level, here's what's been a hit in my classroom over the years.
1. Cinco de Mayo Coloring Pages—These are my go-to for early finishers, chill days, and younger students. My middle school students enjoy them now and again, but the younger students love them. With the older students, I use a PowerPoint presentation of the images with explanations for each one as coloring pages.
2. Word Search Puzzles - My students love a word search and we have a lot of Word Search Puzzles in our Teachers Pay Teachers store. This one sneaks in vocabulary while giving them a break from screen time. This include 2 Word Search puzzles with words such as bailar, música, bandera, celebración and so much more.
3. Matching Activity - This activity is fun and straightforward. It includes great images that students can match to their Spanish vocabulary. These are words that students are familiar with, such as cactus, poncho, and taco. It is an excellent activity for building confidence with vocabulary.
4. Word Unscramble Activity - Students race to unscramble the Spanish words using Cinco de Mayo vocabulary. I use this as a warm-up or team activity for small prizes.
The Word Search, Match, and Word Unscramble activities are vocabulary-driven and are a great way for students to learn meaningful vocabulary that they can use in future communication.
Here is a brief lesson plan on how to implement these activities
1. Start with a short video or reading about the Battle of Puebla.
2. Review the vocabulary in the vocabulary list with activities like matching.
3. Reinforce the vocabulary with the word search or unscramble activity.
4. Wrap up the lesson with a reflection or exit ticket: "Why s Cinco de Mayo celebrated more in the U.S. that in Mexico?
I hope these resources can be implemented in your lessons on Cinco de Mayo.
If you are looking to save time and give your students a cultural experience, these activities will be enjoyable. Check out our TpT store for more low-prep, easy-to-use, fun, and engaging activities for students.
Wishing you a festive, low-stress, and meaningful Cinco de Mayo with your students.
¡Feliz enseñanza!
- ModLangTeacher
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