Cinco de Mayo is the widely commemorated Mexican holiday celebrated in honor of the Mexican army's victory over the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1867. While properly a Mexican celebration, it has become increasingly popular in the U.S., especially in areas bordering Mexico. The festive spirit of the day is observed with food, folkloric dancing, music and parades. Investigate the following links to find out more about the customs of Cinco de Mayo.

Cico de Mayo History - Younger students will enjoy this short history of Cinco de Mayo, and there is a large collection of references, many of which link to Cinco de Mayo celebrations in the Los Angeles area.

Cinco de Mayo - Here's a presentation on Cinco de Mayo - in both English and Spanish - that's suitable for history classes and older students. There's a complete bibliography for those interested in learning more about Mexico's struggle for independence.

More celebration information is available at the site maintained by Mexico Online.  

Ways to Celebrate

Eat!! - The Tabasco folks have a collection of Cinco de Mayo recipes, party ideas, and decorations that you might adapt for classroom use. This is a commercial site that should be completely acceptable in most classrooms.

Cinco de Mayo Songs - If you work with primary students, try these songs, each set to the melody for a popular nursery rhyme.

Make Your Own Piñata - Grades 2 - 6 - Complete directions for constructing a traditional piñata. Created by the Culinary Institute of America.

Cinco de Mayo - Grades 2 - 8 - Brief, factual information about the Mexican holiday followed by directions for making simple crafts, games, and traditional Mexican foods. Created by Neuse Regional Library.

Celebrating Cinco de Mayo - Grades 2 - 6 - Small but nice collection of recipes, games, activities, and crafts to incorporate into a class celebration. Created by Julie Vickery.

 

In More Depth: Lesson Ideas

Cinco de Mayo Mini Unit - Here's a very complete mini-unit for third and fourth graders, with resource listings, procedures, assessment rubric, and even a materials list. If you have the time, this could be a great one for elementary students.

Cinco de Mayo Webquest - Grades 2-3 - Subjects: Social Studies, Art, Language Arts and Music - Students will learn about the history of Cinco de Mayo and the Hispanic culture on this webquest. In groups of four, they work through seven different activities involving web research. Activities range from answering questions to making a pinata to sampling Mariachi music. A list of books on Cinco de Mayo is also included.

Cinco de Mayo Lesson Collection - Grades 1-12 - EducationWorld offers an introductory Cinco de Mayo explanation, and a selection of lesson ideas for students ranging from grades 1-12. One of these could be a nice addition to your celebration.

Cinco de Mayo - Grades 2 - 6 - Celebrate with this collection of activities that includes an informational essay with reading comprehension questions, a coloring page, and printable worksheets for poetry and creative writing tasks inspired by the Mexican holiday. Created by abcteach.

La Bamba Spanish Lesson - Grades 8 - 12 - Learn more about the language and culture of Mexico through the words and music of La Bamba - a tune that was sung and played hundreds of years before it appeared as a Top 40 hit. Listen to the song, then explore a series of lessons that link back to the vocabulary and grammar of the lyrics. Created by musicalspanish.com.

Cinco de Mayo - Grades 2 - 6 -Use this informational site about the history behind the May 5th holiday as the focus of a teacher-made Web hunt. Check out the links at the end of the narrative for printable coloring activities and Word searches. Created by Kiddyhouse.com

Taking the Fifth - Grades 3 - 6 - Test your students' knowledge Cinco de Mayo with this interactive quiz. Created by Pearson Education, Inc.

Cinco de Mayo - Grades K - 6 - Try out these books and related hands-on activities that explore the traditions and culture of our southern neighbor. Created by BellaOnline.

Here's a fact for all "chocoholics:" In early Mexico cacao (chocolate) was so prized it was at times used a type of money!

Featured Sites

Copyright © 2001-2006 by the Network for Instructional TV, Inc.
All rights reserved.