Detroit Institute of Arts’ partners with local teachers to create classroom lesson plans for new community exhibition Ofrendas: Celebrating el Día de Muertos 2019 | The five lesson plans are designed for grades K-12 to teach themes around Day of the Dead

Updated Sep 24, 2019

September 24, 2019 (Detroit) The Detroit Institute of Arts recently partnered with local Spanish teachers to create five lesson plans that coincide with the museum’s community exhibition Ofrendas: Celebrating el Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). The lesson plans cover themes surrounding the celebration of el Día de Muertos for local teachers to supplement learning opportunities for students visiting the exhibition. Día de Muertos, a tradition in Mexican and Mexican American communities, honors the life and memory of lost loved ones

This exhibition, in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate of Detroit, will display 16 ofrenda altars, or offerings, created by local artists, from Saturday, Sept. 28 to Sunday Nov. 10.  This exhibition, now in its seventh year, is visited by a large number of area students each year and this is the first year the museum is offering lesson plans. This year’s exhibition has also been expanded from four weeks to six to allow for more student field trips to experience this special presentation.

“These lesson plans are designed to make sure students get the best possible experience out of this community exhibition,” said Salvador Salort-Pons, DIA Director. “Free field trips to the DIA offer metro Detroit students learning opportunities that cannot be experienced fully through a text book alone. These lesson plans allow the one-of-a-kind learning experience to continue in the classroom in a unique and engaging way."

Local teachers submitted proposals for the lesson plans, five were selected that explore different themes surrounding el Día de Muertos including discussing comparisons between the United States and Mexican cultures and how different objects are used in ofrendas and how they represent those being remembered. The lessons plans are designed for Spanish classes at all grade levels. 

Like the field trips offered to all students in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, student lesson plans are available on the DIA’s website for free. All the lesson plans are linked below:

Lesson Plan 1

Lesson Plan 2

Lesson Plan 3

Lesson Plan 4

Lesson Plan 5

In addition, the museum’s Department of Learning and Audience Engagement will offer teacher professional development with the Ofrendas lesson plans this Friday, September 27 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the museum. To register to attend click here.

September 24, 2019 (Detroit) The Detroit Institute of Arts recently partnered with local Spanish teachers to create five lesson plans that coincide with the museum’s community exhibition Ofrendas: Celebrating el Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). The lesson plans cover themes surrounding the celebration of el Día de Muertos for local teachers to supplement learning opportunities for students visiting the exhibition. Día de Muertos, a tradition in Mexican and Mexican American communities, honors the life and memory of lost loved ones

This exhibition, in collaboration with the Mexican Consulate of Detroit, will display 16 ofrenda altars, or offerings, created by local artists, from Saturday, Sept. 28 to Sunday Nov. 10.  This exhibition, now in its seventh year, is visited by a large number of area students each year and this is the first year the museum is offering lesson plans. This year’s exhibition has also been expanded from four weeks to six to allow for more student field trips to experience this special presentation.

“These lesson plans are designed to make sure students get the best possible experience out of this community exhibition,” said Salvador Salort-Pons, DIA Director. “Free field trips to the DIA offer metro Detroit students learning opportunities that cannot be experienced fully through a text book alone. These lesson plans allow the one-of-a-kind learning experience to continue in the classroom in a unique and engaging way."

Local teachers submitted proposals for the lesson plans, five were selected that explore different themes surrounding el Día de Muertos including discussing comparisons between the United States and Mexican cultures and how different objects are used in ofrendas and how they represent those being remembered. The lessons plans are designed for Spanish classes at all grade levels. 

Like the field trips offered to all students in Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties, student lesson plans are available on the DIA’s website for free. All the lesson plans are linked below:

Lesson Plan 1

Lesson Plan 2

Lesson Plan 3

Lesson Plan 4

Lesson Plan 5

In addition, the museum’s Department of Learning and Audience Engagement will offer teacher professional development with the Ofrendas lesson plans this Friday, September 27 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at the museum. To register to attend click here.