Jefferson Middle School seventh grader, June Winters, created a Papel Picado, as part of her “Day of the Dead” unit in Katrina Freay’s Spanish class. Submitted photo

Jefferson Middle School seventh graders in Katrina Freay’s Spanish class discovered more about Spanish culture through a “Day of the Dead” unit. DiaÌa de Muertos is a holiday celebrated throughout Mexico, in particular the central and south regions, and by people of Mexican heritage elsewhere. The multi-day holiday from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey.

The class watched a film on the Day of the Dead and then completed activities that were based around what they watched and learned from the film. Their final activity was creating papel picado, meaning “pierced paper,” which was featured in the film. It is a traditional Mexican craft used for decoration and is often hand crafted with intricate patterns. The designs are commonly cut from colored tissue paper using a small chisel creating as many as forty banners at a time. Mrs. Freay’s students used scissors to create their papel picado designs, which are typically hung on strings or attached to wooden dowels.

“I chose this as a way for students to express their creativity while learning about a popular Mexican tradition,” said Mrs. Freay. “Students learn best by doing and this was a way for them to connect with the Mexican culture. In seventh-grade Spanish, we focus on learning vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading and writing for understanding and cultural understanding. Connecting with Hispanic cultures through crafts, music, art and reading peaks students’ interests and gives them real- life reasons for second language learning.”