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Muertos. She Tricks Him Into Letting Her Stay Another Year by Delaying Him With Ten Different
Muertos. She Tricks Him Into Letting Her Stay Another Year by Delaying Him With Ten Different
Muertos. She Tricks Him Into Letting Her Stay Another Year by Delaying Him With Ten Different
Deanna Boerstler
The third activity is the Papel Picado activity. This activity takes the traditional Mexican
decoration and turns it into a geometry matching activity. Papel Picado are rectangular tissue
paper decorations with shapes cut into them to create designs. These are then strung from the
ceiling for celebrations. For this activity, students use Papel Picado cards with geometric
patterns. Students match foam shapes to the corresponding shapes on those cards. This addresses
the SAS for kindergartners in math, 2.9.K.A: Identify and describe common 2-dimensional
shapes. and, 2.8.K.C: Recognize, describe, extend, replicate and transfer number and
geometric patterns.
The last activity is a coloring sheet where students are asked to draw a picture of them
celebrating with their family. This connects back to Just a Minute when Grandma Beetle invites
all of her grandchildren over for a party. This activity addresses the diversity idea that all
families are different and have different cultures and traditions.
Just a Minute could be a controversial book to teach in a classroom. While it does a good
job of introducing students to Mexican culture, some parents might not like the Dia de los
Muertos motif because of its connection to pagan traditions. However, I think it is important to
address the idea that people in different parts of the world have different cultures. By creating
this awareness at a young age, I believe that it will help prevent prejudices later in life. As long
as this book is taught in an academic way, administrators should be glad that their teachers are
including both cultural and academic lessons. Some students might be afraid of Seor Calavera
because he is a skeleton. Also, if students realize that Seor Calavera is a representation of death,
they might be upset. However, the teacher can just remind the students that he is a fictional
character, not something they have to worry about. Additionally, if students do not realize that
Seor Calavera is supposed to be Death, then the topic does not need to be addressed.