Celebrating Cinco De Mayo

1st Grade Diversity Lesson plan

Book: Marco’s Cinco De Mayo, Lisa Bullard, 2012
Grade level: Elementary grades k-3
Multicultural Theme: Focusing on Mexican culture, Cinco De Mayo and how it’s celebrated
Materials:
♦ Marco’s Cinco De Mayo book

Mexican Flag Materials:

♦ White construction paper
♦ Finger paints (green, white, and red)
♦ Safety scissors and glue
♦ Small Mexico coat of arms print out
♦ Popsicle sticks
Story Wheel Materials:
♦ Paper plates
♦ Pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons

Standard: Social Studies - Multicultural - SS.1.13 Identify and compare cultural practices and
traditions in the community.
Objective: 1. Students will be able to identify the Mexican flag by individually creating their
own Mexican flag using finger paints on their hands with 95% accuracy.
 2. Students will be able to show how Cinco De Mayo is celebrated by illustrating a
story wheel that shows 4 different ways Cinco De Mayo is celebrated with 90% accuracy.

Procedure
Introduce: Start by gathering students to read aloud area. Introduce the book's title and author.
"Today we will be reading Marco's Cinco De Mayo by Lisa Bullard." Show students the cover of
the book and ask, "Does anyone know what Cinco De Mayo is?" Allow enough time for students
to think and predict.
Read: The teacher reads the book aloud to students.
Discuss: When the story ends, ask these five questions to the entire class allowing time in
between after each question. These questions should help students comprehend Cinco De Mayo
and help them achieve their story wheel activity.
Question #1: Where does the holiday Cinco De Mayo come from?
Question #2: Why do you think Mexicans were worried when the French soldiers arrived in
Mexico?
Question #3: How do you think Diego’s story of the first Cinco De Mayo helped Marco
overcome his fear of dancing on stage?
Question #4: What type of food do you think people eat while celebrating Cinco De Mayo?
Question #5: What types of activities do people do while celebrating Cinco De Mayo?

Activities:
1. Students work individually to create a flag of Mexico by applying red, white, and green
paint on their hands and stamp it on a piece of white construction paper. They will then
cut out Mexico's coat of arms and glue it in the middle white section of the handprint.
Lastly, students will cut out the handprint flag and glue it on the popsicle stick creating a
Cinco De Mayo Mexican flag.

2. Students will work individually to create a Cinco De Mayo story wheel by dividing the
paper plate into four sections and drawing a Mexican flag in the middle of the plate.
Then, students will draw four different activities and/or foods that people do/eat when
celebrating Cinco De Mayo.

Evaluation:
♦ The teacher walks around the room asking students what they will or have drawn on their
story wheels to determine if students have achieved the objective.