Semana Santa: Lesson Plan

Suitable for 4-6

Show students the first ​image in full screen. Ask them ​to predict what else might be ​under the black box.

What are they expecting to ​see in this festival and ​celebration?

Then show the whole image ​and discuss predictions. ​Discuss the images and their ​meaning in relation to the ​festival.

Holy Week is one of the most celebrated festivities in the Hispanic world. Taking place in either March or ​April, this religious commemoration lasts for a week in most Spanish-speaking countries. Communities ​around the world gather to celebrate it and carry out diverse traditions.

In the following activities, you will get acquainted with a common tradition across communities that ​aligns with Holy Week, such as parades, gatherings, and processions.

Establish your student's prior knowledge by asking the following questions. This may also be a ​prediction task.

• What are some celebrations or traditions in your culture or family that emphasize the importance ​of family? That express gratitude?
  
• Do you participate in any celebrations that involve attending parades, gatherings, or ​processions? If so, can you provide some details about the celebration, such as its name, when ​and where it takes place, and how parades and gatherings are involved?
  
• What do you think motivates people to organize parades, gatherings, and processions as a ​means of celebration?
  

We will be traveling to a place where not only the food is delicious, but they also have a wonderful ​fair in April, the same time as Holy Week in other Hispanic countries, called Feria de Abril (April's ​Fair)

Instructions:

Look at the map together. Can students guess ​where it is from the flag, shape of the country or ​some of the icons on it?

Give students a copy of the map and ask them to ​find Seville, the place where this fair takes place. ​Students can open Google Maps and use Street ​View to look around Seville, sharing back their ​observations.

One of the main activities of Semana Santa is the processions and ​parades that take place during the festival through towns and ​cities.

The participants often hold Christian images or sculptures. They ​may also sing, play instruments or say prayers.

Activity:

Look at the pictures of the parades and religious float of Mary. Ask ​students what they see and which questions they have.

Ask students to share parades and processions they have ​participated in, seen on TV or know about. They can draw ​themselves in a parade and write a few sentences about it under ​the illustration.

Watch 'Feria de Abril' and pay close attention to the clothing, locations, activities, lights, and how children ​celebrate during this fair.

At the end of the video, inform students that Feria ​de Abril is known for its traditional clothing, flamenco ​dancing, lights, amusement parks, and traditional ​casetas (tents) in a large fairground area.

• What fairs do you have in your city or country?
• What are some similarities and differences of ​them with the Feria de Abril in Sevilla, Spain.

Activity:

Complete a Venn Diagram individually, in pairs or ​groups to compare this festival to one that they ​celebrate.

Guaguas (wawas) de pan are sweet breads shaped into doll-like figures, the word ​guagua, sometimes also known as Wawa, means baby in Quechua. Guaguas de Pan, ​have a rich history. These bread babies are made of yeast dough that is similar to ​cinnamon rolls and were made initially with pumpkin.

Activity: Watch the video to learn more about the recipe. Ask students to pay close ​attention to the ingredients and the icing decoration patterns. Now look at the ​different patterns made in different places in the infographic.

Students pick their favorite designs relating them back to what they saw in the video ​and infographic. They draw their own Guaguas, with their own designs. Share and ​discuss the different versions in the class.

Extension: Try making Guaguas as a class together.

Divide students into groups of three or four and ask them to ​create their own festival by combining some of the activities ​and traditions from Feria de Abril and fairs in their city or ​country.

Activity:

Use the template linked here and ask them to think about the ​name of their fair, the possible date to celebrate, the number ​of days it would last, and the activities and traditions they ​would include.

Finally, ask each group to present their fair and socialize the ​purposes of each celebration. Share your student's creations ​with us on Meg's social media.

During Holy Week many communities go on a quest or ​pilgrimage to visit places that are important according ​to their traditions and beliefs.

Discuss with students the following questions:

• Does your country have any iconic areas where ​people walk for long distances?
  
• Are these iconic areas only visited and explored by ​locals, or also by tourists?
  
• What do you think motivates people to visit different ​places around the world and experience new ​cultures and traditions, such as visiting a specific ​location, trying local cuisine, or participating in ​traditional activities unique to that place?
  

Now it's time to go on a virtual excursion (VE), we will ​be embarking on a journey to three countries: ​Colombia, Bolivia, and Spain. In each location, we will ​visit some of the most popular areas locals and ​tourists enjoy exploring by walking in those countries.

After the VE, we invite you to reflect on how both, ​locals and tourists, come together during these ​parades, walks, and hiking events, and how anyone, ​regardless of their background, can feel like a part of ​the community.

Activity:

After the VE, students can form groups and create a travel plan for a family holiday to a Hispanic country ​e.g. Colombia, Bolivia, Spain. Encourage them to think about the activities they would like to do, the food they ​would like to try, and the music they would like to listen to and dance to.

Once completed students can share their travel plans with the rest of the class.