Semana Santa: Lesson Plan

Suitable for K-3

Show students these photos and ask them if they can guess which Spanish festival you might be exploring and what it ​might be about? When they've guessed (or been told) it's Semana Santa (or Holy Week), elicit anything more they know ​about this holiday already.

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, particularly in Latin America including ​Colombia, Mexico and Peru.

Celebrating communities around the world gather at different events and carry out diverse traditions. In the following ​activities, we will explore one of the most exciting parts of many celebrations: Food!

Establish your student's prior knowledge by asking the following questions.

• Which other festivals are connected with Christianity and celebrated in a church?
  
• Which countries and cultures might we be talking about when we say 'Hispanic’?
• Do you celebrate Easter or know someone who does? If so, name some food you eat with your family/community ​during this celebration.
  
• What kind of food do you eat with your family/community during celebrations? Does it differ for different ones?
  

Activity:

Show Googlemaps and focus on ‘South America‘

Print out the Map of Latinoamerica and guide them to locate and colour ​the countries Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia.

Extension:

Find these countries on Google Maps. Ask students to explore the ​countries and seas around the continent.

Global Connections:

Print out the map and blow up to A3.

1 Identify any global connections your students have to the continent in ​the class and label them.

2. Brainstorm questions students have about this continent and record ​around the map.

3. Discuss where they might find out more information about this festival, ​their questions or South America in general e.g. librarian, other staff, ​families, community members, internet research, etc.

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.

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. ​However, Guaguas de Pan were made initially with ​pumpkin.

This sweet bread is usually served with a drink known ​as Colada Morada, which has a deep red or purple ​color. This mixture was prepared mainly to remember ​and honor beloved ones who have passed away, but ​today it is a traditional Andean custom in most typical ​celebrations, including Easter, in countries such as ​Ecuador, Perú, and Bolivia.

Activity: Open the infographic (on right) to look ​carefully at and discuss the different designs ​together.

Activity: Watch the video to learn more about the recipe. ​Ask students to pay close attention to the ingredients ​and the icing decoration patterns. Ask them to pick their ​favorite designs relating them back to what they saw in ​the previous videos and infographic above.

Students then create and decorate their own using this ​template.

Extension: Try making Guaguas as a class together.

As well as Guaguas, there are plenty of dishes that are ​prepared during this festival in different Hispanic countries. ​Let's explore some more!

Activity:

Exploring typical dishes from Perú, Bolivia, and Phillipines.

Instructions:

Look at the photos of each of the foods and read the brief ​description with your students and collect some ideas on ​how similar those dishes are to their own family and ​community's traditional food.

Discuss which ones students might like to try and reasons ​why.

Activity:

Design your own dish!

Instructions:

Students use the template to create 3 of their own dishes for their ​families to try that are based on the foods they've learnt about.

You may need to review the food covered previously and modify those ​recipes according to their preferences.