Cinco de Mayo Activities

Mexico and the United States share a border and a history. Celebrate Cinco de Mayo by introducing your students to their neighbors to the south!

Cinco de Mayo commemorates the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which a few thousand ill-equipped Mexican citizens defeated a much larger army of highly trained French soldiers. Although the victory did not result in the immediate end of French occupation, many historians believe it indirectly affected the outcome of the American Civil War and led to Mexico's eventual independence. Today, people in both the United States and Mexico celebrate Cinco de Mayo -- the Fifth of May -- as a day of freedom and goodwill.

A brief description of each activity appears below. Click any headline for a complete teaching resource!

• Where in the World Is Mexico?
  Students create puzzles of a map of Mexico. (Grades Pre-K-2, 3-5)

   

• Discover Mexico's Secrets
  Students follow CIA procedures to discover Mexico's secrets, and then report on their findings. (Grades 3-5, 6-8)

   

• The Beat of Mexico
  Students learn about mariachi music and create their own rhythm instruments. (Grades Pre-K-2, 3-5)

   

• A Gallery of Mexican Art
  Students tour a virtual gallery of Mexican Art and create a glossary of art terms. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)

   

• Mexico and Its Neighbor to the North
  Students stage a debate about immigration between the United States and Mexico. (Grade 9-12)

   

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

• Cinco de Mayo
  EduTech Learning provides this very complete resource on Cinco de Mayo. The site includes a clear and complete history of the holiday, a WebQuest full of information about many aspects of Mexican life, and lots of additional resources.
• Mexico for Kids
  The Presidency of the Republic of Mexico maintains this site about Mexico for very young students.
• Mexican Flag
  This clear, well-organized site contains all the information you'll ever need to know about the flag of Mexico.
• Virtual Palenque
  This virtual tour of Palenque, Maya ruins in Chiapas, Mexico, includes 360-degree, interactive panoramas of the ruins.
• Monarch Butterfly Migration
  At Journey North, students learn about the migration of the monarch butterfly between Mexico and the United States.
• Foreign Language for Travelers
  This translator allows students to find single words or word groupings, such as numbers or common phrases, in just about any language -- including Spanish.
• The Universal Currency Converter
  At this site, visitors can compare the values of monetary units from just about any two countries in the world.