The Real History of Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is one of the most misunderstood holidays in America. The first week in May, every Mexican restaurant starts promoting specials and many people assume that it is Mexico's independence day. I found that none of my students knew anything about the real history of the holiday and wanted to change that! I created this resource to do just that.

The holiday actually commemorates a victory at the 1862 Battle of Puebla. This was a massive and unexpected victory for the Mexican army against a much larger French force. In Mexico, the holiday is primarily celebrated in the state of Puebla,where it is known as El Día de la Batalla de Puebla.

This fantastic Common Core-aligned reading is excellent for a quick lesson on the history of Cinco de Mayo! The one page article explains the history of Cinco de Mayo, its meaning, and how it is celebrated today.

Following the 1 page article is a set of reading analysis questions to gauge student understanding and allow them to share an opinion on why the holiday has become so popular in the United States. An answer key for this is included for your convenience.

Thanks so much for stopping by to check it out!

PS: As a reminder, you can get this resource PLUS over 500 more amazing teaching activities for World or American History through a simple monthly subscription to my site StudentsofHistory.org! Joining gives you immediate access to every engaging resource — each highly reviewed by thousands of teachers across the world! Save yourself time, energy, and sanity by joining today!

Free Interactive Notebook Pages for World and US History!

Have you thought about using interactive notebooks in your classroom but aren't sure about how to create or implement them? Well, check out this free set of interactive notebook pages for download here!

These interactive notebook pages are an awesome way to help students organize their thinking, work independently, and demonstrate creative understanding for a wide-range of historical topics! Each page includes a set of student instructions at the top and then they cut, fold, and write on the page or their notebook.

The best part is that students have to think about their own responses because they are not simply copying notes onto an elaborate paper. Each page requires critical thinking and understanding of the topic covered.

If you like these free pages, there are lots more for both US and World History available here!

The History of Halloween Lesson Plan Worksheet

Every year around Halloween I love to teach my history classes about the History of Haloween as a holiday and its traditions.  This great handout tells the history of Halloween from its Celtic, Pagan, and early Christian beginnings up through its mainstream popularity in the United States today.

It includes the historic background to many popular Halloween traditions, including jack-o-lanterns, trick-or-treating, costumes, and more. Following the 1 page reading, students answer a set of CCSS-aligned comprehension and opinion questions before creating their own traditional Halloween postcard based off several examples shown on the handout. An answer key is included.

Students always love this type of interesting reading as opposed to the usual things they tend to receive in their classes. You can download this to use in your classes by clicking here!

Thanks for looking and Happy Halloween!!