The cemetery field trip and the related classroom activities described in this lesson will allow students to tap this source of information and thus gain a better understanding of their community. History Comes Alive in the Graveyard is a site from the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation which provides a series of 6 lessons which can be adapted for grades four through twelve. Here's a gravesite that proves to be an interesting study of the times. Click here to read about Joseph Palmer. This gravesite is a good example of how cemeteries can be used to study the culture of the past.
All cultures have customs for burying, remembering, and honoring their deceased.
In the United States, on October 31, we celebrate Halloween which can be a scary time. The site is written in Spanish which will also provide an opportunity for students whose first language is Spanish to interpret the site for others and become classroom experts. It is also a perfect site for Spanish world languages. For English only speakers, Altavista's Babelfish provides an approximate translation. For excellent lessons about Mexican culture and also for Spanish as a Foreign Language, visit this page.