Teacher should begin a discussion about the significance of skeletons and bones in various cultures. Solicit previous experiences students may have had with death and the ceremonies surrounding the occasion. Introduce Halloween with its origins as well as its Latin-American counterpart, "The Day of the Dead" or "El Día de los Muertos" (see Halloween" and the "Day of the Dead" background information sheets).
Cultural representation of skeleton, culture, Scottish, Irish, Hispanic, Celtic, death, Halloween, memorial, Day of the Dead, el Dia de los Muertos, Calacas, Aztec, Pre-Columbian