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Elementary ESL Crossword Puzzle - November

Anonymous — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:39:00 GMT

This week's Elementary level English activity is a crossword puzzle on famous people, festivals and celebrations connected with the month of November.

Scroll down the page to see the clues for the puzzle.

Click on the link below to do an interactive version of the crossword and check your answers:

Elementary Online Crossword Puzzle - November >>

Crossword Clues:

Across:
1. Mexican festival (four words)
3. English firework festival (two words)
6. Gunpowder Plot conspirator (two words)
7. Month between October and December
8. November is the _______ month

Down:
2. American harvest festival
4. Bird eaten at Thanksgiving
5. Patron Saint of Scotland (two words)

Related Activities:

Interactive Crossword Puzzles for English Language Learners >>

Some November festivals, holidays and special days:

October/November - Diwali, Festival of Lights
October 31-November 2 - Mexican Day of The Dead (Dias de los Muertos)
November 1 - All Saints Day - Christian Festival
November 2 - All Souls Day - Christian Festival
November 2 - Sangha Day - Buddhist Celebration
November 5 - Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night)
November 8 - Rememberance Sunday (UK)
November 11 - Armistice Day (also known as Remembrance Day)
NOvember 26th - Thanksgiving (US)
November 27 - Eid Al Adha - Muslim Festival
November 29 - Advent - marks the start of the Christian year
November 30 - Saint Andrews Day (Scottish holiday)
St Andrew is the Patron Saint of Scotland

Some famous people born in November:

November 2, 1755 - Marie Antoinette
November 8, 1656 - scientist Edmund Halley
November 30, 1835- American author Mark Twain
November 12, 1840 - sculptor Auguste Rodin
November 14, 1840 - artist Claude Monet
November 8, 1847 - Bram Stoker, author of Dracula
November 24, 1864 - painter Henri De Toulouse Lautrec
November 7, 1867 - Scientist Marie Curie
November 4, 1868 - American composer Scott Joplin
November 1, 1887 - Manchester artist L. S. Lowry
November 27, 1942 - musician Jimi Hendrix
November 11, 1974 - actor Leonardo Di Caprio
November 7, 1978 - Footballer Rio Ferdinand

Photo credit: alvimann morguefile.com

Mexican Day of The Dead - El Día de los Muertos

Anonymous — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:10:00 GMT

The topic for this week's Pre-Intermediate English Language lesson is the Mexican Day of The Dead.

Task 1

Read the text below about the Day of the Dead.

If you find the lesson too difficult, click here for easier activities on our main website >>

The Mexican Day of The Dead

The Day of The Dead ( or El Día de los Muertos) is celebrated on the 1st and 2nd of November every year. The Day of the Dead is also sometimes called All Soul's Day.

The Day of the Dead is a lively and happy festival. During the holiday, family members gather together to pray for deceased family and friends, and to remember them.

During the holiday, people build altars or shrines (called offrendas) in homes to honour ancestors and loved ones who have died. The decorate the altars with photographs, sugar skulls, scented candles, and offerings of favourite foods and drinks for the dead.

Graves and altars are decorated with orange or yellow marigolds during the festival, as marigolds are thought to attract the souls of the dead. Many people believe that it is easier for the souls of the departed to visit the living on the Day of The Dead.

Task 2

Watch the video below about the Day of the Dead. As some of the audio is in Spanish, you will need to read the subtitles as well as listen!

Task 3

Watch the video again and then answer the questions below.

1) How old is the Day of The Dead festival?

2) When do Mexicans believe that the souls of children return?

3) When do Mexicans believe that the souls of adults return?

4) Why do Mexicans leave offerings for the dead?

5) What is the significance of the bread?

6) What happens to the sugar skulls at the end of the festival?

Task 4

Work with another student or a friend. Ask your partner the questions for task 3, and write down their answers. Discuss any answers that are different to yours.

Task 5.

Watch the video again to check your answers.

Follow-on Tasks:

Click here for printable worksheets and online games and quizzes on the Mexican Day of The Dead.

image credit: Andrew Rollinger on Flickr