Fiestas y tradiciones
Festivals give you cultural knowledge and a reason to read short authentic texts, which is where reading confidence actually grows.
Part of your national curriculum
- Reading: Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression
Key learning points
- • Three festivals
- • Reading a short text
- • Writing a response
This lesson at a glance
- 20 minutes
- 19 parts to scroll through
- 4 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 19
Visual introductionPicture this
Fiestas y tradiciones
Festivals give you cultural knowledge and a reason to read short authentic texts, which is where reading confidence actually grows.
In a nutshell
Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 19
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Three festivals
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 19
Learn
Three festivals
El Día de Muertos in Mexico (1–2 November) remembers relatives with altars, marigolds and favourite foods; it is warm rather than sombre. Las Fallas in Valencia (March) builds enormous sculptures and burns them on the final night. La Tomatina in Buñol is a one-hour tomato fight in August.
Reset break
Part 4 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 19
Learn
Reading a short text
Read a cultural text twice: once for gist, once for detail. Underline cognates first — celebración, tradición, familia, música — then work outwards from what you already understand.
Quick check
Part 6 of 19
Quick check
Part 7 of 19
Reset break
Part 8 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 19
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Writing a response
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 19
Learn
Writing a response
Me gustaría ver las Fallas porque me interesa el arte. Lo que más me sorprende es que... Sentence starters like these let you respond to culture rather than just list facts.
Quick check
Part 11 of 19
Reset break
Part 12 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 19
Explore the idea
Part 14 of 19
Worked example
Reading passage with model response
'El Día de Muertos no es una fiesta triste. Las familias preparan un altar con flores, fotos y la comida preferida de sus parientes. Cantan, cuentan historias y recuerdan con alegría.' Response: 'Lo que más me sorprende es que la fiesta sea alegre, porque en Inglaterra recordamos a los muertos de una manera más seria.' — a comparison, not just a summary.
Challenge round
Part 15 of 19
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Reset break
Part 16 of 19
Pause
That's sitting 4 of 5 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Challenge round
Part 17 of 19
Game · Recall cards
A poem says 'la ville dort encore'. Which technique is used?
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 18 of 19
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Fiestas y tradiciones
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. A poem says 'la ville dort encore'. Which technique is used?
2. What does 'comme' mean in 'douce comme le miel'?
3. 'Grosses bises' at the end of a letter is an example of...
4. Reading fables and poems mainly helps develop...
Lesson round-up
Part 19 of 19
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
Quiz score
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Games
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Points this lesson
0
Best run
0 in a row
Luna: 0 out of 4 on the practice checks. Only if you feel up to it — one more?
Ask LunaPart 1 of 19 · Watch & discover
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Read literary texts in the language, such as stories, songs, poems and letters, to stimulate ideas and develop creative expression