1. Halloween
Compare and Contrast with the
Information on Dia de los Muertos
for Grade 8

2. Task
• First, explore the WebQuest on Dia de los
Muertos and answer the 15 questions on the
worksheet. Take note as you read.
• Next, read through the following websites on
the history of Halloween. Take notes as you
read.
• Lastly, write a compare/contrast essay
comparing and contrasting the Mexican
holiday of Dia de los Muertos with the United
States holiday of Halloween.

3. Your Paper Should…
• Have an introductory paragraph.
• Describe fully the holiday of Días de los Muertos.
• Describe fully how Halloween came to be the
way it is now.
• Describe how Días de los Muertos and Halloween
are different.
• Describe how Días de los Muertos and Halloween
are the same.
• Have a conclusion paragraph.

4. The Story of Halloween
http://www.holidays.net/halloween/story.htm

5. The History of Halloween
http://www.theholidayspot.com/halloween/history.htm

6. The Real Origins of Halloween
http://www.neopagan.net/Halloween-Origins.html

7. America’s Story of Halloween
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/jb/modern/jb_modern_hallowen_1.html

8. Rubric
• The rubric for grading follows this
presentation.