Herricks High School Spanish teacher Ms. Adriana Perez recently led her students in a cultural learning project focused on Alebrijes, mythical spirit animal guides central to the Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico.

Alebrijes are not just decorative; in Mesoamerican tradition, they are believed to protect against evil spirits and guide souls in the afterlife. Students learned about the origins and symbolism of these colorful creatures before designing their own personalized Alebrijes to reflect their personalities, values and beliefs.

“Each Alebrije has a unique personality and represents something different,” explained Ms. Perez. “In addition to designing their unique characters, each student also wrote five sentences in Spanish describing their Alebrije and what it meant to them. This project allowed students to make meaningful, personal connections to another culture while practicing their Spanish language skills through authentic cultural learning.”

The completed creations are now on display, where they serve as a vibrant celebration of student creativity, language learning and cultural exploration. The Alebrijes reflect the unique perspectives of each student and highlight the ways in which art, culture and language come together in the classroom.