The library at Woods Learning Center was transformed into a miniature bingo hall Friday morning. A sixth-grade student sat at the front of the room, wearing a big hat and calling out names of pictures on the bingo cards.

"Las canas," he shouted.

"Lotoria," students shouted, raising their hands quickly.

Students were celebrating Dia de Los Muertos on Friday, the traditional Mexican celebration known as the Day of the Dead.

Spanish bingo was just one of the activities centered on the holiday for Woods students. "Las canas" means sugar cane, and "lotoria" means bingo.

Other activities included planting marigolds, making murals and decorating calaveras or skulls made of clay.

The entire school has been learning about Mexico this year, according to Spanish teacher Emily Lafferty. A different country is chosen every year for all students to study.

"We try to incorporate a lot more holidays, festivities, from the country of study," Lafferty said.

Third-grader Catherine Pickrell said decorating a skull was her favorite activity, but tasting traditional foods ranked a close second.

"We had atole, which is a corn drink," Catherine, 8, said. "It kinda tastes like oatmeal, but its thick."

Sixth-graders Elias Vlastos and Reilly Johnson, both 11, were in charge of the marigold planting. Marigolds are a symbol associated with Day of the Dead.

"They're extremely important, and have many, many uses," Elias said. For example, marigolds are used to create blankets for the dead to rest on and to create paths to graves so the deceased don't become lost.

Reilly said it was interesting to see how the students decorated the plastic cups that served as pots for their marigolds.

"The little kids put a lot of detail in it," she said.

John Bolender, the sixth-grade teacher, said seventh- and eighth-grade students are usually in charge of running schoolwide events. The sixth-graders worked especially hard to prepare for Friday's activities.

"They've done quite a bit of research," Bolender said. "They've enjoyed working on this, they really have."

Reach education reporter Jasa Santos at (307) 266-0593 or at Jasa.Santos@trib.com. Read her blog at my.trib.com/jasasantos.