Looking for a tried and true Valentine’s Day activity? Each year Valentine’s Day arrives about the time we are learning to describe people. It’s the perfect time for students to write kind sentences to each other. When I give this assignment they groan at first and say “you mean we have to make one for everybody?” And I say… “yep, that’s right, one compliment to everyone in the class, including me.”
I google Cartes de San Valentin and Tarjetas de San Valentin and show them all the images and cards they can print off the internet. They can also buy the ready made ones in English and write the sentences in the target language on the back. Or they can make their own and I provide them with construction paper and markers. They are given a list of the names of everyone in the class and a list of things they can say to each other. My Valentine’s Day gift to you is a free download of this activity in French and Spanish.
They work on the valentines at home and bring them ready to go on February 14th. When they come in on Valentine’s Day they put the cards on their desks so I can check off who did them, and I spot check one or two for a boy and girl from each student to make sure they have the adjective agreement correct. While I am doing this, the students are making the mailboxes and decorating them with Valentine vocabulary and taping them to the sides of their desks. The mailbox is a piece of construction paper folded in half, sides taped or stapled, with their names on them.
After I make it around, I tell them to get up and start delivering the valentines. It is totally cute watching teenagers delivering valentines to each other. After all of the valentines are delivered, we sit down and open them up and read them. Students share some of the things people said the most about them. We discuss if they agree or disagree with the statements. Some students include candy or other little goodies with their valentines which are a big hit with their classmates. Tip: Students must sign their names to the valentines they pass out as to avoid any negative comments and so people know who to thank!
Even though they groan when they first hear about the assignment, they are always happy on Valentine’s Day to have something fun to do and enjoy reading what other students have to say about them. Every once and awhile a student shows up without valentines. Here is what I do. If students show up with valentines ready to go they get full credit, if they do not have valentines ready to go they can sit down and work on them for half credit and get them passed out as soon as possible.
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