FEBRUARY: Happy Valentine's Day

And so, yes, there is a history to this occasion where our students give gifts, receive gifts, and create crafty gifts all in the name of St. Valentine. But, as tradition holds, February 14th is the day of celebration.

Here are a few crafts and ideas I found online that can be celebrated in the classroom.

Language Arts:
Take some ideas to discuss poetic devices in poetry from ReadWriteThink's Lesson plans.

With Middle, Junior, and Senior High School students you may want to discuss idioms from the story I found online titled Valentine's Day Date where the idioms are underlined and connected to a link that helps describe those idioms.

Get crafty!
The Kid's Fun Review links you to 9 Homemade Valentine Ideas For Kids

This is a fun idea for teachers! Maybe find a way to get your students in a group picture (example below) and have you be the one up close to the camera handing out your hand for the lollipop or a Valentine pencil. It's a fun classroom gift. It will take some camera skill, but it can be done.



The Sweet Tooth suggests Felt Fortune Cookies and Rolo Wraps as a an additional sweet treat.

Art Class:
Students can learn how to draw a rose, maybe create a mosaic of roses (example below).

FEBRUARY: Saint Valentine DID exist

As I child I celebrated February 14th (or sometime around there depending on whether the 14th landed on a weekend) giving out small pieces of candy and a card that came with a box of similar cards I bought at the local neighborhood store. The card would have a message that was grammatically incorrect, or had a pun like "Hogs and Kisses from your favorite Hogger," or an image of my favorite Saturday morning cartoon hugging another Saturday morning cartoon.

And I remember I had to make sure every student in my class, whether or not I liked him or her, got a card because that was the right thing to do.

As an adult it has become the occasion of when dark chocolates go on sale, my favorite color red becomes a fashion staple, and I get all sorts of goodies.

But, I never really understood WHY we actually celebrated St. Valentine's Day.

Many stories and legends go back and forth from Christian and Roman time periods, but leave it to the good ol' History Channel and its website to provide more insight into St. Valentine.

Happy birthday, Mr. Dickens

The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) website introduces resources that connects students to a biographical animation, a game, and an additional link to read more about the novelist who brought us the story of Mr. Scrooge.

Here's the website that connects you to this helpful resource: Bleak House's Charles John Huffam Dickens 1812-1870