Celebrate the month of love with your students with this easy Valentine’s Day writing prompt that turns into a craft to display in your classroom.
As an upper elementary teacher, I love doing quick arts and crafts activities that require no planning! Since many holidays clash with our curriculum, it leaves me with a small window of time to do fun Valentine’s Day activities.
One way to squeeze in Valentine’s Day activities is by merging them with the learning topics my students are studying. Instead of treating Valentine’s Day as a separate event, I integrate it with a standard in reading or writing we’re already learning.
As my students are knee-deep in learning to write an essay, I have them respond to this fun Valentine’s Day writing prompt, incorporating a review of idioms.
My favorite part about this Valentine’s Day writing prompt is the quick and easy process of turning this activity into a bulletin board or using it to decorate the classroom for our Valentine’s Day party.
Another benefit is that once the responses are displayed, the heart templates fill the classroom with colorful hearts, creating a festive atmosphere, ready to welcome the month of February.
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Lesson Plan for Valentine’s Day Writing Prompt
Below, I’ll walk you through how I guide my students in completing this Valentine’s Day craft from start to finish.
To get started with this Valentine’s Day craft, make sure you have the following materials ready:
Materials Needed
1. Valentine’s Day writing prompt template
2. Colored paper: I have linked my favorite brand of colored paper, or you can let the students color the heart template.
3. Markers: I suggest using a black marker for colored paper.
4. Scissors
Step 1: Let’s Get Started
Remind your students about idioms. Look at the idiom phrase “What do you know by heart?” together and share the goal of the activity, which is to answer a fun Valentine’s Day prompt and turn their answers into a cool bulletin board to decorate the classroom for February.
Step 2: Dive into the Resource
Give each student a copy of the heart template with the Valentine’s Day writing prompt. Look at the idiom phrase and mention things they’ve been learning lately to connect their response with what we’re studying.
Step 3: Let’s Write
Ask students to answer the Valentine’s Day writing prompt. Encourage them to include what they’re learning in their answers with examples.
Step 4: Get Creative with Cutting
Once they’ve finished writing, it’s time to cut! Have students cut out the heart templates. If there’s time, let them decorate it to add a fun and artsy touch to their heart cutout.
I also let my students cut using what I call the ‘fun scissors.’ These scissors come with various cut lines, such as waves and squares.
If you were around during the paper scrapbooking days, you probably have these lying around. If not, I’m linking to them so you can see what they look like.
Step 5: Showcase on the Bulletin Board
Collect all those cutout hearts and arrange them on a bulletin board or any designated space. Make it eye-catching and use different props to stand out. Use the title provided in the download to tie everything together.
Now, your classroom is ready for February!
This Valentine’s Day activity is not just about writing—it’s about turning the classroom into a cheerful and loving space. Each student’s contribution makes the bulletin board a celebration of Learning.
Supporting ELL Students with the Valentine’s Day Writing Prompt
My classroom has a high population of English Language Learners (ELL). So, adapting this Valentine’s Day activity to allow them to participate is crucial for me. Here are my strategies to ensure all students can enjoy the fun when completing this Valentine’s Day writing prompt.
Sentence Starters for a Smooth Start
For ELL students, offering sentence starters written on sentence strips provides a helpful kickstart, letting them focus on completing the sentences without the added challenge of creating the whole sentence from scratch.
Here are some examples of sentence starters to answer the writing prompt:
1. “I know…”
2. “In my heart, I know…”
3. “By heart, I can recall…”
4. “One thing I’ve memorized is…”
5. “I’m familiar with…”
6. “Off the top of my head, I know…”
7. Something I know by memory is…”
8. “Without looking, I can tell you…”
9. “From memory, I remember…”
Building a Word Bank Together
To make things even more accessible, I jot down different topics and related vocabulary from our ongoing lessons as we discuss what we are studying. Inadvertently, this makes a word bank of words they can choose from to add to their sentence.
The word bank comes in handy and allows them to work independently. They can use it as a reference while answering their Valentine’s Day writing prompt, making the process smoother and boosting their confidence.
Valentine’s Day Writing Activity for the Writing Center
Another way to complete this activity is to include it in the writing center for February! This Valentine’s Day writing prompt will be a great addition if you have a writing center in your class.
Here’s how to add it to your writing center and make the most of it:
Place a dedicated bin or tray in your writing center with copies of the Valentine’s Day writing prompt template. I include a completed sample to give students a reference of what the activity should look like at the end.
In addition, I add the sentence starters to the bin. This extra support ensures that every student can confidently participate, regardless of language proficiency.
For students to complete this Valentine’s Day writing activity independently, I include clothespins in the bin to attach their completed heart cutouts to a designated space in the classroom. As students go through the writing center, it simplifies collecting their heart cutouts.
No Printer, No Problem!- Go Digital
If printing the PDF version is not an option, you can still complete this easy Valentine’s Day writing prompt by going digital. Here’s how:
Assigning the Digital Version
Share the digital version of the writing prompt with your students, allowing them to respond and complete the activity online.
There’s a digital version available I made in Google Slides. If you have a Google Classroom, you can push out the activity through there.
For teachers using other Learning Management (LMS), you can download the Valentine’s Day writing prompt from Google Slide as a Microsoft PowerPoint.
Embracing Technology for Creativity
When I assign the activity online, I encourage students to use the digital tools in these programs to add a drawing or image to the template to match their responses.
Key Takeaways
Sprinkle a bit of holiday magic in your classroom with this two-in-one Valentine’s Day writing prompt and craft. It is a way for your students to connect with the curriculum in a fun and memorable way!
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