Valentine activities,
1-2-3 Come Make Valentines With Me!
While looking for classroom charts today, I stumbled across the periodic chart. Boy did that bring back memories.
I LOVED chemistry lab, and could easily have become a mad scientist.
I'm always looking for ways for students to spell words, like using Scrabble tiles etc.
Since the periodic table is filled with letters and letter combinations, I frogged around half the morning dreaming up valentines.
There are 5 different sample valentines using the periodic chart to make the words.
You can use my templates or challenge students to think up their own.
I've included a periodic chart that you can shoot up on an overhead, so students can use it as a reference tool.
I hope they have a much fun as I did.
Hint: Think up something you'd like to say, and then see if any of the elements help you spell it.
Click on the link to view/download the We've Got Chemistry Valentines.
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Do you have a valentine you'd like to share? I'd enjoy hearing from you: diane@teachwithme.com or leave a comment here.
"Education is not received. It is achieved." -Unknown
Happy Presidents' Day!
It's just around the corner and coming up fast, if the speed at which January blew by is any indication.
This patriotic heart "craftivity" makes a sweet valentine, as well as an easy writing prompt.
There are 5 writing prompt hearts for students to choose from, that they can glue to the back, including a comparison and contrast one.
Use the patriotic heart "craftivity" for fine motor-puzzle practice. Remind students that the star's stripes are in an ABAB pattern.
I've included a list of Lincoln & Washington quotations that can be used as writing prompts as well, and put on the two presidents' posters.
Post a different quote on the board through the month of February, &/or make an overheard of quotes and have students choose several to add to their blank posters.
They can comment on the back of what the quote means, what it means to them, or why it's their favorite.
I've included posters with quotes and ones without.
I've also added the President's real signatures to the posters. Lincoln's real "autograph" is extremely sought after.. At one auction it commanded a price of over $700,000!
After students have shared, collate their quote posters and make into a class book.
Punch holes in the tops of students' patriotic hearts and hang from the ceiling with fish line.
Click on the link to view/download the Presidents' Writing Prompt Posters
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"That some achieve great success is proof to all that others can achieve it as well." -Lincoln
Valentine gifts: A Special Pencil.
When school supplies are on super sale during August, I buy packs of pencils for about a dollar.
I save them to decorate and pass out to my students during special times of the year.
You can make a class set of hearts and attach one to the end of a pencil, with a thick glue dot, in about 20 minutes.
Print a copy of the little card that I’ve designed to go with them. Cut 2 slits and insert the pencil and you’re set!
What a nice Valentine surprise left on their desk.
Valentine Gifts: A Bouquet of Love
As I was fooling around making the hearts, it occurred to me that they would be cute flowers if I stuck them to the top of a green Popsicle stick.
I LOVE how more ideas pop into my head as I’m “playing.”
Students can make 1, 2, or even 3 flowers for their Dixie cup vase. I folded a green strip in half and then in half again and cut the smaller strips, to make leaves.
You might want to make these strips skinnier so they look a bit different and fit on the Popsicle stick better. I used glue dots to adhere everything to the stick.
I looked for Dixie cups that were a solid color, or had a nice pattern that would look like a vase.
Tip the cup upside down; using a knife, make as many slits as you need and then insert the assembled heart flowers.
Adjust the height ‘til you have an appealing arrangement. I’ve also made a little card students can include with their bouquet. Click on the link to view/download the Heart Activities.
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“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could; some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson
A Heart-y Surprise: Lessons With Heart!
I LOVE Valentine’s Day. It’s my favorite holiday. I wanted to design a valentine that you could use for more than just a Valentine.
There are lots of things you can do with this folded heart pattern.
I made an example of each one.
A Special Valentine:
First off, run the owl template off on white construction paper, and the “Me!” heart insert on red & pink,, if you want to give your students a color choice.
Students cut out their hearts and fold the large one on the dashed lines.
Children glue their red/pink insert in the center of the middle heart, which can be viewed when you open the flaps.
To make it more of a keepsake, print off a copy of your class composite.
Students glue their picture somewhere on the inside of their card.
Children sign their name and perhaps x’s & o’s, or repeat “I love you.”
The Alphabet:
You can also assign a letter to each one of your students. If you don’t have 26 you can ask who wants to make an extra one, or you can make up the difference.
Children write the uppercase letter on the left heart flap, and the lowercase letter on the right heart flap.
Students think of a word that begins with that letter and write it on the inside.
If you want, they can also draw a picture or find clipart or a sticker to put under the word.
This is a great Daily 5 “word work” activity, or send it home as a home-school connection.
When they are completed, each child shares their letter heart.
Collect and keep, so you have a nice set of cards for your students to practice sequencing with.
Compound Words:
The flaps are also perfect for compound word practice. I have a list of 1,718 compound words that you can use to choose for your students to work on.
Click on the link to view/download this comprehensive compound word list.
Each child does 2-3, writing the two words (1 on each front flap), and then what compound word the two make, when you open the flap.
If you want they can draw a picture, or add a sticker or clipart to illustrate the new word.
Contractions:
Just as with the compound words, contractions can also be reviewed in this fun way.
I’ve included an alphabetical list of 69 contractions to choose from. You could run off the page and cut the words out.
Toss them into a container and have students glue X number of contractions in that many hearts.
Students write the two words on the outside and then open up the Valentine to see the contraction.
Math:
Assign numbers to students and have them make a math heart.
Students can do addition or subtraction, by writing the equation on the front flaps: (1 + on the left side, 1 = on the right flap.)
When you open it up you will see the answer 2, and the word two and a group/set of 2 things.
Students can draw the objects, use stickers or clipart.
Practice spelling & writing.
Students could also have fun writing 2 spelling words on the front and then making up a sentence that includes the 2 words on the inside.
Paper love:
You can also just run off a variety of colored hearts and have students practice their fine motor cutting and folding skills, and then write “I love you,” or whatever other “secret” message they want to give their family.
My Y5’s enjoyed making “paper love” and hiding it around the house, and then telling me where they hid the PL, and the result when someone found their note.
Bulletin board:
Do an assortment, or all the activities and sprinkle them on a bulletin board with the caption: “We LOVE Learning.” Or “We have a heart for learning.”
Click on the link to view/download the Folded Heart Activities.
If you think of any other things you can do with the hearts, I’d enjoy hearing from you, diane@teachwithme.com, and then I’ll add them to this list.
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"A New Year is unfolding-like a blossom with petals curled tightly, concelaing the beauty within." -Kushal Verma
1 Student + 1 Fun Activity = Learning!
I’ve been busy designing all sorts of easy readers that incorporate a variety of standards so you get more bang for your time buck.
I also like to overlap math with language arts so that I can cover even more standards with one activity.
I try to design my booklets so that they have a consistent format.
That way even when it’s a new month with a new theme, the format is the same.
Students feel empowered and their self-esteem is built, because once they have done that first booklet, little or no directions have to be explained for students to get right down to business.
I think this is one of the reasons for the popularity of the 1-2-3 Count With Me series.
Click on the link to view all 25 booklets thus far.
I’m working on 123 Count Valentines With Me this week, and just finished 123 Count Groundhogs With Me.
Click on the link to view/download it.
My Y5’s never got tired of doing them.
A new series I plan on doing once a month, ‘til all of the months are covered, is the +1 Addition Booklets.
I just completed January’s +1 Snowman Addition Booklet,
as well as the Plus 1 Valentine Addition Booklet for February.
Click on the links to view/download them.
The booklets help review Common Core State Math Standards: K.CC.3, K.CC.4a, K.CC.4b, K.CC.4c, K.CC.5, K.OA.1, K.OA.5, K.G.1
The easy readers help your students learn the concept of +1 more addition as well as spatial directions.
Students trace and write the numbers and number word and then follow the spatial directions of where to glue that many snowflakes or Valentine hearts.
They also circle the number in its proper sequence.
All booklets in this series will include a graphing extension and certificate of praise.
Be sure and check back for a kite or shamrock one for March, a butterfly one for April, and one with a frog theme for May!
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“Choices in life: give up, give in, or give it all you’ve got!” -Unknown
1-2-3 Come Do Some Candy Heart Activities With Me
A Sweet Way To Learn!
I’m so excited! Last year I found the Acme Heart Maker site where you could type in 4-letter words on candy hearts. 
I went crazy making some cute CVC words for you, but was a bit bummed because the letters only print in all caps. However, they do look just like real candy hearts, which are also printed in all caps.
While working on this article, I found cryptogram.com where you can type in up to 11 upper or lowercase letters! Wahoo! 
How perfect to make a surprise heart note for all of your students, or allow them keyboard practice, and let them make their own heart or message, in an independent computer-center activity. I even made one for my husband, and taped it to his bathroom mirror. He chuckled this morning. 
Some school's 100 Day lands on or close to Valentine's Day I made up a 100 Day candy heart as a cute note for your kiddo's. If you want, attach a box of the conversation hearts.
The Dollar sells them 4 in a pack. There's also smaller candy heart cards. Use them for Memory Match or "I Have; Who Has?" color games. Click on the link to view/download the 100 Day With Candy Hearts packet.
Of course my brain was working over time trying to think of the zillion ways I could use this. I got out my Dolch word list and made a complete set of Conversational Hearts from all of the lists Pre-Primer through 3rd grade.
You can do several things with these. Simply use them as anchor charts, or print them off and laminate them. Make Memory Match games, put them up on your word wall for February, have students put them in alphabetical order, or have students choose several and make sentences with them.
Play a whole-group game and put the laminated hearts in a box, have students take one out identify the word(s). If they cannot they are out of the game. Another way to play this is “Kaboom!” Pass around the candy heart cards. Go around the circle.
Children read their word(s). If someone has a bomb card, everyone yells “Kaboom!” and you start over. The person holding the bomb, can remain in or be out of the game depending on how you want to play.
Click on the link to view/print the Dolch Word Candy Hearts Click on the link to view/print the bomb cards.
There are many math centers you can do with candy hearts: patterning, guess-timation, counting, graphing, measurement etc. I've also included puzzles for centers.
Pictured is an example of a guess-timation sheet. There's also one where students guess how many candy hearts will go around the heart shape.
I made numeric candy heart anchor charts as well as trace and write the number worksheets.
There are 2 graphing extensions: 1 for graphing your students' favorite flavor of candy heart, the other for graphing their favorite color candy heart.
I’ve included some fun new skill sheets for you in More Fun With Candy Hearts click on the link to view/print this 33-page mini conversation heart unit. Last year’s booklet was Fun With Candy Hearts.
Finally, I made up 208 traceable number and letter flashcards with covers so that your students can make Candy Heart Itty Bitty booklets for counting, skip counting by 2’s, 3’s, 5’s, 10’s, color words and colors, + the alphabet (upper and lowercase letters). These also make great Memory Match Games too! Click on the link to view/print Candy Heart Itty Bitty Books
Want some more fun things to do with candy hearts?
National Geographic has a Candy Hearts Bingo Game. Click on the link to check it out.
Allcrafts.net has a tutorial of how to make your own candy hearts. Click on the link to check that out.
Make these lovely snowflake valentines out of a coffee filter and put some candy hearts on them for a cute party favor. Click on the link to see how the Peppermint Plum Blog Spot does it!
Thanks for visiting. Feel free to pin away. I hope you can stop by tomorrow. I'm finishing up candy heart packets for contractions, opposites, and colors!
"You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." -Zig Ziglar
