valentine's day english assignment

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ESL Valentine’s Day Activities, Games, Lesson Plans & More

If you’re looking for some fun ESL Valentine’s day games, activities, lesson plans, vocabulary, worksheets, and more, then you’re definitely in the right place. You’ll find everything you need to plan yourself an awesome Valentine’s lesson! Make use of the history of Valentine’s day lesson resource and the best Valentine’s day warm up activities. If you are interested in teaching ESL classes for other holidays, check out resources for Halloween , Easter , Thanksgiving , and Christmas .

ESL Valentine’s Day Warm-up Activities

ESL Valentine’s Day Activities and Games for All Ages

Are you ready to get into the fun Valentine’s day warm-up activities for the classroom? Let’s get to it!

#1: Valentine’s Day Cards

I LOVE to have my students make cards for their family and friends, or other classmates. Bring in some paper and art supplies and let students get creative!

Of course, show them some examples of common phrases you could normally find on these sorts of cards and explain what they mean.

#2: ESL Valentine’s Day Videos

I’m ALL about using videos in my ESL classroom, but there are a few things I do to get the most use out of them. In the case of Valentine’s day, there are a ton of good ones on YouTube, particularly related to the history of Valentine’s Day and related vocabulary.

To find out more about how to use videos effectively, you’ll want to check this out: ESL Videos and How to Use Them .

#3: Charades: ESL Valentine’s Day Game

This is a classic party game that’s ideal for game or activity days related to holidays. The way it works is similar to how you’ve probably played it, but you would just choose holiday-themed vocabulary.

To find out more about how to use it in the ESL classroom, check this out: Charades for English Learners.

• Amazon Kindle Edition
• Bolen, Jackie (Author)
• English (Publication Language)
• 78 Pages - 03/22/2021 (Publication Date)

#4: A to Z Alphabet Game

If your students are already quite familiar with Valentine’s Day vocabulary, then you could use this activity as a quick warmer activity to activate their prior knowledge.

However, if you are teaching students about this popular holiday for the first time, you could consider using it as a vocabulary review activity at the end of class.

The way it works is that students have to think of as many words (one per letter) as possible related to a certain theme. In this case, it’d be Valentine’s Day. The team with the most words at the end of the allotted time is the winner. You can find out more details about this ESL activity here: A to Z ESL Game .

• 99 Pages - 06/22/2021 (Publication Date)

#5: Task-Based Activities

There are a million and one task-based activities that students could do related to holiday-themed lessons. For example, they could do some research about the history of Valentine’s Day and then make a poster and do a presentation. Or, they could make cards for each other with some common phrases you might normally find on these types of cards.

Students could also conduct interviews to find out people’s thoughts on love and dating. Or, students could compare Valentine’s Day with a similar holiday in their own country.

Need more ideas for this kind of activity? Check this out: Task-Based Learning .

#6: I’m an Alien

It’s often the case that students already know a fair bit about this popular holiday before explicitly teaching them. If that’s the case, consider using this simple warm-up:

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#7: Password Vocabulary Activity

This is a vocabulary review game that lends itself extremely well to Valentine’s Day. The way it works is that you divide the students up into two teams. The first team sends a member to the front and you show a secret word to the rest of the team who now have to describe it to the person who has to guess what it is.

It’s fun, and challenging and makes a perfect activity for a party day activity that has a bit of educational value to it! Do you want to know more? Check it out for yourself right here:

Password ESL Vocabulary Review Game

#8: Picture Prompt

I love bringing interesting pictures into my classroom. In this case, you’d choose a Valentine’s one filled with lots of things students could talk about.

Beginners can simply say the words of things they see, while more advanced students could make guesses or inferences about what’s happening. You can find out more about it here:

ESL Picture Prompt .

• 110 Pages - 06/05/2020 (Publication Date)

#9: Word Association

This vocabulary activity makes an ideal class warm-up to serve as an introduction to Valentine’s Day words. It’s basically making a mind map of words related to a certain theme. Do you want to know more about it? Find out all the details here:

ESL Word Association Activity .

#10: ESL Concentration Memory Game

Try out this fun memory game with your students. The way it works is that you can make sets of cards. For beginners, go with a picture and then the word, while more advanced students can have the word and then the definition. Cut them out and students, in groups of four place them face down in an organized fashion.

Then, it becomes a game where students have to find the matching pairs. Do you want to try it out? Here are the details about it:

ESL Concentration Memory Game.

#11: Valentine’s Day Board Game

I LOVE to play board games in real life and so try to bring them into the classroom as well. You can make one about just about any topic or grammar point, including holidays.

You can make it into a vocabulary game, or one where you have to give opinions on various love and dating things. Find out more details in this short video:

#12: Flyswatter ESL Game

If you want to have some fun with valentine’s words, then you’ll need to consider using flyswatter. The way it works is that you write a bunch of words randomly on the board. For example cupid, love, chocolate, date, roses, etc.

Then, divide the class into two teams and one student from each team comes to the front of the class. Each of them takes a flyswatter and then you can give hints about one of the words. The first student to slap that word gets a point for their team and the game continues on until everyone has had a chance to play. I usually erase the word and add a new one in its’ place.

You can learn more about it here: ESL Flyswatter Game .

#13: Just One Question

This is a quick survey activity that gets students talking about love and dating. The way it works is that in pairs, students have to think of one interesting question related to this theme that they’d like to ask their classmates about. Then, they survey at least 10 students, compile results and report what they learned to the class.

Do you want to try it out with your students? You can learn more about this activity here: https://eslspeaking.org/esl-warm-up-questions/

#14: Odd One Out

If you’re talking about different holidays like Valentine’s, Juneteenth , Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween, then you’ll want to try out this quick activity. The way it works is that you write sets of words on the board and students have to choose the one that doesn’t match. For example:

• Cupid, tree, heart, chocolate

There are a number of possible answers, but one obvious one is tree because it’s related to Christmas and not Valentines. I take any answer as long as students are able to tell me why. Find out more about it here: ESL Odd One Out .

#15: Valentine’s Day Songs

If you teach kids, then you’ll certainly want to try some songs and singing in your classroom. They’re a fun way for students to remember and practice new words that they learned related to this holiday. Have a look on YouTube and you’ll be able to easily find one that will work for your students.

#16: Write a Love Poem: ESL Valentine’s Day Activity

Roses are red. Violets are blue . . .

A fun activity you can try out for your Valentine’s day lesson is to get students to write a simple love poem, even if they don’t have a partner. It can be fun or silly—it’s up to the students!

#17: Valentine’s Listening Lesson

It’s quite easy to plan a lesson based on whatever topic you want. In this case, find a conversation between two people talking about their experience of Valentine’s Day. Or, perhaps one person talking about their best one ever. Then, follow the simple steps to make a fun and interesting lesson:

#18: Word Challenge

A fun time-filler that you can use in your classes is this spelling game. Of course, it’s not just a time-filler because spelling is an important skill for our students to work on.

The way it works is that students have to race to write a correctly spelled word on the whiteboard. In this case, you’d want to use Valentine’s Day themed vocabulary. Find out more here:

Word Challenge Activity .

#19: Dialogue Substitution

#20: chain spelling: esl valentine’s day activity.

A fun, quick review of ESL vocab for Valentine’s Day is this chain spelling one. The way it works is that all the students stand up. Then, you say a vocabulary word. Students take turns spelling out the word, letter by letter. If they miss, they sit down and are out of that round. Continue until only 1-2 people are left standing.

#21: Dictogloss Valentine Day Activity

A challenging activity for more advanced learners that can be used for just about any topic, grammar point, or vocabulary set is Dictogloss. In this case, find a passage or write your own that talks about someone’s experience with Valentine’s Day or traditions in various countries. Those are just two examples, but they could be anything related to this holiday.

Then, read it out at a faster-than-normal pace for the level of students you are teaching. The students can take some brief notes and then, with a partner, compare what they have and try to recreate what they heard. Read it out again, and students do the same. Finally, they can compare what they have with the original version. Check it out:

ESL Dictogloss Activity.

#22: Cookie Decorating 

Try out this fun activity! Make or buy some heart-shaped cookies and pink icing. Then, ask students to bring in some things to decorate their cookies with. For example, sprinkles or candy. Be sure to have some paper plates on hand to prevent a huge mess!

#23: Have a Friendly Debate 

There are lots of things to debate about for Valentine’s Day! For example:

• Valentine’s Day is overrated.
• It’s better to go out for dinner on Feb. 13th or 15th.
• There’s too much focus on romantic love in my country.

Choose a topic and sides and get to talking.

#24: Write a Thank-You Note 

Valentines Day doesn’t have to be just about romantic love. It can also be a day to be thankful for other people in life. For example, parents, siblings, friends or teachers. Have students choose one of these people and write a short thank-you note, in English to them!

#25: Door Decorating Contest 

A fun way to celebrate just about any holiday is to get students to decorate a door in the school. Make it into a contest and have some admin judge it. The winning class can get a small prize of some kind.

#26: ESL Valentine’s Day Reading Comprehension Lesson

It’s easier than you might think to plan a reading comprehension lesson for any age or level in a few simple steps. In this case, find or write a passage of someone talking about the history of the holiday, or their personal experiences. Then, plan a whole reading lesson around that. Find out how right here:

I love to play some Bingo with my students to celebrate the holidays. Students can fill up their Bingo grid using themed vocabulary from a PowerPoint. Then, instead of just saying the word, give some clues about it. This levels up the difficulty and makes it a more valuable exercise.

#28: Love Letter Writing

Have students write love letters or Valentine’s Day cards to someone they care about. Encourage them to use vocabulary and expressions related to emotions and affection. They can then exchange their letters or cards within the class.

#29: Love Idioms Match-Up

Create a list of common love idioms or expressions (e.g., head over heels, love at first sight, a match made in heaven). Write each idiom on a separate piece of paper and cut them in half. Distribute the halves randomly to students, and they must find their idiom match.

#30: Conversation Heart Sentences

Use conversation heart candies (or heart-shaped cutouts) with words or phrases written on them. Each student gets a handful of hearts and must create grammatically correct sentences using the words or phrases on their candies.

#31: Love Song Lyrics Fill-in-the-Blanks

Choose a popular love song and create a worksheet with the lyrics, leaving out some key words. Play the song for the students and have them fill in the blanks as they listen. Discuss the meaning and vocabulary used in the song afterward.

#32: Valentine’s Day Story Chain

Start by giving the students a sentence that begins a Valentine’s Day story. Each student adds a sentence to continue the story, going around the classroom until you have a complete and entertaining tale.

#33: Candy Heart Sentences

Use conversation heart candies (or paper cutouts with phrases) with words or phrases. Students have to create grammatically correct sentences or short stories using the candy hearts.

#34: Valentine’s Day Story Chain

Start a story with a Valentine’s Day theme, and each student adds a sentence or two to continue the narrative. This collaborative writing activity encourages creativity and collaboration.

#35: Valentine’s Day ESL Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt with clues written in English. The clues can lead students to different parts of the classroom or school where they find Valentine’s Day-related items or phrases.

#36: Love-themed Mad Libs

Provide students with a Valentine’s Day-themed Mad Libs worksheet. They fill in the blanks with various parts of speech, and then read the humorous and often silly story they’ve created.

#37: Would You Rather?

Choose some questions from this list of 50 “Would You Rather?” Valentine’s Day edition questions. These questions can be used as icebreakers or topics for speaking lessons.

History of Valentine’s Day Lesson

Did you know that this sweet and loving holiday actually roots in an ancient pagan festival? The name of the holiday comes from a man whose name is Valentine. During A.D. 200s, the Emperor of Rome banned marriage. The reason behind this decision was that the Emperor thought soldiers were better when they were unmarried. So, men were not allowed to get married to their loved ones. However, Valentine, a Roman priest, thought this was unfair. So, he secretly broke the rules and helped couples get married. Unfortunately, he eventually got caught and was killed on February 14th.

Then where does Valentine’s love letter come from? Before his death, Valentine wrote the world’s very first Valentine’s day love letter to a girl he loved. After many centuries, Pope Gelasius I declares February 14th as St. Valentine’s Day. Originally, Catholic Church celebrated this day but decided to discontinue the liturgical veneration in 1969. However, traditions evolved, and the world now celebrates this day as a romantic holiday.

ESL Valentine’s Day Worksheets

Do you want some Valentine’s worksheets that you can just print and go? They’ll make your life easy, so be sure to check out some of our top picks right here:

ISL Collective

Boggles World

ESL Made Easy

Valentine’s Day ESL Vocabulary

If you’re looking for a vocabulary list for ESL valentine’s day, here’s a simple one that hits the highlights:

• February 14th
• present/gift

ESL Valentine’s Day Lesson Plans

Are you looking for some Valentine’s Day ESL lesson plans? Then you’re certainly in the right place! Here are some of our top recommendations that’ll make your life easier. You can just print and go!

British Council

One Stop English 

ESL Holiday Lessons

Or, you could consider making your own:

Valentine’s Day Adjectives

Here are some of the most popular adjectives associated with Valentine’s Day:

• everlasting
• heart-shaped

Do you have any adjectives that you’d like to add to the list? Leave a comment and let us know!

Did you Like these Valentine’s Day Ideas for the Classroom?

• Smith, Jennifer Booker (Author)
• 144 Pages - 03/31/2016 (Publication Date)

Yes? Thought so! Then the book you’re going to love is this one over on Amazon: 101 ESL Activities for Kids . There are dozens of fun, engaging ESL activities that’ll help you get through the entire semester in style. The key to happy students who are having fun learning English is a variety of games and this book will help you do just that.

You can find the book in both digital and print formats. Take the digital copy with you to your favourite coffee shop on your phone or tablet for some serious lesson planning on the go. Or, keep a copy on the bookshelf in your office to use as a handy reference guide.

It really is that easy to have better English lessons. Pick up a copy of the book for yourself, but only if you want a serious dose of ESL teaching awesome in your life:

FAQs About ESL Valentine’s Day Activities and Lesson Ideas

There are a number of common questions that people have about this popular holiday. Here are the answers to some of the most common ones.

What is the real story of Valentine’s Day?

The real story of Valentine’s Day is hard to identify as there are three different Saint Valentines recognized by the Catholic Church. However, it’s thought that it might be based on the Saint Valentine of Terni, executed by the Roman emperor Claudius the Second on Feb. 14, 278 A.D.

What are the seven days before Valentine’s Day?

The seven days before Valentine’s Day, starting on Feb. 7th are:

• Propose day.
• Chocolate day.
• Promise day.
• Valentine’s day.

Was St. Valentine a killer?

St. Valentine was not a killer. He in fact was executed by the Roman emperor Claudius the Second for refusing to deny Jesus Christ.

What does the Bible say about Valentine’s Day?

The Bible doesn’t explicitly say anything about Valentine’s Day. However, there are numerous exhortations in the Bible to love one another as God has loved us.

What are some fun ESL Valentine’s Day activities?

Some fun Valentine’s Day activities are Bingo, making cards, decorating cookies, surveys or task-based learning projects like presentations.

Valentine’s Day Lesson Plans

ESL Valentine’s Day Activities and Games: Join the Conversation

What are your thoughts about these ESL valentine’s day activities? Did you try some of them out for this fun holiday ? What did you think? Or, please let us know your top recommendation for a lesson plan, worksheet or activity that you like to do on this special holiday. Leave a comment below and we’d love to hear from you.

Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other busy teachers, like yourself who are planning their Valentine’s Day lesson plan to find this useful teaching resource.

Last update on 2022-07-17 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

About Jackie

Jackie Bolen has been teaching English for more than 20 years to students in South Korea and Canada. She's taught all ages, levels and kinds of TEFL classes. She holds an MA degree, along with the Celta and Delta English teaching certifications.

Jackie is the author of more than 100 books for English teachers and English learners, including Business English Vocabulary Builder , 67 ESL Conversation Topics ,and 39 No-Prep/Low-Prep ESL Speaking Activities for Teenagers and Adults . She loves to share her ESL games, activities, teaching tips, and more with other teachers throughout the world.

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Middle school ela valentine’s day activities, middle school ela valentines day activities.

I feel like my Middle School (7th and 8th Grade) students sometimes get forgotten on Holidays, but I also don’t like to make myself crazy with a bunch of activities or insane ideas. I knew that if I ever got a  chance, I would want to start by making Middle School ELA Valentine’s Day Activies.

Because of this, I have been trying to create fun and simple holiday activities that are ELA based, but also fun and out of the ordinary for the kids.

• Figurative Language  Valentine’s Day-Themed phrases
• Rhetorical Appeals in Valentine’s Day commercials
• Valentine’s Day Love Songs Theme Analysis Teacher
• Love Story  Novel  Would You Rather Read…
• Valentine’s Day  Word Scramble for a warm-up

They are also all Digital in Google Slides if you are doing distance learning!

For each activity, I have included reference sheets:

• Figurative Language

The activities were meant for mostly review for my students, but I also know that whether or not these concepts have been taught, sometimes students just need a reminder!

Fun Valentine’s Day Word Search Warm-Up

Below is the table of contents of everything included, plus the fun Valentine’s Day Middle School ELA word search. I always like to do a fun Holiday based word search on days like this, because it’s a nice break for my students. Nothing hard or crazy, just fun! Middle schoolers like fun too ha!

Valentine’s Day Commercials Rhetorical Appeals Analysis Activity 

This might be one of my favorite things I have ever come up with ha!

When I came up with my Middle School ELA Valentine’s Day activities we were right in the middle of our rhetoric unit and we had been watching TV commercials to analyze them for rhetoric.

I wanted to continue that so we watched a Valentine’s Day TV Commercials and analyzed their rhetorical appeals! The kids loves it!

Valentine’s Day-Themed Figurative Language Activity 

Lastly, is a fun figurative language Valentine’s Day Middle School ELA themed activity (plus you can get this one as a freebie too!) All answer keys are included and it’s a fun and easy Halloween activity no matter how much time you have.

Other Holiday Packs

Since making my Valentine’s Day Middle School ELA themed activities (which were a huge hit with teachers and students) I have since made a Halloween version . I have bundled both these packs, and plan to make more in the coming months (probably for St. Patricks Day and the New Year, just to have one for each season!

FREE Valentine’s Day Figurative Language Activity

Make sure you are signed up for The Hungry Teacher Newsletter to get the free Figurative Language activity in a digital and print version. Click the image below to subscribe, if you haven’t already.

• Read more about: Middle School Holiday ELA Activities , Middle School Reading

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Valentine's Day - Teaching and Learning Resources

Browse lessons, new & popular, browse by level.

New and Popular Online Lessons and Games About Valentines Day

• Valentine's Day - Picture Vocabulary, with Audio (A1+)
• Valentine's Day - Memory Matching Card Game (A1+)
• Valentine's Day - Reading Skills Lesson (A2+)
• English Expressions and Idioms With The Word 'Heart' (A2/B1)
• The History of Valentine's Day - Video Listening Quiz, With Worksheet (B1+)
• Valentine's Day - Graded Reading Text (B2+)

Songs About Love, For Valentine's Day

• I Will Always Love You, By Whitney Houston - Grammar Gap Fill Activity
• Cupid, By Amy Winehouse - Multiple Choice Listening Quiz
• My Valentine By Paul McCartney - Listening and Writing Activity
• Love is In The Air, By John Paul Young - Listening Gap Fill
• Body and Soul, By Amy Winehouse and Tony Bennett - Gap Fill Listening
• Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps, by Cake - Listening Gap Fill
• Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, by Carole King - Listening and Writing Activity

Valentine's Day Activities for Beginners and Elementary Learners

• Valentine's Day Picture Vocabulary, with Audio (A1+)
• Valentine's Day Picture Matching Quiz (A1+)
• Valentine's Day Pronunciation and Vocabulary Review (A1/A2)
• Valentine's Day Reading - Multiple Choice Quiz (A2+)
• Valentine's Day Matching Quiz - Put Words in Alphabetical Order (A1+)
• Valentine's Day - Easy Word Search Puzzle (A1+)
• Valentine's Day - Gap Fill Writing Activity (A2+)
• Valentine's Day Spelling - Unscramble The Jumbled Words (A2+)
• Valentine's Day Punctuation Quiz - Using Capital Letters (A2+)
• Valentine's Day - An Online Crossword Puzzle (A2+)
• Love and Relationships - A Medium Difficulty Word Search Puzzle (A2+)
• Valentine's Day - Medium Difficulty Word Search Puzzle (Upper Elementary + )

Lessons for Pre-Intermediate, Intermediate and Advanced Learners

• Valentine's Day - A Graded Reader For Advanced English Students (C1/C2)

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Valentine’s Day Classroom Activities: ELA

Whether your students are seven (and giddy about the candy), or seventeen (and developing intense infatuations), they’re sure to enjoy our collection of Valentine’s Day classroom activities! With these language arts Valentine’s Day activities, students can engage with the celebratory aspects of the holiday while practicing key skills, including critical thinking, close reading, and creative writing!

What can you do in class on Valentine’s Day? Students love this holiday for the plethora of celebratory in-class events they can participate in. Aside from allowing them time to hand out their adorable little valentines or using the day to work on everyday curriculum, integrating any of the following Valentine’s Day classroom activities into your class day is sure to brighten a classroom’s mood.

Plus, we’ve also included a set of original Piqosity reading questions based on an excerpt from the classic love story Pride and Prejudice !

Valentine’s Day Classroom Activities for Elementary School

The following Valentine’s Day language arts activities aimed at younger students are easy to distribute, straightforward to understand, and engaging to complete!

1. Valentine’s Day Homophone Activity

The first of our Valentine’s Day classroom activities is great for engaging the entire classroom! Students are tasked with identifying the correct homophone to use in several Valentine’s-themed sentences. After laminating 28 question cards, spread them out in your classroom and have students go around the room to each question and answer it on a provided answer sheet. 

This exercise is a great way to energize your students in the afternoon by getting them up and moving; alternatively, this assignment can be modified for distanced learning. Distribute all questions to each student and have them complete it from their seat or for homework, or you can create a slideshow for the activity and have students work along with it from home. 

Created and made available for free download by JB Creations .

2. Have a Heart! Valentine’s Idiom Activity

This activity is a cute way to get students thinking about figurative language! With print and digital versions, the exercise introduces students to several heart-themed idioms and has them identify their meaning! You can have students try to identify all of them on their own, with a group, or with the help of online research; then, everyone can come together as a class to discuss and confirm the meanings of each. 

The print version is perfect if your little scholars have class notebooks—cutting, pasting, and decorating the handouts is a great hands-on experience that lets them express themselves. You might also expand the activity by having each student illustrate their favorite idiom! The web version is perfect for homework or for when you run out of time or have extra time in class.

Created and made available for free download by Jennifer Findley .

3. Valentine’s Day Vocabulary Activities

These Valentine’s Day printables test your students’ vocabulary skills, all while remaining fun and festive! Students are tasked with finding all of the words that can be made with the letters of “Valentine”; the packet also includes a word search, a word scramble with holiday terms, and an “a-to-z” that asks students to think of a word related to the holiday for each letter of the alphabet. 

Fun for all ages and perfect for classrooms that need vocabulary practice, this PDF also includes an answer sheet for the definitive-answer activities. Distribute these in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day or throughout on the day of! 

Created and made available for free download by Literacy in Focus .

Valentine’s Day Classroom Activities for High School and Middle School

The following activities are full of Valentine’s Day writing prompts and analysis exercises, focusing on skills more appropriate for middle and high school students. 

1. Cupid’s Resume

This simple assignment is incredibly creative in its conception—students are tasked with filling out a resume on behalf of Cupid, as if he were applying for a job as “Head Matchmaker.” Students must be succinct in their writing as they describe their perception of the way Cupid is characterized in popular culture. 

If you wanted to expand this Valentine’s Day classroom activity, you could have students present their resumes, and have the class decide which version of Cupid they would most want to hire! The whole process is also a great way to help students start thinking about how they would create their own resumes in the future.

Created and made available for free download by Presto Plans .

2. Valentine’s Day Author’s Purpose Practice

As they go through puberty with all its attendant awkwardness, many of your middle or high school students may start to become cynical about Valentine’s Day. If you feel that’s the case, this next option from our collection of Valentine’s Day classroom activities might be the perfect thing to engage them a bit differently.

Instead of focusing their attention on their own experience of the holiday, this activity centers around identifying and understanding an author’s purpose , a key skill in critical reading and a widely popular topic for standardized testing. 

This packet includes three short writing samples, each with a clear purpose. Then, it’s up to you what they do with it! You could have them identify the purpose of each sample, discuss each sample in groups, edit the samples to change the purpose, or write a rebuttal passage to each. They could even then write their own passage about Valentine’s Day, and have their peers determine whether it was intended to be informative, persuasive, or entertaining.

Created and made available for free download by Kristen Dembroski NBCT .

3. Valentines Between Characters

Finally, this assignment is a great way for students to practice their reading comprehension skills (particularly their understanding of characterization and character relationships), as well as their creative writing skills. Students are tasked with writing a Valentine letter from the perspective of one character to another character and provided with several guiding questions to ensure that their valentine is accurate and thorough.

They can choose two characters from a book you are reading in class or one they have read on their own. (You could also allow them to choose characters from a movie or TV series, though this would focus the activity on creative writing and remove the critical reading element.)

The exciting part about this activity is that they can speculate about two characters’ interest in each other or they can even fabricate a romance between two characters from different books, making sure to stay true to the characters’ personalities.

Created and made available for free download by Learned Lessons LLC .

Valentine’s Day Reading Comprehension Questions by Piqosity  

No comprehensive discussion of romantic texts is complete without mentioning Pride and Prejudice . Jane Austen’s masterful novel is so influential and compelling that it has become the gold standard for romance novels ever since it was published—that’s why it’s a perfect read to celebrate Valentine’s Day! 

Though reading the whole novel may be a daunting endeavor for your classroom, this excerpt highlights one of the the happiest, most feel-good parts of the text that is also somewhat digestible for younger readers. 

Our own Piqosity team has developed the following reading comprehension questions, of increasing difficulty and covering a variety of ELA subtopics, to quiz students on their English knowledge after they read this excerpt of the most famous romance novel of all time.

Excerpt from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Reading Comprehension Questions

1. Why did Mr. Darcy help Elizabeth’s sister?

A. He owed a favor to their family. B. He wanted to make Elizabeth happy. C. He wanted to stop a conflict from happening. D. He felt guilty for hurting Lydia.

2. Which of the following best describes Elizabeth’s behavior in the final paragraph (lines 39-56)?

A. Ecstatic. B. Reluctant. C. Violent. D. Shy.

3. “Inducement” (line 28) most nearly means…

A. Incentive. B. Honor. C. Gratitude. D. Feeling.

Passage Answer Key and Explanations 

The passage begins with Elizabeth thanking Mr. Darcy – “‘…I can no longer help thanking you for your unexampled kindness to my poor sister…Were it known to the rest of my family, I should not have merely my own gratitude to express,’” (lines 6-12). Soon after, Mr. Darcy tells her, “‘If you will thank me’, he replied, ‘let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny… Much as I respect them, I believe I only thought of you .’” (lines 26-31). The only explanation he gives for his actions is describing how he did it for Elizabeth; thus, “ He wanted to make Elizabeth happy ” is the correct answer choice.

The last paragraph describes, “Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation…” (lines 39-40) and, after Elizabeth tells Mr. Darcy about her feelings, “Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression…became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen, and he told her of feelings…” (lines 50-54).  She is clearly unable to make eye contact with him, but not in a negative way. Elizabeth confesses her feelings for him and listens to what Mr. Darcy says – this is a very happy exchange between both of them. This is why “reluctant” (which implies that she is unhappy) and “violent” are incorrect. She may be “ecstatic” on the inside, but her behavior doesn’t convey that. Her behavior is best described as “ shy ” because, while she may be happy, she is nervously avoiding eye contact with Mr. Darcy.

The following is the context for this word: after Elizabeth thanks Mr. Darcy for helping her sister, he replies, “‘If you will thank me… let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny,” (lines 26-29). The wish of giving happiness to Elizabeth led him to help her sister.  “Honor” and “feeling” do not fit, as “the wish of giving happiness [to Elizabeth]” can’t really be a part of “honor” or “feeling”. “Gratitude” also is not a fit, as he didn’t help her sister because of his own thankfulness for something. The best answer choice is “ incentive ” – an incentive is something that motivates one to do something, which is a perfect fit for this context. Elizabeth’s happiness was his incentive.

Find More ELA Resources Like These at Piqosity! 

We hope you found these Valentine’s Day classroom activities insightful and resourceful for your classroom, both in their fun and engaging celebration of the holiday and in the plentiful opportunities to sharpen key ELA skills for students.

Then, check out our collection of awesome Valentine’s Day Math Activities !

You can find more (non-themed) ELA lessons with questions of similar difficulty levels in our ELA and Math Courses! These are complete courses available online through our app and can be purchased separately or received for free when bundled with our ISEE test prep courses !

• 5th Grade ELA Course  
• 6th Grade ELA Course
• 8th Grade ELA Course
• 11th Grade ELA Course

For your convenience, we have outlined lessons relevant to or at the same difficulty level as the above passages. These can be found below.  

Related ELA Lessons by Piqosity Lessons related to question #1: ELA 5 – Main Idea ELA 5 – Supporting Ideas ELA 6 – Main Idea ELA 6 – Supporting Ideas ELA 8 – Main Idea ELA 8 – Supporting Ideas ELA 11 – Main Idea ELA 11 – Supporting Ideas Lesson related to question #2: ELA 6 – Characterization ELA 8 – Characterization ELA 11 – Characterization Lessons related to question #3: ELA 5 – Word Meaning & Word Choice ELA 6 – Word Meaning & Word Choice ELA 8 – Word Meaning & Word Choice ELA 11 – Word Meaning & Word Choice

Thank You, and Happy Valentine’s Day from Piqosity!

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St Valentine Day

5 Valentine’s Day Activities for Secondary ELA: Valentine’s Day Activities for Students

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, it is time to start planning engaging ELA Valentine’s Day activities for your middle school and high school classroom. Here is a look at several Valentine’s Day activities for students.

Here are 5 Valentines Day Activities for Students in Secondary ELA

1. valentine’s day sentence combining.

Beginning on February 1, you can incorporate Valentine’s Day themes in your classroom with these Valentine’s Day Sentence Combining Bell Ringers .

I love using sentence combining as a bell-ringer activity because this exercise provides students with an opportunity to think critically about their writing. Students will craft complex and compound-complex sentences from a series of Valentine’s Day-themes simple sentences.

To make this activity more engaging, I like to have little challenges in my classroom. I’ll ask students to include all of the provided information, but be as concise as possible. Or, I will ask them to begin their sentence with an adjective phrase to focus on that skill.

2. Extended Simile Love Letter

Teenagers either love or hate Valentine’s Day. There really is no middle ground. One great way to capture this strong emotion is to have students write an extended simile love letter.

For this activity, explain to students what an extended simile is. And trust me on this one, students struggle with the extended part of the extended simile. This activity will require quite a bit of creative thinking.

For the extended simile love letter, students will write an extended simile about love. The extended simile should be at least five lines long, and the simile needs to carry throughout the entire simile.

Love is like a traffic cone Sometimes it stops you from making unsafe turns Other times, you don’t see it coming, and it suddenly hits you You also might steal it because someone dares you to That never ends well

To help students really capture the essence of the extended simile, you can have students create their poems in Canva and include graphics to accompany their poems.

3. Figurative Langauge Valentine’s Day Cards

Have I told you that I love using Canva in the classroom? Well, I do, and here is another activity you can use. For a class period, have students create figurative language Valentine’s Day cards in Canva. They can create their cards on an 8.5×11 inch design, and include four different Valentine’s Day cards on the page.

Each Valentine’s Day card must include puns or figurative language and related graphics. Here are a couple examples of punny digital Valentine’s Day cards students can make! The possibilities are endless!

• I love you a latte
• My heart beets for you
• You stole a pizza my heart
• We are butter together

While many students will more than likely look up these puns or uses of figurative language, having students create cards with these puns, reinforces these language skills in the students.

4. Secondary ELA Valentine’s Day Activities

If Valentine’s Day seems to sneak up on you, or if you need an easy, no-prep activity to help fill the day, I’ve also got you covered. My Secondary ELA Valentine’s Day Activities packet has a few clever activities for your students to complete. I also have this resource available in a digital format for online and 1:1 learning.

My favorite activity from this resource is the character online dating profile. This activity is so much fun, and it integrates perfectly with the novel you are currently reading in your classroom!

5. Valentine’s Day Debate

Students love researching facts for debate. In this activity, you’ll place students into two groups. Students within each group will work together to form arguments to support their side of the debate: Is Valentine’s Day a romantic holiday or a byproduct of commercialism?

Instruct each group to come up with three strong points supporting their argument. Students should have valid, reliable research to support each point. You’ll also want to have each group come up with a counterargument.

After providing students with time to research in class, host a brief classroom debate where volunteers from each team come to the front of the classroom to debate if Valentine’s Day is a romantic holiday or a byproduct of commercialism.

For more Valentine’s Day activities and lesson plans, check out this blog post about more Valentine’s Day activities for secondary ELA.

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Valentine's day functional english tasks.

A set of six linked, differentiated texts about Valentine’s Day, with associated writing assessments.

Two texts and two writing tasks for Entry 1 and for Entry 2. One text and two writing tasks for E3, and one of each at Level 1.

Reading texts: an email, a recipe, a competition, a menu, a press release about a fun fair and a florist’s advert. Writing tasks include form filling, an email, a restaurant review, a set of craft instructions, and a competition entry.

Answers will be available (to site contributors only) from late February 2018

Some of these tasks are based loosely on Edexcel’s excellent selection of past papers at: https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/qualifications/edexcel-functional…

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