This Valentine’s Day activity is an opportunity for students to tell each other how they are special. At the end of the activity, each student will have a You Are Special Because . . . heart that has been signed by their classmates with comments about what makes them special.
- All students can take part in this activity. It would be nice for all students to have Valentine’s Day treats to share, but that may not be possible. The teacher could provide additional treats.
Preparation Before the Activity
Print and cut out a class set of You Are Special Because . . . heart. (The free heart PDF is below.)
The cut-out hearts are taped on to students’ desks/tables and the teacher’s desk.
It is suggested that the teacher prepares a small treat for each student.
A Read Aloud Before the Activity
I recommend reading Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli to the class to get students thinking about how we can make each other feel special and why this is important. Here are some questions that can be shared with the students before the reading. The questions will help them focus in on the text.
1. How is Mr. Hatch at the beginning of the story? (Mr. Hatch is lonely.)
2. What happens to make him share chocolates from the heart-shaped box? (Mr. Hatch gets a heart-shaped box that has a card that says, “Somebody loves you.” He laughs, dances, and claps his hands. He is happy.)
3. How does Mr. Hatch help Mr. Smith and Mr. Todd? (Mr. Hatch watches Mr. Smith’s stand so that he can go to the doctor. Mr. Hatch looks for Mr. Todd’s little girl.)
4. What causes Mr. Hatch to go back to being alone? (Mr. Hatch finds out that the Valentine’s heart-shaped box and note was not meant for him.)
5. How does everyone react? (Everyone gathers outside Mr. Hatch’s house to show that “Everyone loves Mr. Hatch.”)
Class Discussion
How does Mr. Hatch change from the beginning to the end of the story?
In the beginning, Mr. Hatch is very lonely. When he receives a heart-shaped box with a note that says, “Somebody loves you.” He becomes friendly to everyone. When he finds out that the box was delivered to the wrong address, he goes back to being alone. However, in the end, everyone shows him that he is loved and that he is special. He embraces their love.
If you are not able to get a hard copy of Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, you can access it at Storyline Online https://storylineonline.net/books/somebody-loves-you-mr-hatch/
Next, have a specific time for students to pass out their Valentine’s Day treats.
Directions to students
- Students are to write a nice comment about why they think that student is special.
- If a student cannot think of something to say but wants the person to know that they are thinking about them, they can just write their name or initials.
- If a student cannot think of anything nice to say, they are to leave the heart blank and move on to the next heart.
- Students and teacher will walk around the room signing hearts and leaving treats on desks/tables.
- After the alloted time, students and teacher will sit down to enjoy their treats and read their hearts!
Hopefully, this activity will leave all students and teachers feeling very special!
Happy Valentine’s Day,
Sonia
P.S. Here is the free download for the You Are Special Because . . . template.
