The Story of St. Valentine

St. Valentine

Example

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There are different origin stories and legends that have arisen surrounding the man Valentine and the genesis of Valentine’s Day. As with many other holidays celebrated over great time and distances, facts get skewed, political or religious groups stress certain aspects, practices change, beginnings are forgotten, and new traditions are forged. While facts and myths have been woven together about the origin or purpose of the holiday, we can still celebrate the message of love and friendship with our students.

Use a storyboard to retell the story of Saint Valentine or another story for the holiday. For younger students, read a story and have the students create an illustrated summary with six parts, or with a Beginning, Middle, and End structure. Older students can research different versions of Saint Valentine or historical accounts, and let them create a short narrative of their findings.

• Emperor Claudius II of Rome wanted to grow his army, but many men did not want to volunteer and leave their wives and children. So, he passed a law prohibiting marriage.

• Many young lovers thought this law was unjust! Valentine, a Christian priest in Rome, believed marriage was a holy commitment above any human law.

• Valentine continued to perform wedding rituals in secret.

• Alas! Valentine was discovered. Roman guards arrested him for breaking the emperor's law. He was condemned to death and sent to prison.

• People sent him messages saying that they agreed with him. While in prison, the jailer's daughter talked with him and learned from him. They became friends.

• Before he was beheaded on February 14th, he had signed a message for his friend saying, "From your Valentine". Today, we send similar messages and tokens of love to our friends and loved ones on Valentine's Day.


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Things I Love...

Things I Looooove

Example

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The people and things that we love tell a great deal about ourselves. This activity is a chance for students to reflect on themselves and their likes, but also on the most important things to them. While many students will certainly choose family or favorite things, as I did below, students will undoubtedly come to recognize people or things that have immense personal value. This is a beneficial brainstorming activity to solicit ideas for personal narratives, authority/expert writing, poetry topics, and more!

A spider map template works very well with this activity because there is less emphasis on ordering than there is in a list. The Frayer Model template works similarly well, but you are limited to exactly four items.

What does my storyboard tell you (or your students) about me? What new things did your students learn about each other after this activity? Let me know on Twitter! @AnnaMYWarfield