¡Hola profes! How is everything going? I can’t believe February is almost halfway over already!
The third marking period can be a challenging time for both teachers and students. The winter weather might be getting us down and spring break might seem really far away. It could be more challenging to engage students than it was earlier in the year, and that can be tiring.
The good news is that special days, like Valentine’s Day, can provide the opportunity to take a break from the normal routine, add some fun activities, and infuse more culture into our lessons! Here are some Valentine’s Day activities that you can try with your students this week:
#1: Teach Valentine’s Day Vocabulary
Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to teach vocabulary related to love and friendship! Here is a FREE list you can give to your students!
#2: Valentine’s Day in Spanish Speaking Countries Research Project
Expand your students’ cultural awareness with a research project focused on Valentine’s Day traditions in Spanish-speaking countries! By assigning students the task of exploring and presenting on the customs and practices of different Spanish-speaking cultures, this project encourages curiosity and fosters cultural awareness and understanding. Students will not only develop their language skills, but will also gain insight into the diversity of Valentine’s Day traditions in Spanish-speaking countries.
#3: Valentine’s Day in Spanish Speaking Countries Scavenger Hunt Reading Activity
Increase student interest and engagement with an interactive scavenger hunt reading activity! Engage students in discovering Valentine’s Day traditions across Spanish-speaking countries through short reading passages. But this activity has a fun twist—students must hunt for answers strategically placed on different cards, promoting movement and active participation. By making learning fun and dynamic, this activity ensures that students are not only learning about cultural practices, but also actively engaging with the material and improving their reading comprehension skills along the way!
#4: Spanish Valentine’s Day Preguntas Personales
Encourage meaningful communication in your classroom with these preguntas personales about Valentine’s Day. By prompting students to share their plans and preferences for Valentine’s Day in Spanish, this resource promotes authentic conversation and fosters a sense of community within the classroom. With 15 Valentine’s Day-related questions, students will have ample opportunities to express themselves and practice their language skills in a relevant context.
#5: Spanish Valentine’s Day Vocabulary Worksheets
If you’re looking to reinforce Valentine’s Day vocabulary with your students, these worksheets can help! These worksheets offer a variety of activities to cater to different learning styles. From crossword puzzles to word searches, students will have fun while mastering essential vocabulary. Additionally, activities like deciding if sentences are logical/illogical and using picture prompts to form complete sentences encourage critical thinking and language production skills.
#6: Advice-Column Response Activity
Provide students with excerpts from Spanish-language advice columns where people describe romantic problems they’re facing. Then, have students respond to these letters in Spanish, offering advice and solutions to the issues presented. This activity reinforces vocabulary related to relationships and emotions, and also encourages critical thinking and empathy as students consider different perspectives and offer advice. Additionally, it provides an authentic context for practicing writing skills in Spanish.
#7: DIY Candy-Conversation Hearts
Have students create their own candy-conversation hearts with Valentine’s Day vocabulary and commands in Spanish! Give students some construction paper and encourage them to design and write messages on their hearts using Valentine’s Day vocabulary. This hands-on activity reinforces vocabulary, allows students to practice writing in Spanish, and is fun and engaging! Plus, students will have a tangible and personalized keepsake to take home or share with someone special.
#8: Valentine’s Day Dialogue and Role-Play
Have students write their own Valentine’s Day dialogues between two characters, such as friends discussing their plans or a couple making Valentine’s Day arrangements. Afterward, have students present the dialogues for the class. This activity promotes speaking and listening skills, as students engage in authentic conversation scenarios related to Valentine’s Day. It also encourages creativity and collaboration as students work together to bring their dialogues to life. You can add incentives by offering a small prize to the most creative skit!
#9: Valentine’s Day Cultural Comparison
Have students complete a cultural comparison highlighting similarities and differences in how Valentine’s Day is celebrated in a Spanish-speaking country vs. in students’ own cultures. This activity broadens students’ cultural awareness and provides opportunities for language practice as they describe and discuss their findings in Spanish. Additionally, it fosters global competence and appreciation for cultural diversity. Bonus: If your students are taking the AP Spanish Language and Culture exam this year or at any point in the future, this is excellent practice for that exam task!
I hope this was helpful and that you found some ideas that you can use in your classroom! If you have any questions about these activities, feel free to leave me a comment below or send me an email. Have a wonderful week, profes!
Señora Q 