If you are working on “How To” essays with your elementary school language arts students, try this writing prompt for Valentine’s Day.  The kids will be excited to participate because 1) it’s Valentine’s Day! and 2) they get to make each other’s Valentine’s cards based on their directions. Make sure you have a craft station with craft materials available for them to reference in their writing.

Here’s the student prompt:  You have to teach someone the steps to making a Valentine.  Write a list of supplies needed.  Make sure your steps are clear and have time-order transitional words.  Use a dictionary and a thesaurus to help with spelling and good word choice.  After you have proofread for errors in grammar and punctuation, you may publish your “How To” essay.

When students are finished, they will exchange essays, go to the craft station, and make each other’s cards.   Some students will most likely not have clear directions in some of the steps, so have them make the Valentine the way they think the writer intended–no fair asking!   On Day 2, have everyone bring their cards to a whole-group discussion on what was clear or unclear and why.  This is a great direction-following activity, as well!

Keywords: Valentines writing, valentines day writing, valentine essay, valentines kids

To celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in your classroom, have students create a Dream Board to incorporate into your Martin Luther King lesson plans.  First, read to them an age-appropriate biography about the great Civil Rights leader.  After a classroom discussion, have the children create a list of their “dreams” that can make our world a better place.   Next, give each student some white construction paper on which to list their dreams.  They should then cut in and out around what they wrote so each student’s writing looks like it’s on a cloud.  For a simple way to honor the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., post the dreams on a bulletin board with a sky-blue background and the words, “Continuing the Dream” at the top.