Holidays & Events

Valentine’s
Day
Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. When is Valentine’s Day?

2. Do you know the origin of Valentine’s Day?

Share what you know.

3. What do elementary students

do for Valentine’s Day?

4. Who are Venus and Cupid?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match up as many words and meanings as you can.

Check this exercise again after seeing the words in context on pages 2–4.

1. legend a)  unable to see

2. origin b)  a religious man of the church

3. convenient c)  one hundred years

4. elementary d)  to respect

5. honor e)  to make an illness better

6. custom f)  an old story

7. blind g)  to give out a punishment

8. cure h)  a tradition

9. priest i)  easy

10. century j)  to put to death

11. execute k)  primary

12. sentence l)  the beginning, the source

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Group Work (Student A)

You and your group members each have a short reading
passage that includes a legend of Valentine’s Day. Read your
passage, and then discuss the questions to the right as a group.

A. Reading B. Discussion

Legend #1 1. D
 o you celebrate Valentine’s
Day in your country? If so, what
1. V
 alentine’s Day is February 14. It is not a holiday, but it is a special are the customs? If not, do you
day for many people in different countries around the world. Each have any similar celebrations?
year on Valentine’s Day, friends and lovers exchange valentine cards,
2. D
 o you think Valentine’s
chocolates, candy, flowers, and other gifts.
Day was created for
2. In elementary schools in North America, children make valentines commercial purposes?
for their classmates and put them in a large decorated mailbox. On
3. H
 ow do most couples
February 14, the teacher opens the box and distributes the cards to
meet in your country?
the students. Many schools also celebrate Valentine’s Day with parties.
4. A
 re arranged marriages
3. P
 eople in many countries love to send and receive valentines. These
common in your country?
days, more people send e-cards than regular cards. The cost of stamps
is high and e-cards are more convenient. 5. Is there a formal engagement
before marriage in your country?
4. T
 here are many symbols of Valentine’s Day, such as hearts, roses, and
cupids. The symbol of cupid comes from ancient Roman times. Cupid 6. W
 hat is the average age for
was the son of the love goddess, Venus. Cupid was a playful child who marriage in your country?
flew around shooting love arrows into people’s hearts, making them
7. D
 o most couples go on a
fall in love.
honeymoon in your country?
 here are many different stories about the origin of Valentine’s Day.
5. T
8. In your country, is it acceptable
According to one legend, the custom of sending a card to a loved
for couples to live together
one goes back to the days of the Roman Empire. In the third century,
before marriage?
there was a priest named Valentinus. Valentinus was put in jail and
sentenced to die by Emperor Claudius because of his Christian beliefs. 9. A
 re there any dates that are
When Valentinus was in jail, he fell in love with the jailer’s daughter. considered lucky (or unlucky)
According to the story, the jailer’s daughter was blind, but Valentinus for a wedding?
had special abilities and was able to cure her. When he was in jail, she
10. Do parents have a big
brought him food and delivered messages. The night before Valentinus
influence on the choice of
was executed, he wrote a goodbye note to the jailer’s daughter and
one’s spouse in your country?
signed it “Your Valentine.”
11. On which occasions do you send
greeting cards in your country?

12. Are you planning to do anything

special this Valentine’s Day?

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Group Work (Student B)

You and your group members each have a short reading
passage that includes a legend of Valentine’s Day. Read your
passage, and then discuss the questions to the right as a group.

A. Reading B. Discussion

Legend #2 1. D
 o you celebrate Valentine’s
Day in your country? If so, what
1. V
 alentine’s Day is February 14. It is not a holiday, but it is a special are the customs? If not, do you
day for many people in different countries around the world. Each have any similar celebrations?
year on Valentine’s Day, friends and lovers exchange valentine cards,
2. D
 o you think Valentine’s
chocolates, candy, flowers, and other gifts.
Day was created for
2. In elementary schools in North America, children make valentines commercial purposes?
for their classmates and put them in a large decorated mailbox. On
3. H
 ow do most couples
February 14, the teacher opens the box and distributes the cards to
meet in your country?
the students. Many schools also celebrate Valentine’s Day with parties.
4. A
 re arranged marriages
3. P
 eople in many countries love to send and receive valentines. These
common in your country?
days, more people send e-cards than regular cards. The cost of stamps
is high and e-cards are more convenient. 5. Is there a formal engagement
before marriage in your country?
4. T
 here are many symbols of Valentine’s Day, such as hearts, roses, and
cupids. The symbol of cupid comes from ancient Roman times. Cupid 6. W
 hat is the average age for
was the son of the love goddess, Venus. Cupid was a playful child who marriage in your country?
flew around shooting love arrows into people’s hearts, making them
7. D
 o most couples go on a
fall in love.
honeymoon in your country?
 here are many different stories about the origin of Valentine’s Day.
5. T
8. In your country, is it acceptable
According to one legend, the tradition of Valentine’s Day goes back to
for couples to live together
the days of the Roman Empire. In the third century, Emperor Claudius
before marriage?
wanted a strong army. Many married soldiers did not want to leave
their families to fight in the emperor’s wars, so Claudius ordered 9. A
 re there any dates that are
young men not to marry. A priest named Valentinus lived in Rome at considered lucky (or unlucky)
that time, and he felt sorry for the young men and their sweethearts. for a wedding?
He decided to marry them secretly, but the emperor found out and
10. Do parents have a big
put him in prison. He was executed on February 14. Since that time,
influence on the choice of
Valentine’s Day has been celebrated as a special day for sweethearts
one’s spouse in your country?
and romance.
11. On which occasions do you send
greeting cards in your country?

12. Are you planning to do anything

special this Valentine’s Day?

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Group Work (Student C)

You and your group members each have a short reading
passage that includes a legend of Valentine’s Day. Read your
passage, and then discuss the questions to the right as a group.

A. Reading B. Discussion

Legend #3 1. D
 o you celebrate Valentine’s
Day in your country? If so, what
1. V
 alentine’s Day is February 14. It is not a holiday, but it is a special are the customs? If not, do you
day for many people in different countries around the world. Each have any similar celebrations?
year on Valentine’s Day, friends and lovers exchange valentine cards,
2. D
 o you think Valentine’s
chocolates, candy, flowers, and other gifts.
Day was created for
2. In elementary schools in North America, children make valentines commercial purposes?
for their classmates and put them in a large decorated mailbox. On
3. H
 ow do most couples
February 14, the teacher opens the box and distributes the cards to
meet in your country?
the students. Many schools also celebrate Valentine’s Day with parties.
4. A
 re arranged marriages
3. P
 eople in many countries love to send and receive valentines. These
common in your country?
days, more people send e-cards than regular cards. The cost of stamps
is high and e-cards are more convenient. 5. Is there a formal engagement
before marriage in your country?
4. T
 here are many symbols of Valentine’s Day, such as hearts, roses, and
cupids. The symbol of cupid comes from ancient Roman times. Cupid 6. W
 hat is the average age for
was the son of the love goddess, Venus. Cupid was a playful child who marriage in your country?
flew around shooting love arrows into people’s hearts, making them
7. D
 o most couples go on a
fall in love.
honeymoon in your country?
 here are many different stories about the origin of Valentine’s Day.
5. T
8. In your country, is it acceptable
One legend goes back to the days of the Roman Empire. At that
for couples to live together
time, the Romans celebrated the festival of Lupercalia in the middle
before marriage?
of February. This festival honored the god Lupercus, keeper of the
crops and farm animals. As time passed, the Romans began to honor 9. A
 re there any dates that are
another goddess during this festival. Her name was Juno, guardian of considered lucky (or unlucky)
women and marriage. During this festival, all of the young women in for a wedding?
a village would write their names on a piece of paper and drop them
10. Do parents have a big
into a box. Every young man would pick a paper from the box and the
influence on the choice of
woman whose name he had chosen would become his sweetheart.
one’s spouse in your country?
Since those early days, mid-February has been remembered as a
special time for love. 11. On which occasions do you send
greeting cards in your country?

12. Are you planning to do anything

special this Valentine’s Day?

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Comprehension
 ractice asking and answering the following questions with your group.
P
Then write the answers in your notebook. Use full sentences.

1. What are some of the symbols of Valentine’s Day? 7. How did Valentinus help the jailer’s daughter?

2. What do people exchange on Valentine’s Day? 8. H

 ow did Valentinus sign his goodbye
note to the jailer’s daughter?
3. W
 hat do elementary school children
do to celebrate Valentine’s Day? 9. W
 hat festival did the Romans
celebrate in mid-February?
4. Who was Valentinus?
10. Who was Cupid?
5. T
 here are two legends about Valentinus. Tell why
Valentinus was put in jail, according to each legend.

6. W
 hy did Emperor Claudius not
want young men to marry?

Vocabulary Review
Choose the correct words from the vocabulary
list on page 1 to complete the following sentences.

1. Television was invented in the 20th               .

2. Many scientists are trying to discover a               for cancer.

3. Using a shopping cart at the grocery store is               .

4. He helped the               man cross the street.

5. He is retiring next week. The company is going to have a party to               him.

6. Is it a               in your country to shake hands when you first meet someone?

7. The judge               the robber to two years in jail.

8. The young couple wanted to be married by a               .

9. Children learn to read and write in               school.

10. There are many different               about the origin of Valentine’s Day.

11. He was               for killing the policeman.

12. There are different beliefs about the               of our planet.

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Idioms & Expressions

A. Reference

IDIOM OR EXPRESSION DEFINITION

love at first sight falling in love the first time you meet someone

a social meeting or date with someone you have never met before
blind date
(the date has been arranged by a friend or family member)

fall / be head over heels in love to love someone very much

be madly in love to love someone very much

be crazy about someone to like someone very much

be heartbroken to be very sad, usually because of a romantic loss

puppy love young love between children or teenagers

pop the question to ask someone to marry you

love is blind people do not see the faults in their lovers

a bed of roses a very easy or pleasant situation

love conquers all love is strong enough to overcome all problems

go out with someone to have a steady, romantic relationship with someone

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Idioms & Expressions cont.

B. Complete the Sentences

Choose the correct idiom or expression from Part A on page 6 to fill in the blanks.

1.  
                 is very sweet.
It is the first kind of romantic love a young person experiences.

2. John and Mary have been going out together for two years. Last week,
he bought a ring and now he is going to                    .

3. S
 usan doesn’t like to go out on a                    .
She prefers to meet the boy first and then decide if she wants to have a date with him.

4. R
 obert’s girlfriend left him. He still loves her very much.
He is                   .

5. M
 arriage is not always                    .
There are lots of difficult times.

6. T
 he first time Ken met Ann, he knew he wanted to marry her.
It was                    .

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Class Activity
Walk around the classroom and ask your classmates questions.
Write the questions in the spaces provided below, and write
your classmate’s name on the right if he/she answers “yes.”

# Find someone... Question Classmate

who is planning to buy

1
flowers for someone today.

2 who doesn’t like chocolate.

3 who has been on a blind date.

4 whose favorite flower is a rose.

who has fallen in

5
love at first sight.

who likes the idea

6
of arranged marriages.

who celebrates Valentine’s

7
Day in his/her country.

who has sent someone

8
a valentine card.

9 who went on a honeymoon.

who can explain

10
the festival of Lupercalia.


who has been head
11
over heels in love.

who is planning something

12
special for Valentine’s Day.

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Listening
 http://blog.esllibrary.com/2014/02/11/podcast-valentines-day/

Fill in the blanks as you listen to the recording.

1. V
 alentine’s Day is February 14. It is not a holiday, but it is a ­­­
             day for many people in different countries
around the world. Each year on Valentine’s Day, friends and lovers
­­­             valentine cards, chocolates, candy,
flowers, and other gifts.

2. In elementary schools in North America, children make valentines

for their classmates and put them in a large             
­­­
mailbox. On February 14, the teacher opens the box and distributes
the cards to the students. Many schools also celebrate Valentine’s Day
with parties.

3.  
­­                                
love to send and receive valentines. These days, more people send
e-cards than regular cards. The cost of stamps is high and e-cards
are more convenient.

4. T
 here are many symbols of             
­­­ , such as hearts,
roses, and cupids. The symbol of cupid comes from ancient Roman
times. Cupid was the son of the love             
­­­ , Venus.
Cupid was a playful child who             
­­­ shooting love
arrows into  
­­­             hearts, making them fall in love.

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: LEVEL: High Int

Students read about traditions and legends related to TIME: 2–3 hours
Valentine’s Day. This lesson includes vocabulary and idiom tasks,
TAGS:  holidays, Valentine’s Day, legend, valentine, cards,
comprehension questions, a group information gap activity,
heart, romance, love, myth, find someone who
and a class survey.

Warm-Up / Introduction end of the sharing session, you may wish to distribute the different
legends to all of the students to read.

You can begin by bringing hearts, chocolates, cards, flowers, You can also play the listening as your students read along. A gap-
or pictures and symbols of Valentine’s Day to class. Ask the fill version of the reading (paragraphs 1–4) is available on page 9.
students to share any information they may already have
about this celebration.
Comprehension

Pre-Reading 1. Some Valentine’s Day symbols include hearts, roses, and cupids.
2. People exchange valentine cards,
A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS chocolates, candy, flowers, and other gifts.
3. In elementary schools, children make valentines for their
1. Valentine’s Day is February 14.
classmates and put them in a large decorated mailbox.
2. Answers will vary. Students will
4. Valentinus was a priest during the Roman Empire.
read about three legends in this lesson.
5. According to one legend, Valentinus was put in jail and
3. Elementary students exchange
sentenced to die by the Emperor Claudius because of his
cards and treats for Valentine’s Day.
Christian beliefs. According to another legend, Valentinus was
4. Venus is the goddess of love and Cupid is her son.
put in prison because he was secretly marrying young men
who would otherwise have to go fight in wars.
B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
6. Emperor Claudius wanted a strong army, and since many
1. f 3. i 5. d 7. a 9. b 11. j married soldiers did not want to leave their families to fight in
2. l 4. k 6. h 8. e 10. c 12. g the emperor’s wars, Claudius ordered young men not to marry.
7. Valentinus was able to help the jailer’s daughter by
Group Work curing her of her blindness with his special powers.
8. He signed it “Your Valentine.”
Break the class into groups of three. The students are each given 9. T he Romans celebrated the festival of
a short reading describing the meaning, symbols, and customs Lupercalia in the middle of February.
associated with Valentine’s Day, as well as one of the legends 10. Cupid was the son of the love goddess, Venus.
regarding its origin. Each student in the group has a different
legend (paragraph 5). You may choose a few students to read the (continued on the next page...)
first four paragraphs of the reading aloud to the class. Have the
students read the legends (paragraph 5) silently. Then each student
will relate his/her legend to the others in the group. The students
will then follow up with the discussion questions in Part B. At the

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 Valentine’s Day
Holidays & Events

Answer Key cont.

Vocabulary Review SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the words

1. century 5. honor 9. elementary Honor, Favorite, and Practice. Most other English-speaking
2. cure 6. custom 10. legends countries spell these words this way: Honour, Favourite,
3. convenient 7. sentenced 11. executed and Practise (when used as a verb; Practice when used as a noun).
4. blind 8. priest 12. origin Make it a challenge for your students to find these words in
the text and see if they know the alternate spellings.
Idioms & Expressions
EDITOR’S NOTE:
A. REFERENCE
1. When we write the holiday, we must use capital letters
Teach these idioms and expressions related to love or symbols of
(Valentine’s Day). When we’re referring to a gift, greeting,
Valentine’s Day. Explain the meanings, use them in context, have
or a person, we don’t use capital letters (valentine [with or
the students complete the sentences, and then get them to write
without the word “card”], valentines [usually refers to cards],
their own sentences using the idioms.
valentine gift, be my valentine, etc.). You will find a useful
post on our blog: http://blog.esllibrary.com/2013/02/07/
B. COMPLETE THE SENTENCES
valentines-day-capitalization-and-punctuation-rules/
1. Puppy love 4. heartbroken
2. We capitalize Cupid when referring to the Roman god of love
2. pop the question 5. a bed of roses
(Venus’s son), but we use cupid when referring to the figure
3. blind date 6. love at first sight
of a winged boy holding the bow and arrow.

Class Activity

First, have the students write out the questions they will be asking
their classmates. Then have the students circulate around the
class asking the questions on the sheet. When the student finds
a classmate who can answer the question, he/she will then write
the student’s name next to the question and follow up with one
more question of his/her own. E.g., “Have you ever been on a blind
date?” If the student answers “yes,” the second question might be:
“Who introduced you?” Try to encourage the students to engage
in real conversation during this activity. Follow up by sharing the
information with the whole class.

Listening

1. special, exchange
2. decorated
3. People in many countries
4. Valentine’s Day, goddess, flew around, people’s

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