Valentine's Day and Heart Factoids (Interactive Notebook Activity)

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1. At one time, Valentine's Day was also the day to celebrate Groundhog Day!
2. Ever wonder why lace is associated with Valentine's Day? Seems the word comes from a Latin word, "laques" meaning "net." Get it? Someone tries to capture someone's heart on Valentine's Day.
3. Because blood is red and people once thought the heart was the center of feelings, red became the color of Valentine's Day.
4. The first Valentine's Day card dates back to 1415. It was in that year France's Duke of Orleans sent a love message to his wife while a prisoner in the Tower of London. He was captured in the Battle of Agincourt.
5. It is believed that Valentine's Day began around 270 AD in ancient Rome.
6. One of the legends of Valentine's Day says that the Roman emperor, Claudius II, banned marriage during war time. A priest named Valentine (some say a Bishop) continued to marry couples and was arrested and jailed for his "crime." While in prison, he sent the jailor's daughter a note and signed it "from your Valentine." He was eventually sentenced to death on February 14th.
7. Did you know that over 8 billion candy hearts are made each year for Valentine's Day?
8. In 1537, King Henry VIII, of England, made February 14th, an official holiday.
9. On Valentine's Day 1876, Alexander Graham Bell patented his idea of the telephone!
10. Valentine's Day is celebrated in Italy, Denmark, Canada, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Australia and the United States.
11. Back when most people couldn't write, people often signed their name with an X. Another person would witness their "signature." The person would then kiss their X. Today, people sign notes with Xs to stand for kisses.
12. Have you heard the expression, "to wear your heart on your sleeve?" This saying dates back to the Middle Ages when men and women would draw a name and wear their "valentine" on their sleeve for a week.
13. Did you know that the human heart is about the size of a fist?
14. In a lifetime, a person's heart pumps about 1 million barrels of blood! That's about 2,000 gallons each day or 5 quarts a minute!
15. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart throughout the body. Veins are blood vessels that carry blood back to the heart.
16. People used to believe that your heart stopped when you sneezed. That's why people started saying "bless you." Actually, the heart does NOT stop. It just isn't pumping blood as well.
17. The heart is a MUSCLE. It is found in the MIDDLE of your chest, between your two lungs.

Extension Activities

1. Illustrate one of the facts.
2. Make a chart showing three of the countries which celebrate Valentine's Day. Write two facts about each country.
3. Pretend you are a human heart. Write a day in your life. What are you doing today? What are you thinking? Include two facts about the human heart in your story.

Teacher Page

1. Have students watch this short video and write three facts learned about candy hearts.
2. Show the nutritional information of candy hearts:
   Calories: 60 (per serving size)
   Fat: 0g (per serving size)
   Carbs: 15g (per serving size)
   10 candy hearts contain 60 calories.
   Have students bring in a candy wrapper and discuss the nutritional information.
3. Have students review a heart diagram.
4. Check out my webquest on Valentine’s Day and the human heart.
5. Check out my activity, The Red Game (also included in my webquest activity
6. Show kids that everything has a history with my web question on the history of candy.

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Gail Hennessey

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