Lesson Title: Learning Through Love and Fun for Valentine's Day
Looking to make Valentine’s Day more than just candy and cards? This year, turn the celebration into an interactive adventure that gets students moving, thinking, and collaborating with a Valentine’s Day Goosechase Experience!
Whether it's uncovering the history of the holiday, showing acts of kindness, or getting creative with themed challenges, this game is the perfect way to blend learning with fun. Your students will love the friendly competition while practicing teamwork, problem-solving, and creativity—all wrapped up in a heartwarming, unforgettable day.
Ready to spread the love and laughter in your classroom? Let’s get started!
Grade: Kindergarten - 5
Subject: Social Studies, English Language Arts, Art, and Community Building
Learning Objectives:
- By the end of this lesson, students will:
- explore the history and traditions of Valentine’s Day.
- engage in team-building activities that foster collaboration and creativity.
- practice critical thinking and problem-solving skills through an interactive Goosechase.
Materials:
- Mobile devices (tablets, phones, or laptops) with the Goosechase app installed
- Printed or digital handouts on Valentine’s Day history and traditions
- Art supplies (markers, colored paper, scissors, glue)
- Pre-designed Goosechase Missions
Preparation:
- Create an Experience on the Goosechase app with a series of Missions focussed on Valentine's Day
- Develop Missions that require students to demonstrate their understanding of the history and traditions of Valentine's Day. Example Missions:
- Photo Mission: Create a heart shape using objects in the classroom.
- Trivia Mission: Answer a question about Valentine’s Day history or traditions.
- Video Mission: Act out a scene that represents friendship or kindness.
- Art Mission: Draw a symbol of love and explain its meaning.
- Find example Missions in the Goosechase Templates below.
- Adapt the difficulty of the Missions based on the proficiency levels of your students to keep the activity inclusive and engaging for everyone.
- Prepare hints or resources that might help students solve the Missions if needed.
- Divide students into teams and assign each team a mobile device with the app, or have students complete the scavenger hunt individually.
- Run your Experience during one class period or for the entire week.
- App Set-Up
- Dedicate time to ensuring all students have the Goosechase app downloaded and joined to the Experience to avoid any tech issues.
Lesson Plan Outline:
- Introduction
- Warm-Up Discussion, ask students:
- What do you know about Valentine’s Day?
- How is it celebrated in different cultures?
- Warm-Up Discussion, ask students:
- Mini-Lesson:
- Provide a brief history of Valentine’s Day, including its origins, customs, and modern interpretations.
- Activity: Creative Expression
- Have students create Valentine's Day cards with unique designs and heartfelt messages.
- Challenge them to write a poem or short story about love, friendship, or kindness.
- Display the creations in the classroom or a designated space.
- Goosechase Scavenger Hunt
- Read through Missions with students, emphasizing the importance of accuracy and critical thinking in their responses.
- Monitor progress and provide assistance as necessary.
- If working in teams, encourage them to strategize and collaborate to solve the Missions.
- Sit back and enjoy watching your students collaborate and demonstrate their learning.
- Debrief and Reflection
- Review the activity, discussing which Missions were the most challenging or fun.
- Discuss how teams collaborated and solved problems together.
- Review any educational content covered through the Goosechase missions.
- Optionally, award prizes to the team(s) with the highest score.
Optional Post-Experience Activities:
- Personal Reflection
- Students complete a personal reflection piece on their opinions on Valentine's Day and its history.
- Research Paper or Presentation
- Students are to research Valentine's Day traditions from another country and present their findings.
Assessment
- Assess personal reflections regarding their opinions and the history of Valentine’s Day
- Observe students' participation and collaboration during the Goosechase activities and whole-class discussions.
- Assess students’ research paper and/or presentation about Valentine's Day Traditions
Ready Made Experience Templates to Try
I Love You To Pieces!
Pair this GooseChase game with a Valentines Day craft! Show someone how much you "Love Them to pieces!"
Valentines Day Fun
Run this Experience with your students to look at the history of Valentine's Day and to celebrate with one another!
Want a copy of this lesson plan to use with your class?
What is Goosechase EDU?
Goosechase is an online platform that helps educators create and run interactive learning experiences in their classrooms and beyond. Sign up and try creating an Experience, or contact us to learn more about our school and district-wide solutions!
