preschool stories, mid grade chapter books, YA series, and other writings by Margaret C. Arvanitis, teacher and now full time writer.
1/30/12
THE THROW AWAY HEARTS
FREE TO COPY
February's Free contribution. Especially for teachers. Your students will become very involved in this fun story and will wonder why the hearts are sad after Valentines Day. Don't tell them. Make note of the hearts each day during February.
You will need three fairly large red hearts. Draw happy faces on one side, frowny faces on the other side. Post the three happy hearts on board where children will notice them. Turn the hearts over to their sad faces the day after you have your valentines’ party.
On the last school day of February tell the story of the Throw Away Hearts. Exchange the red hearts for the green hearts. shaped into a shamrock as you tell the story. see picture below. Draw happy faces on the green hearts that make up the shamrock.)(Story can possibly be told on flannel board at the last day of February. Tack small squared of flannel on each heart.)
THE THROW-AWAY HEARTS
by
M. C. Arvanitis
Once upon a time there were three happy hearts. They lived on the bulletin board in Ms. Millie classroom. A calendar hung beside them. The heading on the calendar read “February”. It had a red X on the number 14.
Ms. Millie showed her class the three happy hearts and then made note of the number 14 on the calendar. “This is Valentines day. On this day we will have our Valentines party,” she told her class.
The three hearts watched Ms. Millie mark off the calendar days one by one. When Valentine’s Day came the children exchanged Valentines. The three Hearts were as excited as the students.
But after the party Ms. Millie drew Xs over each February day until there was only two days left. The hearts began to worry. “What will happen to us when February is gone?” Heart One wondered.
But after the party Ms. Millie drew Xs over each February day until there was only two days left. The hearts began to worry. “What will happen to us when February is gone?” Heart One wondered.
“They will throw us in the trashcan,” answered Heart Two, “Nobody uses hearts to decorate school rooms after February.”
“Not the trashcan!” cried Heart Three.
“Don’t panic,” Heart One said, “Maybe we can think of a way Ms. Millie can use us next month.”
On the last day of February Heart One asked. “Have you thought of any thing, yet?”
The other two shook their heads.
Heart Two cried, “We are done for.”
“Crying will not help,” scolded Heart One. He looked at the next calendar page. “The next month is March. In March spring comes and the grass turns green.”
“I have an idea,” shouted Heart Two, “What If we turned green?”
“It is worth a try,” said Heart Three. “Close your eyes and imagine being green.”
When they opened their eyes they had turned green. “Now Ms. Millie won’t throw us in the trash!” shouted Heart Three.
Heart One frowned. “It won’t work. No one needs hearts after February, not even green ones.”
Heart Two started to cry again. “Tomorrow morning Ms. Millie will change the bulletin board. What are we going to do?”
“We can’t give up,” said Heart Three, “Let’s put our heads together and think.”
“That is it!” shouted Heart One.
“What?” asked the others.
“Putting our heads together,” laughed Heart One. “Look at the March calendar. There is a special holiday called St. Patrick’s Day.”
“So?” asked Heart Two.
“It is marked with a shamrock leaf. The leaf looks like three hearts with their sides together.”
“Good idea. We’ll become a shamrock.” laughed Heart Three.
The three hearts moved together, their sides touching. Heart One pulled a green stem from a paper flower on the bulletin board. He placed it on their bottoms. “Now we look like a shamrock leaf!” he exclaimed.
The next morning Ms. Millie came in early to decorate her room for the new month. The Hearts held their breaths as she took down all the hearts around the room. When she started to decorate the bulletin board she saw the green shamrock leaf.
“Where did this shamrock come from?” she asked herself. “It is just what I need for this month.”
The Hearts gave sighs of relief as Ms. Millie marked number 17 on the March calendar. She told her class, "On this day everyone should wear something green and we'll celebrate St. Patricks day." The hearts knew that they would be safe for another month.
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Art Activity
Let the children cut out their own green hearts and put them together making their own shamrock. Green of course is celebrated in March and on St. Pat's day my students loved to make and eat green eggs with ham .. after reading Dr. Suess's GREEN EGGS AND HAM.
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