1. “The Valentine”
By Emily Crofford

2. Do Now: Get it all done in 5 
1) Get a “teal” Bridges 2 book
2) Turn to pages
3) Complete the “Connect to Your Life” with the person sitting next to you
4) Read:
Key to the Story and Vocabulary preview with your partner
5) Preview the questions from the warm-up chair!

3. Background info: There are several accounts as to how the Valentine tradition began.
One of the most popular stories, which explains why people exchange cards and messages on Valentine’s Day, involves a man named Valentine, who made friends with many local children.
As an early Christian, Valentine refused to worship Roman gods, so the Romans put him in prison. The children all missed him dearly, so they wrote him messages and threw them through the window of his cell.

4. Other stories…
Other sources say that Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 because that was the day that Valentine was executed around A.D. 269.

5. Literature Roles:
Focus: Please read the focus question at the beginning of each question.
Think it Through: Please read the “Think it Through” questions to the class as we come across them.
Vocabulary: Please read the vocabulary and definitions when asked

6. As you read…
As you read, study carefully the characters’ words and actions. There may be more than one valid judgment about a character. Judgments.
Read aloud paragraphs two, three, and six on page 396. Is Talmadge someone that you might want to know? Give three reasons to support your judgment.

7. Conflict
In every story characters face some kind of struggle or problem. This struggle is called a conflict.
An __________________________ conflict takes place between characters or between a character and an outside force, such as nature.
An ___________________________conflict takes place within a character and often involves a difficult decision the character must make. Many stories have several conflicts and a story may have an external and an internal conflict.

8. Vocabulary Twinge Commenced Vow Meekness Embarrassment Sniggered
Ragged
Sidled
Borry borrow
Aught anything
Shore sure
Vocabulary
Dialect

9. Open Response Question
How does the author characterize Talmadge? Provide three examples from the passage and support your examples with explanation from the text.