Heart (symbol)

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/heart-symbol

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the potential botanical origin?The seed shape of the silphium plant, depicted on ancient Cyrenean coinage
2. What is the medieval association?Evolved from religious devotion and courtly love ideals
3. What does the heart shape mean?It shows love, affection, friendship, empathy, and well‑being.
4. Where did the heart shape come from?It may come from a plant seed called silphium or from the human heart, but the exact origin is still debated.

Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols and their interpretation.
Icon: A visual symbol that represents an object or idea through resemblance.
Signifier and Signified: The signifier is the form of the sign (e.g., the heart shape); the signified is the concept it represents (e.g., love).
Courtly Love: A medieval literary and social concept of romantic love and admiration, often idealized.