Curated OER
HEROs Project
What does it take to be a hero? In small groups, middle schoolers design a hero by identifying heroic characteristics and recording responses on an online blog. Use this lesson as an extension in a literature unit about a heroic...
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Characteristics of a Good Citizen
First graders examine characteristics that good citizens need. In this civic virtues activity, 1st graders discuss people they know who are heroes or good citizens. Students name three qualities they believe heroes need. Students create...
ReadWriteThink
Heroes Are Made of This: Studying the Character of Heroes
What makes heroes and villains? A six-part unit plan asks young scholars to explore the concept of heroism and the characteristics they consider heroic and unheroic. Groups create character maps that focus on how characters are shaped by...
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Uncommon Heroes of Today
Students create a photo-biography of someone they consider a real life hero. In this character sketch lesson, students define a hero and identify heroic characteristics in short stories. Students use descriptive words to write about...
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Heroic Actions
Students identify heroic actions in various situations. They discuss characteristics of heroes, analyze various scenarios, create their own scenarios and resolutions to the conflicts, and participate in role-playing activities.
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Comparing and Contrasting Heroes
Students identify the characteristics that make someone a hero. They also examine the values of all heroes.
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Heroes
Students explore heroism. For this character development and Holocaust lesson, students generate adjectives that describe familiar heroes. Students view a video clip that includes testimonies of Holocaust survivors, and compare the hero...
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Hero Holiday and Portfolio Completed
Middle schoolers summarize the unit on heroes and present picture books to younger students. In this hero lesson, middle schoolers compile their portfolios, in which they have presented heroic characteristics of their own classmates. ...
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Historical Heroes and Today's Heroes
Students identity characteristics of a hero. In this heroes lesson, students discuss what it means to be a hero and work in small groups to find characteristics of a hero and people they consider heroes. Students choose three...
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Poetry Portraits
Students consider the attributes of heroes. For this literature lesson, students read selected poems from Hesse's Out of the Dust and then create their own bio-poems that feature themselves as heroes.
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Comparing and Contrasting Heroes
Here is a language arts lesson that can be used with virtually any grade level. The only thing that changes is the reading level of the books. Learners compare and contrast different heroes and the characteristics they hold. They use a...
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People Who Make A Difference: American Heroes
Students think about the characteristics of a hero so they can later evaluate which historical figures on the heroes chart meet the criteria.
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Create Your Own Hero
Chinese legends are the focus of an interesting lesson plan that combines social studies with writing. Learners read the Chinese folk tale, "Li Chi Slays The Serpent." After the story is over, they make a list of the courageous things...
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Courage: Hero Traits
What does it mean to be a hero? Who qualifies as a hero? In groups, middle and high schoolers brainstorm a list of heroes and create a list of characteristics that a person must possess in order to be a hero. Extend this lesson plan by...
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Heroic Images: Visualization and Media Messages
Students examine media messages. In this media awareness lesson, students analyze online messages about heroism as they complete a jigsaw reading activity.
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Portrait of a Hero
Students examine the concept and characteristics of a hero. They brainstorm and categorize a list of heroes, develop a chart checklist, discuss real-life heroes, and create a hero hall of fame display.
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Super Hero High
Students define the characteristics of a hero by creating their own fictional superhero. In this film making lesson, students write the background of a superhero character and storyboard scenes from a movie they would like to make....
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Epic Poetry: Literary Terms for Story Analysis
What do Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and The Odyssey have in common? Why, they are all epics, of course, and are presented here as examples of the literary term. If you are beginning a study of epics, consider previewing the terms included...
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The Hobbit
Students list W.H Auden's six characteristics of a quest story. They say what is meant by a "metaphorical quest." Pupils discuss some differences between symbolism and allegory. Students indicate how Bilbo Baggins's adventures changed...
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What Makes a Hero?
Young scholars identify the characteristics of a hero. In this character development and writing lesson, students listen to music with a hero theme and discuss the common traits of heroes. Young scholars explore individuals and...
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Monster and Myths: Scripts
Students explore characteristics of the myth genre. In this myth lesson, students become familiar with various myths and the cultures they were derived from. Students compare in a graphic organizer. Students write original myths and...
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Portrait of a Hero
Students complete a series of interactive activities to explore their beliefs about heroes and heroism. In this hero analysis lesson plan, students define the meaning of the words hero and heroic. Students research U.S. heroes and...
Orange County Department of Education
The Hero: Writing and Responding
Pupils identify heroic character traits that they admire and that inspire trust and result in service to others. They identify the heroic traits of a character of their choosing and defend their reasoning using evidence from the text and...
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Holding Out for a Hero: Roberto Clemente
Students brainstorm lists of heroes, heroic qualities, and ways to pay tribute to heroes. In this Holding Out for a Hero lesson, students record Clemente's heroic attributes as athlete ad humanitarian. After visiting the Beyond Baseball...