What Makes a Hero?
9th Grade English
Marie Paul
EDUC 463, Fall 2010
Teaching Context
9th grade English Class at Fort Collins High School
Context of Fort Collins High School:
Located on 3400 Lambkin Way
Principle: Mark Eversole
Students: 1,679
Staff average years teaching experience: 12 years Education level of teachers 51
of 73 teachers hold master's degrees or above
The academic environment of Fort Collins High School is that of achieving
excellence in a variety of ways. “Classes are offered to support students with
special needs, including adaptive technologies, and students with special
interests such as school-to-career opportunities. We also offer a wide and
expanding variety of advanced level classes (FCHS Website).
Context of English 9 Classroom:
As the website states, “English 9 standards call for the student to communicate
effectively in writing and speaking; to read, analyze, and interpret literature; and
to use appropriate resources and skills to conduct research. Students build
writing skills in many forms and are expected to meet the district writing standard
in three specific areas: an expository essay, a formal letter, and a creative work.
Criteria for evaluation includes: focus development, organization, mechanics
(spelling, punctuation, capitalization), and style (sentence structure and
vocabulary). Literature study, which focuses on the concept of theme within
various literary genres, includes short stories, novels, and plays. Most students
will read Romeo and Juliet and To Kill a Mockingbird” (FCHS Website). A typical
class period will be 50 minutes of discussion, reading and writing. I will be sure
to keep a variation of grouping activities as well as whole-class discussion.
The English Department at Fort Collins High school is a tight-knit group of
teachers who work together to provide a challenging curriculum for students and
the support they need to achieve all that they can. There is no tracking system
and classrooms range from students who need help for basic tasks, as well as
student who excel in the classroom. All students have very different learning
styles and intelligences.
The overall feel of my classroom will be friendly and accepting. There will be a
sign at the front that says, “There are no wrong answers, only unsupported
answers.” I will encourage students to prove that statement right throughout the
class. I want to hear answers that I am expecting, and answers that I am not. I
will tell students that I have read To Kill a Mockingbird many times before and
studied it diligently, so my mind is made up in many ways about my
interpretation. I will challenge my students to sway my already-set ways of
thinking and tell them that if they can support their arguments, I will always listen
with an open mind. I hope to have fun in my classroom, while teaching important
aspects of reading and writing.
Context of Community:
The people of Fort Collins, as a community, live in an environment focused on
bettering the world and the society. Fort Collins is a bigger area with a small
town feel with Oldtown, still historically standing, to the north and a more
developed area toward the south. Most of the community surrounds itself around
Colorado State University, located toward the center of Fort Collins. The
university provides a large number of jobs for the city, as well as a service for the
community. Fort Collins High School is a place that many people in the
community attended, although its new location makes it modern and a great
place for students to be influenced by the past yet looking towards the future.
According to the Fort Collins City Website, Fort Collins' unemployment rate is 7
percent. Fort Collins encompasses 53.38 square miles (2009) of area and has a
total of 492 street miles (2006). The current estimated number of housing units in
Fort Collins as of July, 2009 (preliminary estimate) is 59,229. Fort Collins has a
population of 137,200 (2009 - preliminary est.). Approximately 48.2% of the
population has completed four or more years of college (2006 US Census).
Overarching Concept:
What makes a hero?
Our culture is highlighted by stories of uncommon heroes, and we will use classic
and modern literature to explore what it takes to be a hero. After each unit we
will discuss this question and come to know many heroes, both honored and
unsung. The final project in this class will be an oral speech titles, “I am a hero”
where students will use examples from the texts we have read and compare
them to the lives of students living in Fort Collins, Colorado.
The overarching concept is one that is applicable to all walks of life. Freshmen
are at a place in their lives when they are trying to find their place in the world.
This comes with recognition of talents and skills that will contribute to society.
The heroes we will study have found their place in society in many different
ways, big and small. In studying many different heroes we, as a class, can learn
what characteristics make a hero, and what values we have in ourselves to make
a difference like they did.
The units are broken into different types of hero, starting from smaller everyday
heroes, all the way to martyrs. The units, in order, include everyday hero,
hometown hero, tragic hero, unlikely hero, super hero, and martyred hero. They
build in the sacrifices made in order to be known as a hero. Each unit has a
major text that we will study as well as one major assessment. I hope to be able
to tie each unit together, identifying why characters are a certain type of hero as
opposed to another. In their writing journals, students will keep a list of
characteristics each kind of hero has and determine at the end of the semester
which kind of hero they are or plan to be.
Standards Used: Colorado Model Content Standards
1. Oral Expression and Listening
a. Students will learn that oral presentations require effective
preparation strategies when they prepare their final cumulating
assignment in which they will have to have visual aids as well as
supporting evidence for their thesis of what makes them a hero.
b. Student will listen critically to comprehend a speaker’s message
and develop strategies to direct and maintain attention when they
watch and create skits to perform in class and peer-review each
skit to give feedback about performance as well as show their
listening and comprehension of the message of the skit.
2. Reading for All Purposes
a. Students will learn about increasingly complex literary elements as
we read many diverse forms of literature and continually
compare and contrast them as well as have discussions over their
thoughts and feelings about each piece of work.
b. Students will learn that complex informational texts require mature
interpretation and study by writing a persuasive essay in which
they will need to have outside sources, such as critical analysis
essays, as evidence for their thesis.
3. Writing and Composition
a. Students will collect Informational materials, including electronic
sources, and learn they need to be collected, evaluated, and
analyzed for accuracy, relevance, and effectiveness for answering
research questions when they write their research essay requiring
outside sources as evidence.
b. Students will learn that effective problem-solving strategies require
high-quality reasoning in writing when they reenact scenes from
Romeo and Juliet and problem-solve through the thick language
to make it more applicable to their modern lives.
4. Research and Reasoning
a. Students will collect Informational materials, including electronic
sources, and learn they need to be collected, evaluated, and
analyzed effectiveness when they do research for their research
paper and choose only a few articles that are most effective in their
argument.
b. Students will have methods of primary and secondary research in
their research paper and will write rationales based on relevance,
significance, and accuracy.
c. Students will learn that effective problem-solving strategies require
high-quality reasoning in research when they do their final
cumulating assessment and determine what evidence fits best
with their thesis.
1. The Everyday Hero
Length: 4 weeks
Major Text: Speak – Laurie Anderson
Minor Texts:
myhero.com - website
“A Chip of Glass Ruby” – Nadine Gordimer – Short Story
“Two Friends” – Guy de Maupassant – Short Story
Major Assessment: myhero.com project
Minor Assessments: Journals, response papers, and art representations
Standards: 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2
Description:
In this unit we will examine and explore common heroes that people may see in
every-day life. These will range from firemen to camp counselors. We will read
many texts that provide us with many examples of everyday heroes and we will
discuss why everyday people have been given the label of a hero. Students will
read and explore myhero.com and then create a myhero project of their own,
sharing a story of an everyday hero.
2. Hometown Hero
Length: 5 weeks
Major Text: To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
Minor Texts:
“Shooting an Elephant” George Orwell
“The Man in the Water” – Roger Rosenblatt - Nonfiction
Youtube videos
Major Assessment: Hometown Hero Digital Video Project
Minor Assessments: Journals, video editing, and relevancy study
Standards: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.1, 4.2
Description:
In this unit we will take a step up from everyday heroes and explore hometown
heroes, the ones who save the day and stand up for something that they believe
in. We will explore many texts as well as begin to research digital videos on
youtube. We will read To Kill a Mockingbird and discuss the heroes of the novel
and determine who was the greatest hero in the story. The major assessment will
be a hometown hero digital story project where students will find a hero where
they live and make a video showing their story.
3. Tragic Hero
Length: 5 weeks
Major Text: Oedipus Rex - Sophocles
Minor Texts:
Sweeny Todd – Tim Burton
“And of Clay Are We Created” – Isabel Allende
Major Assessment: Alternate Ending Paper
Minor Assessments: Journals, mythology study, and movie review
Standards: 2.1, 3.2, 4.2
Description:
This unit will take on a different approach as we study the tragic hero and what
might lead to their downfall. We will discuss plot and how writers create
characters realistically. We will read many texts with different versions of tragic
heroes and see what they have in common. We will read Oedipus Rex and
learn more about ancient texts and heroes in a different era.
4. Unlikely Hero
Length: 6 weeks
Major Text: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon
Minor Texts:
The Art of Racing in the Rain – Garth Stein
“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” – William James
Podcasts
“The Leap” – Louise Erdrich
Major Assessment: Research Paper
Minor Assessments: Journals, podcasts, and art representation project
Standards: 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4
Description:
In this unit we will talk about those people in our lives whom we would never
think would be heroes, but have proven us otherwise. We will read many texts
with unlikely heroes including animals, enemies, and underdogs. We will read
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and talk about how even a boy
with autism can solve a crime and make a difference. The major assessment will
be a research paper on a brain/physical/or learning disability of their choice to
widen their perspective.
5. Super Hero
Length: 5 weeks
Major Text: The Lightening Thief – Percy Jackson
Minor Texts:
Harry Potter Series – JK Rowling
“The Ring of General Macias” – Josephina Niggli – Drama
Choice Graphic Novel
Major Assessment: Super Hero Choice Project
Minor Assessments: Journals, Harry Potter project, graphic novel fan fiction
Standards: 1.1, 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4
Description:
This unit will focus on super or supernatural heroes who use forces greater than
themselves to be heroes. We will talk about balance between power and humility
and how to make sure we are responsible for the powers we have. It is one of the
most popular genres of heroes so there will be a lot of choice in this unit. The
major assessment will be a choice project including options for art, music, essay,
or performance.
6. Martyr Hero
Length: 5 weeks
Major Text: Romeo and Juliet – Shakespeare
Minor Texts:
“To Build a Fire” – Jack London
“The Lottery” Shirley Jackson
“Gift from a Son Who Died” – Doris Lund – Non-fiction
“I Have A Dream” Martin Luther King Jr. - Speech
Major Assessment: Romeo and Juliet Modern Performance
Minor Assessments: Journals, civil rights speech, and historical analysis
Standards: 1.1, 1.2, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3
Description:
This unit will study many aspects of a martyr and the greatest sacrifice they can
make to be considered a hero. We will discuss martyrs in literature as well as
historical martyrs who have given their life to a cause. We will read Romeo and
Juliet and the major assessment will be a performance of scenes in the play.
7. I am a Hero
Length: 1 week
Major Assessment: Cumulating Assignment
Reading: I am not I – Juan Jimendez - Poem
Standards: 2.1, 2.2, 3.1, 3.2, 4.3
Description:
In our final unit we will review all of the kinds of heroes we have discussed.
Students will prepare speeches in which they take what they have learned about
heroes in the year and apply it to themselves to show how they are a hero in one
way or another. See assignment sheet for details.
Culminating Assessment – I Am a Hero Presentation
Task
Students will create a presentation that incorporates a number of tools we used
over the course of the year. They will have a written portion as well as choose
from the following modes of presentation tools:
Powerpoint, youtube, blog, podcast, photo, digital video, art, ect.
Projects will answer the following questions:
• What Makes a Hero?
• What kind of hero are you/strive to be?
o Everyday? Hometown? Tragic? Unlikely? Super? Martyr?
• How are you that kind of hero?
• Who do you relate to from the heroes we’ve studied?
o What textual evidence supports that?
• What do you want to be known for?
• What legacy do you want to leave behind?
Artifact
• You will be graded on your presentation of the project you have chosen to
do as well as your written component.
•
Presentation will be graded on preparedness, presentation voice,
organization, and main points discussed. A peer and self evaluation will
be turned in and will help determine your grade.
o See Rubric
•
The written component will be graded on grammar, organization, thesis,
supporting arguments, and textual evidence. It should be 2-4 pages in
length (unless your project is an essay), double spaced, and using schoolformal language.
o See Rubric