SUBJECT: Character Education / Language Arts / History
TITLE: You Deserve a Medal!
OBJECTIVE: Students will use literature to explore the characteristic of courage.
MATERIALS:
Pages 18 – 19 of The Hero Book
Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards
ISBN 0064435199, HarperTrophy publishers
Pen or pencil and self-stick notes for each student
A poster or flipchart drawing of a medal (ribbon with round pendant)
Materials for additional art activity: a Styrofoam disc for each student, enough gold foil (use aluminum foil
as an alternative) for each student to cover the styrofoam disc, one pipe cleaner for each student, one two foot
length of ribbon for each student, a round piece of paper (smaller than the diameter of the disc) for each
student, markers, and glue.
ACTIVITY:
• As a class, complete pages 18 – 19 of The Hero Book.
• After students have discussed the meaning of courage, ask if anyone can think of a time in history when
people demonstrated courage.
• Introduce the idea of the slaves using the Underground Railroad to escape the South.
• Show students the cover of Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards. Ask
them what clues tell them that this book might be about courage.
• Distribute the self-stick notes and make sure that each student has something with which to write.
• Tell students that you are going to read this book to them and that each time they recognize courage they
should write a note about what they heard.
• Read aloud Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards.
• After you have finished reading the book, ask students for general reactions – what surprised them about the
story, what did they like best, what didn’t they like at all, how might they have reacted in this situation, etc.
• Ask students what they wrote on the notes. Ask students to explain how each recorded event demonstrates
courage.
• Reveal your poster of a medal.
• Tell students to take all of their self-stick notes and put them on the poster – inside the medallion.
• Ask students if they have ever heard of people getting medals for their courage.
• Ask students to thank people when they witness their acts of courage and to share those acts with the class.
Additional art activity (you will have to demonstrate each step of this):
• Give each student a Styrofoam disc and a square of foil.
• Have students cover the disc.
• Distribute the pipe cleaners and have the students bend their pipe cleaners into three sides of a
rectangle (one long side and two short sides.)
• Have the students hold the disc so that they are looking at the circle and have them stick the two short
sides of the pipe cleaner into the top of it – when they look at the disc they should see three sides of a
rectangle on top of the disc.
• Distribute the small paper circles and markers.
continued on next page
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YOU DESERVE A MEDAL continued
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Ask students to write a personal act of courage on the circle.
Distribute the glue.
Have each student glue the paper to the center of the disc.
Distribute the ribbon.
Have each student thread the ribbon through the pipe cleaner so that they can wear their medals of
courage for the rest of the day.
STANDARDS:
Understands how democratic values came to be and how they can be exemplified by people, events, and symbols.
Maintains a healthy self-concept.
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SUBJECT: Character Education
TITLE: You Should Wear A Superhero Cape!
OBJECTIVE: Students will demonstrate giving and accepting compliments.
MATERIALS:
Pages 45 - 47 of The Hero Book.
Strips of paper and a hat or bag
A piece of construction paper cut out in the shape of a cape for each student
Markers or crayons
Tape to attach the capes to students’ backs
ACTIVITY:
• Make sure each student has completed Pages 45 - 47 of The Hero Book.
• Tell the students something about yourself for which you are proud.
• Have students pair up and share what they wrote in the first blank on page 45 of The Hero Book.
• Have students find a different partner to share what they wrote for the second blank.
• Have students find a different partner and share what they wrote for the third blank.
• Have all students return to their seats.
• Ask students what they heard from their classmates.
• Allow students five to ten minutes to expand on what they wrote on page 46 in The Hero Book.
• Have students write the hero qualities from page 47 on strips of paper.
• Collect all the strips of paper in a hat or bag.
• Distribute the capes and markers.
• Have students pair up and give each pair the necessary tape so they may attach capes to each other’s back.
• Once all students have the capes attached, ask them to stand around the room.
• Have the students walk around the room and write hero qualities on each other’s capes. While they are
walking around, offer suggestions by pulling qualities out of the bag or hat and reading those aloud. Make
sure all students have qualities written on their capes.
• After you have read all of the qualities from the bag, ask students to return to their partners and to read aloud
the qualities written on their partner’s cape.
• Ask students to return to their seats.
• Allow students about five minutes to write on the “inside” of their cape about how it felt to give their classmates
compliments.
• Allow students another five minutes to write about how it felt to accept compliments from their classmates.
• Ask students how they might use these qualities that others see in them to be heroes for the people in their
lives.
STANDARDS:
Maintains a healthy self-concept
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
Performs self appraisal
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SUBJECT: Character Education
TITLE: You Should Be A Link in Our Chain!
OBJECTIVE: Students will perform acts of kindness and celebrate themselves and each other for doing so.
MATERIALS:
One or two stories about kindness (try www.actsofkindness.org for true stories) – the Gift of the Magi is a great classic
short story for this.
Pages 30 – 31 of The Hero Book.
Tape or staples and a stapler
At least four rectangular strips of construction paper (cut one letter size sheet of paper into 4 11” long and 2” wide
strips) in bright colors for each student
Markers
ACTIVITY:
• Read aloud a story or two about kindness.
• Ask students to identify the acts of kindness in the two stories.
• Ask students to brainstorm other things people do that demonstrate kindness.
• Read aloud the poem on page 30 of The Hero Book.
• Tell the students that you are going to read the poem again and that every time they hear a kind act they
should turn to a person sitting near them and say “how nice!”
• Read the poem again.
• Hand out the strips of construction paper.
• Turn to page 31 of The Hero Book.
• Model your thinking on this task by asking yourself who you admire for their kindness, stating that person’s
name and then describing something that person does that is nice.
• Allow students five minutes to complete write down the answers to: “Who do you admire for their kindness”
and “what are the nice things they do”? (Tell them that they can complete their “hero rhyme” later.)
• Ask students to then write that same act of kindness on one of the strips of construction paper. You should
model this as well by writing the act you shared with the class on a strip of paper.
• Explain that these will become links in the class’ chain of kindness.
• Use your strip of paper to create the first link by attaching the two ends of the strip to create a ring.
• Add each student’s link to the chain by having them share the name of the person they admire and that
person’s act of kindness. Loop each new strip through the ring before it and use the tape or staples to close
the strip and create a new ring.
• Explain that the remaining strips are to be used to record new acts of kindness performed by students in the
class. Each time the students witness an act of kindness they should write it on a strip and ask the teacher to
add it to the chain.
• Challenge the class to have the chain run all around the perimeter of the room by then end of the year.
Choose other dates to create additional challenges (for example: the chain can reach the other side of the
room by spring break, etc.)
• Ask students why it might be important to perform acts of kindness
STANDARDS:
Understands how certain character traits enhance citizens’ ability to fulfill personal and civic responsibilities.
Knows personal character traits that contribute to the health of American democracy such as individual responsibility,
self-discipline/self-governance, honesty, persistence, and compassion.
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SUBJECT: Language Arts
TITLE: Paper Bag Book
OBJECTIVE: Students will generate synonyms and antonyms for hero qualities.
MATERIALS:
Pages 33 of The Hero Book.
Markers
Ten brown paper bags for each book
If each small group will create a book – use large brown paper grocery bags
If each student will create his or her own book – use brown paper lunch bags
Hole puncher
Before class, you will need to punch three evenly spaced holes along the bottom of each bag. (When the bag
is laid flat with the flap facing up, it appears to be a rectangle. Punch the holes along the short side of the
rectangle that would be part of the bottom of the open bag. The other short side of the rectangle would be the
opening.)
bottom
opening
Yarn or ribbon
Three 4” pieces for each student or group of students
Scrap paper and pens or pencils for brainstorming
ACTIVITY:
• Have students complete the activity “Circle the Words” on page 33 of The Hero Book.
• Discuss the words the students chose.
• Write the word synonym on the board.
• Explain that synonyms are two words that have the same meaning.
• Ask students to brainstorm synonyms for “good.”
• Record their answers.
• Write the word antonym on the board.
• Explain that antonyms are two words that have opposite meanings.
• Ask students to brainstorm antonyms for “good.”
• Record their answers.
• Create small groups of five students each or have students work independently.
• Give each group (or student) ten bags.
• Have each group (or student) choose ten hero qualities.
• Tell students to use the markers to write each hero quality on the flap of a bag. (Ten qualities, ten bags, one
quality on each bag) – Demonstrate this step.
• Have each group (or student) choose the type of book they will create – either a synonym book or an
antonym book.
• The students that choose to write synonym books will brainstorm synonyms for each hero quality they have
written on the bags. Students who choose to write antonym books will brainstorm antonyms for each quality.
continued on next page
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PAPER BAG BOOK continued
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Allow students 30 – 40 minutes to brainstorm words for all ten qualities.
Tell students to write their list of synonyms or antonyms under the flap of the paper bag. This should be done
so that when the flap is down all you can see is the quality and when you open the flap the synonyms or
antonyms are revealed. – Demonstrate this step.
Have students illustrate the hero qualities.
Use the ribbon or yarn to bind the paper bag books.
Display the books in a “paper bag library.”
Choose one book each day for a short word study.
STANDARDS:
Understands level-appropriate reading vocabulary (e.g. synonyms, antonyms, homophones, multi-meaning words)
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SUBJECT: Language Arts
TITLE: Dear Friend
OBJECTIVE: Students will analyze the elements of a personal letter and write their own.
MATERIALS:
Page 38 of The Hero Book.
An example of a personal letter – including the envelope
An overhead or other large version of the letter
A piece of paper for each student
An envelope for each student
ACTIVITY:
• Ask students to raise their hands if they have ever received a letter in the mail.
• Ask students to raise their hands if they have ever written and mailed a letter to a friend or family member.
• Ask students to describe a letter they have either written or received. What was the letter about (its’
contents)? What did the paper look like? How did they know to whom the letter was written? How did they
know who sent the letter? How did the letter start? How did the letter end?
• Read a personal letter to the class and show them the envelope.
• Explain that there is a proper format for writing personal letters and for addressing an envelope.
• Reveal the large version of your letter.
• Identify each element of the letter (the greeting, the body, and the closing.)
• Ask students to turn to page 38 of The Hero Book.
• Have a volunteer read aloud that page.
• Allow students the opportunity to decide to whom they will write and why.
• Have students turn to someone near them and say; “I’m going to write to X because…”
• Ask for one or two volunteers to share what they heard.
• Allow students 10 to 15 minutes to write their letters.
• Hold up one of your examples of a properly addressed envelope.
• Identify the elements of a properly addressed envelope (address – name, street address, city, state, zip code,
return address, and stamp). Explain that with an envelope only the return address has a few acceptable
placements – show students those options.
• Distribute the envelopes and have each student address the envelope appropriately. As a place holder,
students can make up an address.
• If you have time, allow them to draw stamps.
• Ask if anyone plans to mail his or her letter.
• Ask students to let the class know if they get a response and to share those responses.
STANDARDS:
Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
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SUBJECT: Physical Education
TITLE: I Can Set Records!
OBJECTIVE: Students will set personal fitness goals and understand the concept of setting a “PR” – personal record.
MATERIALS:
Page 27 of The Hero Book.
At least one bio of a famous athlete
A bio of your athletic achievements or an athlete that you know – a friend who runs (marathons, 5Ks, 10Ks), does
triathlons, plays a sport competitively, etc.
A stopwatch
A chart to record times
Tape – three small pieces of masking tape or duct tape for each student
An open area
A wall
ACTIVITY:
• Ask students to read pages 26 and 27 of The Hero Book.
• Use the two questions at the bottom of the page (can you think of someone who is very talented and skilled?
And what do you admire about this person?) to lead a discussion about physical accomplishments.
• Read the bios of athletes to your students (the famous athlete and the person you know).
• Ask students if they believe the athlete that is not famous practices and continues to try to do better.
• Explain that many athletes set personal goals all the time and work hard at beating their own
accomplishments – this is often called “setting a new PR – personal record.”
• Tell the class that they are going to have the opportunity to set personal records in two athletic tasks.
• The first task is going to be a “high jump.”
• Have all students line up facing a wall.
• Give each student a piece of tape.
• Tell students when you say “go” they are to jump straight up as high as they can and place the tape on the
wall as high as possible.
• Say; “go.”
• Tell the students that for the moment this is their PR.
• Tell students to look up at their piece of tape and to focus on a spot above that. Tell them that when you say
“go” they need to jump up as high as they can and place the tape on the wall.
• Say; “go.”
• Ask students who were able to hit the point that they focused on to raise their hands.
• Congratulate those students.
• Repeat this process once more.
• Ask students who were able to reach their highest goal to explain how they feel about themselves.
• Ask for a volunteer to show the class how to do a proper sit-up. Make sure everyone sees the demonstration.
• Have students pair up for the next PR trial. One student will hold ankles while the other does sit-ups. Both
students should count each sit-up.
continued on next page
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I CAN SET RECORDS! continued
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Tell students to decide who will go first and to get into position.
Explain that you will keep time and each student will do as many sit-ups as possible in one minute.
Give students cues as to when you will begin timing one minute (for example, on your marks, get set, go.)
After one minute, have each student record the number of sit-ups he or she did.
Ask students to switch roles.
After both students in each pair have done sit-ups and held ankles, have them think of a goal – how many can
you do in the next trial? Ask students to record their goals next to their first trial record.
Repeat the process in which all students do sit-ups, hold ankles, and record the appropriate numbers.
Ask if anyone has set a new PR.
Repeat the process— including setting a new goal.
Ask students what they learned about setting records and what it takes for an athlete to continue to do their
personal best.
Lead a discussion about the satisfaction of personal records as opposed to measuring your talent against the
talent of others. Elicit a connection between personal records and being a hero.
STANDARDS:
Knows how to promote and maintain personal health
Understands how to monitor and maintain a health-enhancing level of physical fitness
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SUBJECT: Social Studies
TITLE: Historical Heroes
OBJECTIVE: Students will analyze historical figures and if appropriate, classify them as heroes.
MATERIALS:
Page 12 of The Hero Book.
Internet access or reference materials
Self-sick notes (at least two for each student.)
Biographies of historical figures that are appropriate to your current unit of study (A&E Biographies is a great source
for this, text books and trade books might also be useful)
Chart paper and a marker
A piece of red construction paper and a piece of green construction paper for each student
ACTIVITY:
• Ask students what they think of when you say “hero.”
• If students mention superheroes – such as Spider-Man, ask what makes him a hero.
• Record what Spider-Man does that makes him a hero.
• Ask students to define the word “hero.”
• Read aloud page 12 of The Hero Book.
• Record student responses. Allow all answers (fictional and real).
• Write the word “hero” on the board.
• Distribute self-stick notes.
• Ask students to write one thing a hero does on each self-stick note.
• Have students read those self-stick notes aloud and walk to the front of the room to place them under the
word “hero.”
• Share the biographies of historical figures.
• Write each figure’s name on the top of a sheet of chart paper.
• Hang those sheets of chart paper next to each other.
• If you have time, allow your students to choose one figure to focus on for additional research into that person’s
life and why we might study them in school.
• Turn student’s attention to each of the historical figures one at a time. Ask students to say what they know
about that person and why they think we might study that person in school. Record student responses under
each name.
• After you have gone through all of the figures, tell the students that they now have the opportunity to
determine if this person is or is not a hero.
• Distribute one piece of red construction paper and one piece of green construction paper to each student.
• Explain that you will stand in front of each piece of chart paper and if a student believes the person in question
is a hero they should hold up the green piece of paper. If they do not believe that person to be a hero, they
should hold up the red paper.
• Allow students the opportunity to review what is written on each chart paper.
• Conduct the vote.
• Compare and contrast the characteristics of the historical figures.
STANDARDS:
Understands the contributions of historical figures
Knows historical and cultural figures from the target culture and their contributions
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SUBJECT: Social Studies
TITLE: Fairness and the Bill of Rights
OBJECTIVE: Students will discuss the Bill of Rights as a representation of America’s valuing of fairness.
MATERIALS:
Page 20 of The Hero Book.
A flip chart outlining the Bill of Rights in language your students will understand
Props that students may use during role-plays of the first Ten Amendments
ACTIVITY:
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Ask students to raise their hands if they ever said “that’s not fair!”
Ask those with their hands raised to describe the situation that wasn’t fair.
Define “fairness” as a class.
Ask students if they believe fairness might be a quality of heroes.
Read aloud page 20 of The Hero Book.
Ask students if they think fairness is important to Americans.
Ask students if there is anything that they know of that supports the idea that fairness is an important part
of life in America.
Ask if anyone has ever heard of the United States Constitution. Explain the document in a way that is
appropriate for your students.
Introduce the Bill of Rights as the part of the United States Constitution that intends to ensure that all
Americans are treated fairly.
Reveal your flip chart outlining the Bill of Rights. It might read something like this:
I.
Freedom of Speech, Religion, and Press. Gives people the right to assemble (get together). Also
makes sure that people can tell the government when they think something isn’t fair.
II.
The right to bear arms – people can protect themselves with weapons.
III.
People don’t have to let soldiers stay at their home.
IV.
The government has to have a good reason to search you or your house.
V.
The government has to prove that they have reason to believe you committed a crime, you don’t
have to be a witness against yourself, you can’t go on trial for the same crime twice, and the
government can’t take your stuff away from you without proving that there was a reason.
VI.
A person accused of a crime has a right to a fast trial where people like them listen to evidence
and decide if they are guilty. Also they have a right to hear what people are saying that they did.
VII.
People who are in arguments about their things or how they were treated have a right to have a
group of people who are like them decide who was right.
VIII.
“The punishment has to fit the crime.”
IX.
Just because something isn’t written in the Constitution as a right doesn’t mean it isn’t a right.
X.
Any power that doesn’t belong to the government belongs to the states.
Divide students into ten small groups.
Give each group one of the amendments to discuss. A few of these are easier to relate to the concept of
fairness. You may choose to have your students discuss only those.
Ask each group to come up with a role-play to dramatize their amendment and show how it is about
ensuring fairness in America.
continued on next page
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FAIRNESS AND THE BILL OF RIGHTS continued
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Explain that each time American’s believe that something isn’t fair they can ask for an amendment to the
constitution, like the right to vote for women and African Americans.
Lead a discussion about how your students believe the constitution should be amended today.
STANDARDS:
Understands how democratic values came to be and how they can be exemplified by people, events, and symbols.
Understands the significance of the Bill of Rights and its specific guarantees (e.g. the relevance of the Bill of Rights in
today’s society.)
Understands how fundamental values and principles of American democracy are expressed in documents such as the
Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, as well as in American
songs, stories, and speeches.
Knows how specific documents in American history set forth shared values, principles, and beliefs (e.g. Declaration of
Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights, Pledge of Allegiance)
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Resources
LITERATURE
50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet by Dennis Denenberg and Lorraine Roscoe
Girls Who Rocked the World: Heroines from Sacagawea to Sheryl Swoops by Amilie Welden and Jerry McCann
The Children’s Book of Heroes by William J. Bennett and Michael Hague
Five Notable Inventors (Great Black Heroes) by Wade Hudson and Ron Garnett
Read-Aloud Plays: Heroes in American History by Tracey West and Katherine Noll
Animals to the Rescue! Ten Stories of Animal Heroes by Christopher Farran
A Hero of a Horse (Step Into Reading Step 2) by Catherine McCafferty
The Hero’s Trail: A Guide for a Heroic Life by T.A. Barron
He Saves the Day by Marsha Hayles
The Hero of Third Grade by Alice DeLaCriox
WEB SITES
www.actsofkindness.org
www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/
www.homeofheroes.com
www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine.html
www.giraffe.org
www.heroes.com
www.storiesforheroes.com
www.myhero.com
www.education-world.com/a_sites002.shtml
ORGANIZATIONS
Giraffe Heroes Project
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