Valor
Word of
the Week
Feb. 23-27, 2015
Noun
Do you hear trumpets? With the word valor, you should. It was
custom-ordered for a knight in resplendent armor sitting atop his
noble steed. "Onward to deeds of valor!," you imagine him saying,
anticipating his own unfailing courage.
Valor is often displayed in the face of something designed to crush it,
and it is often rewarded with the conferring of a medal. "I, King
Dreyfus, award you this silver cup in honor of your deeds of great courage. Your valor in the face of
terrible danger must be recognized.”
DEFINITIONS AND USAGE EXAMPLES
val-er
Pronunciation: \
\
 Exceptional or heroic courage when facing danger, especially in battle
o “He received a medal for valor”
o Goal es una cinta que tiene gran valor y significa mucho en la vida del actor.
 The qualities if a hero or a heroine.
SYNONYMS: gallantry, heroism, valiance, valiancy, valorousness, valour, bravery, courage
Directions: Discuss the meaning of the word with your students, with special emphasis on any
variations or nuances of the word specific to your discipline. Consider taking it a step further by
using one or all of the following ideas as you involve students with the new vocabulary. Remember to
preview all content you intend to share with students. Not all items on the lists provided below are
appropriate for all classes or age levels.
 “Discretion is the better part of valor”
It is better to be prudent than merely courageous, as in I'm signing up forthe easy course fir
st; discretion is the better part of valor.
This proverb, a synonym of “Look before you leap, was first recorded in 1477. Charles
Churchill put it in poetic form: “Even in a hero’s heart, Discretion is the better part” (The
Ghost, 176).
Shakespeare also used a form of it: “The better part of valor is discretion” (said by Falstaff
in 1 Henry IV, 5:4)
Consider discussing possible meanings and applications with your students. Under what
circumstances is this proverb true? Are there any circumstances for which it would not be true?


(Music Therapy/ Social Science/Psychology)
Click below to see the AP video:
Click here to read the article from the Seattle Times about “the pilot program, called Voices of
Valor, [which] has veterans work as a group to synthesize their experiences into musical
lyrics.”
Seattle Times Dec 28, 2012
Click below to go to the Voices of Valor homepage to learn more:
A unique opportunity for veterans to work with songwriters to create a song
based on your experiences and reflecting who you are – no musical experience
required! http://www.voicesofvalor.org/#
A program designed to honor your experiences and help you use music to ease
the transition from military to civilian life.
Voices of Valor® is free of charge to all veterans

(English/Seminar/General Interest)
Activity Ideas:
 Focused Free-Write: Use the sentences as beginning sentences for original
short-stories written by your students.
o Consider having students focus their stories on the word valor and setting the context and tone for
that word to be the best and most appropriate word to use in their opening sentences.
 Acrostic Vocabulary: After a discussion of the various meanings and usage of
the word valor, or after completing the focused free-write described above,
have students complete an acrostic of the word to illustrate their knowledge of
the word.

“The girl who five years ago stood huddled with her mother and sister, as he presented her,
the oldest child, with a medal of valor.”

“In January, I'd stood by while he received his medal of valor in the Justice Building, another
oldest child with no father.”
o
(The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins)

“It was not courage, exactly; the object was not valor.”

“He would’ve explained to his father that none of these decorations was for uncommon valor.”

“And later that night I could’ve won the Silver Star for valor.”
o
(The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien)

“Another dressed him in his mother's clothing and paraded him through the bailey to shame
him into valor.”

:Did you teach him wisdom as well as valor, Ned? she wondered.”
o
(A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin )

“She whispered her names to her pillow, and when she was done she added, “Valor
morghulis,” in a small soft voice, wondering what it meant.” (It means "all men must die")
o A Game of Thrones: A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin)

“He wants to keep his knee. This is a very brave young man. He has been proposed for the
silver medal of valor.”
o (A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway)

“This was no assault upon the Dark Lord by the men of Gondor, risen like avenging ghosts
from the graves of valour long passed away.”

“And yet -- when they had gone, the shadows closed on men again, and their hearts went cold,
and the valour of Gondor withered into ash.”
o
(THE LORD OF THE RINGS by J.R.R. Tolkien)

Military Award for Valor—The Medal of Honor

Knights Code
From The Kingdom of Golden Horn:
The Knights Code of Valor:
Click here for the entire Knights Code.
Read this related article from The Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2015:
“Have at thee! Special Forces Veteran Revives Medieval Combat Skills.”

In the article, the author notes that “. . . the knight’s code of courage and valor doesn’t include
grousing and griping.”

(Movies and Books)

Its title is “Unbreakable Valor,” and its cover bears the hopeful serial number 1.

These characters, known collectively as The
League of Valor, get tangled up defending Earth
against an attack by Manzarius, who looks like a
dinosaur.
Forbes Aug 25, 2014
Click on the picture to read more about this comic book
underwritten by Panasonic, or to read the online version.
Since there is a “marketing goal, the hero of the story is a
machine, a real Panasonic rugged tablet, the euphoniously
named Toughpad FZ-E1, which saves the day in a
harrowing confrontation. Well, actually, the hero is an IT
manager who uses the tablet to save the day.
Marketing/Computer
Tech.