ReadWriteThink: Celebrate Heroes: Learning Beyond the Classroom

For Ages 11–14
Celebrate Heroes

Summer is a time to kick back and relax, but when everything slows down it can also be a time to think about the things that matter. Encourage a child or teen you know to spend a little time thinking about just what makes a hero and who his or her personal heroes might be. Who knows? Maybe you’ll both be inspired to do heroic things, small or large.

Time
30 to 45 minutes

What You Need

Computer with Internet access and printer
Heroism in Action website and video
Heroism Is . . . sheet
About My Hero sheet
Interactive Letter Generator

Why This Is Helpful
Almost every book a child or teen reads or movie he or she watches has a hero. Learning how to identify what makes these characters heroic will be important in both reading and writing assignments to come. This activity guides children and teens in making a list of heroic traits, choosing a person who has these traits, and then writing about the person. They also get a chance to talk and write about what they think is important and how they hope to live their own lives.

Here’s What To Do

1.	Ask the child what makes a person heroic. After talking about this for a few minutes, visit the Heroism in Action website and watch the short video clip. Use information from the website and video to spark a discussion about heroes.
2.	Use the Heroism Is . . . sheet to list the different things that make a person heroic. Have the child write one characteristic or trait in each circle. Traits may include honest, patient, brave, and caring, among many others.
3.	Ask the child to think of a hero—a real person or someone from a book, television show, or movie. The hero can even be a personal friend or relative. If the child is having trouble thinking of a hero, visit the My Hero Project or Time 100: Heroes and Icons websites and do some reading together until you find someone.
4.	Have the child use the About My Hero sheet to take some notes about his or her hero. When finished, talk about the ways this person has some of the characteristics or traits written on the Heroism Is . . . sheet.
5.	Have the child use the interactive Letter Generator and the notes on the About My Hero sheet to write a letter to his or her hero. This letter can explain why the child thinks the person is a hero and how he or she hopes to be like that person. If the person is real and living and you can locate an address, have the child mail the letter.

Visit the ReadWriteThink Tips for Using Letter Generator for more information about this tool.

This activity was modified from the ReadWriteThink lesson plan “Heroes Around Us” available online at: www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lesson_view.asp?id=171.