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 by having...

Stephen Crane's The Red Badge of Courage provides the text for a reading comprehension activity that asks class members to develop questions based on the novel.

Young scholars discuss the attributes that a hero can have and what it takes to be a Distinguished American, and be commemorated on a stamp.  In this courage lesson, students research an everyday hero that they know about and create...

Fourth graders research a courageous person by reading a biography and using educational software to locate information. They make a puppet of the person to use while making an oral presentation. They write a report to be used for the...

Middle schoolers investigate the concept of a hero. In this character education lesson, students define courage and discuss heroes they know. Middle schoolers brainstorm ways to describe a hero and create an acrostic poem.

Students look at "Anne Frank Trust" winners' profiles and discuss what it means to have moral courage. They choose someone they would nominate for the Anne Frank Awards for Moral Courage.

Third graders spend time identifying the characteristics they have and ones they would like to develop for their own personal growth. As a class, they brainstorm ways they can tell they are growing up or being mature. Individually, they...

Eleventh graders create a PowerPoint presentation or a brochure in which they persuade an audience of their choice and why their solution is the best for the problem they tackled after studying the Vietnam War.

Ask your learners to reflect and write with this worksheet. This activity asks pupils to write about positive experiences - times when they have displayed positive qualities such as courage, kindness, wisdom, and determination. This...

Middle schoolers create a slogan. In this heroes lesson, students identify traits from hero stories that match traits of real life heroes. They discuss what lessons they can learn from heroes about courage and come up with a one line...

Middle schoolers define discrimination and relate it to their own experiences. In this discrimination lesson, students discuss feeling like a stranger and complete a personal experiences worksheet. Middle schoolers then find strategies...

After reading and discussing chapter 10 of Victor Martinez's Parrot in the Oven: Mi Vida with a partner, individuals write about a time they had to exhibit real courage.

First graders read a story about Abbie Burgess. They identify at least three specific actions exhibiting traits of courage and responsibility. Students explore ways children and adults become heroes by helping others out in a time of...

Seventh graders brainstorm and discuss various careers and then complete a career interest inventory and two activity sheets called, "Who I Am..." and "Researching a Career." They engage in a comparison of career paths and different...

In this self-evaluation worksheet, students write about their personality traits, what they like, and their hobbies and then illustrate symbols to represent their answers. Students complete 2 activities.

Young scholars research discrimination and how people fought against for the common good. In this discrimination lesson, students watch a movie about Alfred Blalock and Vivien Thomas. Young scholars generate a list of words about...

Students study slavery from the perspctive of an American slave. In this Frederick Douglass lesson, students complete the suggested pre-reading and post-reading activities included for Douglass's autobiography, Narrative of the Life of...

Amelia Earhart's accomplishments and strength of character extend beyond her status as one of the first female aviators in America. Elementary and middle schoolers learn about Earhart's early life and the historical context surrounding...

What does it mean to be courageous? With the study guide for Marie McSwigan's novel, Snow Treasure, scholars answer questions about the text and practice new vocabulary. They also write quatrain poems about courage or another theme from...

Introduce your class to fairy tales with this activity. After reading the fractured fairy tale, "The Three Little Wolves and the Big Bad Pig," third, fourth, and fifth graders write a personal narrative as a response to the fairy tale....

Beauty is more than skin deep. Auggie, the main character in Wonder, has a facial defect, but his inner beauty shines. Taking a cue from Auggie, scholars learn how a person is more than outer appearance. To finish the resource, they...

Annabelle, a young character in Wolf Hollow, discovers one bully can ruin everything when Betty walkes into her classroom. Betty bullies others and targets a war veteran. Individuals read how one person changed Annabelle's life. They...

Ella in Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted receives the gift of obedience and must do what others tell her, but her strong personality struggles with this gift. Scholars review how Ella handles her fate by completing...

Learners read literature based on family heroes. They discuss the concepts of friendship, loyalty and death. They write their own stories of courage and post them to a webpage.