Is Luke Skywalker the archetype of a literary hero? Follow the path of the Hero's Journey with an engaging lesson that details the plot structure, applies it to Star Wars: A New Hope, and invites class members to choose their own example...

What is the difference between Hercules and Spiderman? Both are heroes, right? Kids identify the characteristics that make a hero, and analyze the differences between heroes of long ago and today. They write creative stories describing a...

Should identifying a tragic hero be based on a universal definition or a definition based on the morals and values of a specific culture? As part of a study of Things Fall Apart, class members read Sylvia Plath's "Colossus" and then...

Sure, Harry Potter was sorted into the Gryffindor house, but is he really a hero? Middle and high schoolers examine the plot and character development in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series before creating a presentation to argue whether...

Practice literary analysis and citing evidence in this lesson about heroes. Ninth graders complete research activities for a literary analysis of a character who meets the definition of a hero. Then, they write journal entries about...

Oedipus, Hamlet, Marlow, Gatsby, Okonkwo? Readers of Things Fall Apart are asked to justify Okonkwo’s classification as a tragic hero by providing examples of his noble status, the mixture of good and bad in his personality, the fatal...

The narrator of Invisible Man is on a quest, a quest to find out who he is and what his place is in a deeply divided American society. An episode from the American Masters series asks readers to consider Ralph Ellison's acclaimed novel...

Send your pupils on a hero's journey! Individuals must compose a story that includes six key elements of the hero's journey. In order to determine the basics of the content of their stories, class members use the included grid to circle...

New ReviewNot all superheroes wear capes. An engaging lesson delves into the world of modern-day heroes and activists for change. Academics learn there are many different ways to be a hero as well as explore what makes a person a hero. The...

An exciting twist on the study of the classical hero and the heroic quest! Using film to explore modern-day tales of heroes, the resource contains complete, ready-to-use lesson plans for as many as twelve days of instruction. Throughout...

Who do the kids in your class look up to? Have them describe their heroes with a writing prompt. The prompt encourages kids to explain why this person is important to them, and what actions the hero has done that make him or her a...

Readers of The Odyssey look for events in Homer's saga that parallel Joseph Campbell's elements of The Hero's Journey. Scholars reflect on how these elements apply to their own lives.

Not all the heroes of 9/11 were human. After a brief discussion of the events of September 11, 2001, class members develop questions about the contributions of service dogs that assisted the first responders. Pupils select one of the...

Pupils define hero and identify supporting evidence in a text. They complete a hero diagram worksheet and watch a video about a little boy from China who acts as a hero. Additionally, they complete the Ping Hero evidence worksheet and...

What is a hero? Find out with a lesson that highlights the heroes that risked their lives on September 11, 2001. Class members take part in a grand conversation discussing what heroes are, how we celebrate them, and write a letter to a...

Pupils discover that not only humans can be heroes, but that animals can be heroes too. The spotlight of a activity about September 11, 2001, is the search and rescue dogs that bravely risked their lives to help the victims on and after...

What does it take to be a hero? On 9/11 heroes came in all shapes and sizes. Learners write a mini biography about their chosen hero from that fateful day in a collaborative and thoughtful lesson. Then, as a class, learners build a...

During the aftermath of 9/11, a firehouse in New York received letters, cards, drawings, and tributes, all addressed to "Dear Hero." Middle schoolers study images of these tributes and discuss the qualities of a hero in a lesson focused...

Can someone wake up as an ordinary citizen and become a hero later in the day? Middle schoolers discuss the everyday heroes and heroines of 9/11, including their acts of bravery and sacrifice. Individuals then create a children's book to...