ReadWriteThink
Heroes Are Made of This: Studying the Character of Heroes
What makes heroes and villains? A six-part unit plan asks young scholars to explore the concept of heroism and the characteristics they consider heroic and unheroic. Groups create character maps that focus on how characters are shaped by...
Curated OER
Columbus: Hero or Villain?
Students explore Christopher Columbus's motives. In this character education lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the life and actions of Christopher Columbus in order to write essays that his actions as the...
Media Smarts
Movie Heroes and the Heroic Journey
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...
Curated OER
Understanding Protagonists and Antagonists
How can you tell if a character is a villain? What about a hero? Work on literary analysis with an engaging language arts activity. After completing an activity about the four types of conflict, learners fill out a character map about a...
Middle Tennessee State University
John Brown: Hero or Villain?
"Love it or leave it." "You're either for us or against us." Rhetoric and it's polarizing effects are the focus of a instructional activity that uses John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry as an exemplar. Groups examine primary source...
Curated OER
Christmas Heroes and Villains
In this holiday crossword puzzle, learners use 64 clues to identify Christmas heroes and villains. Answers to the puzzle are provided.
Curated OER
Oliver Cromwell: Hero or Villain?
In this Oliver Cromwell learning exercise, students read 10 facts about Cromwell and label each "hero" or "villain" depending on which each given fact supports.
Curated OER
Christmas Heroes and Villains Crossword Puzzle
In this upper level Christmas crossword puzzle, students solve 64 clues to match the heroes to the dastardly wrongdoers they have overcome to fill in the puzzle words.
Curated OER
Literary Terms: Take Me to the Theater!
Take your class to the theater! First graders will examine characters that actors play such a villians and heroes. Then participate in creating plays and performing in them. They will also research what it takes to create scenery, props...
Curated OER
U.S. History: Antebellum Heroes and Villains
Eighth graders research and write reports on key figures of the Antebellum Period. The projects also include pictures, bibliographies, and timelines about their assigned figure. In addition, 8th graders present oral reports to classmates.
Curated OER
Writing an Information Paragraph on a Villain
In this villain instructional activity, students fill out facts sheets, information planning sheets, and more to write an information paragraph on a villain. Students complete 5 activities.
Curated OER
Oliver Cromwell Lord Protector of England Hero or Villain?
In this Oliver Cromwell worksheet, students fill in 10 blanks on the graphic organizer provided. Before each blank is a fact about Oliver Cromwell for students to read and determine to be the act of a hero or villain.
Minnesota Literacy Council
Introduction to Historical Thinking
Christopher Columbus: hero or villain? Prepare class members for the debate with activities that asks them to think critically about how history is reported.
Penguin Books
A Teacher's Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare's Othello
Villains populate literature. These dastardly characters serve as a contrast to the hero who they set out to destroy. Iago, the villain of Shakespeare's tragedy Othello, certainly rates as one of the most despicable. Motivated by...
Curated OER
Classroom Guide for the Redwall Series
Students participate in cross-curricular activities and readings to become familiar with the works of Brian Jacques. In this heroes lesson, students discuss the character traits of legends and how their characters develop through events...
Curated OER
Once Upon a Time
Learners examine how music and sound affect their creation of artwork. They view art images online, create three hybrid collage creatures, develop a list of hero characteristics, and write an adventure story for a character they have...
Curated OER
May the Force Be With(in) You
Students explore the characterization of heroes and their representation of the values and beliefs of the society in which they are created. They first examine the creation of the 'Star Wars' heroes and plots, and then develop their own...
Curated OER
Four Heroes & a Villain
For this United States history worksheet, learners utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases to answer 10 fill in the blank questions about the Revolutionary War. A short answer question is included as well.
Curated OER
The Battle of Good and Evil on the Big Screen
Young scholars evaluate how the movie industry depicts heroes, villains, and events, and how these characters and plots relate to the society and time period in which the films are created.
Curated OER
The Nature of the Antagonist
Students explain the differences between protagonists and antagonists and recognize the fundamental purpose of an antagonist or villain in storytelling. They also explain conflict as used in literature.
Curated OER
Archetypal Images and Polarities
Here is a rather esoteric resource that presents the archetypes found in “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” and would be appropriate for a college-level psychology or literature class, or as a teacher resource. Considered the “world’s oldest...
Curated OER
Ulysses Quiz
In this online interactive reading comprehension worksheet, students respond to 25 multiple choice questions about James Joyce's Ulysses. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Students watch the video Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry. They participate in daily lecture, and create vocabulary cards. Students participate in oral reading evaluation, and complete a writing assignment:Do things like those that...
Curated OER
The Antagonist's Point of View
Analyzing literary antagonists is a first step to creating memorable characters in student writing.