Lorna S. Dils
Objective
to identify the qualities of a hero in the reading and in real life.
Procedure
brainstorm together a list of qualities that a hero must possess. The teacher might want to discuss the definition of a hero in literature as one who overcomes seemingly overwhelming odds by sometimes miraculous methods. Most of these students are familiar with Odysseus and King Arthur and reference can be made to these two heroes of literature.
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List all of the characters from all of the stories that were read that possessed heroic qualities and the reasons why they were heroic.
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Brainstorm as a group a list of “real life” heroes, past and present, and state why that person was heroic.
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Compare heroes in real life to those in literature to determine, if any, the similarities and differences.
The students should each choose a person from the list of real life heroes to research in detail. Each student should be prepared to make a presentation to the class by role playing the person they have chosen including wearing clothing that represents their hero.