Have the students in the class write an
essay on who their hero is and why. Put
the papers into a pile and read them aloud
(either with or without naming the student).
Then discuss with the class how that hero
has positively effected the student.
Everyone in a group writes the name of a
person on a 3 x 5 index card and places
it into a box. Have one person pick a name
out the box and start a conversation about
what that person does and whether he or
she is a hero.
Write a list of professions on the board
(like police officer, firefighter, teacher,
etc). Go through each profession one at
a time. Have the children name people they
know who are a member of that profession.
Then discuss whether or not those people
are heroes and how they can effect the lives
of other people.
Write a list of character traits on the
board (like bravery, intelligence, etc).
Go through each character trait one at a
time. Discuss with the group whether or
not these traits would make a person a hero.
Then have the group write down which of
those traits they see in their friends and
Have the class write a short essay about
a fictional hero and draw a picture about
their essay. Then combine these essays into
booklets for the children to keep and share
with their parents and friends.
You'll need a watch or timer for this one!
On a piece of 8-1/2 x 11 paper, draw a vertical
line down the middle to make 2 columns.
Title the left column "Hero" and
the right column "Reason." Now
start your timer, and in 5 minutes see how
many people you can name as your hero -
and don't forget to write the reason why
they are your hero.
Go through your local newspaper looking
for stories about people. Read the article
aloud to the class. Then discuss why that
story was printed in the newspaper. Things
to consider: which section is the story
located (front page, local section, arts),
does the story concern a worldly, national,
or local matter, and how often does the
topic appear in the newspaper (daily, weekly,
Have your students write an essay titled,
"If I Were a Hero, I Would
Will they care about their friends, help
their parents, be kind to people, say hello
to neighbors? This exercise encourages students
to think of themselves as heroes and feel
good about it.