Honoring Our Heroes

Where are the real heroes for today's children and young adults? The major goal of National Heroes Day, March 12, is to bring them back into the spotlight they deserve. Education World has put together some lesson ideas and other resources to help you do just that. Join us as we pay tribute to those individuals who inspire us by their great strength, courage, and perseverance in facing challenges.

LESSON PLANS FOR TEACHING ABOUT HEROES

National
Heroes Day

The National Heroes Day campaign is spearheaded by Dr. Dennis Denneberg, co-author of 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet, which was an NCSS Notable Trade Book of 2006: "The book provides both insight and inspiration into what makes a hero. The 50 people portrayed -- including Native American statesman Tecumseh, actor Christopher Reeve, and musician Yo-Yo Ma -- come from all sectors of society, demonstration that everyday individuals have the potential to be heroes."

The goal of National Heroes Day is to bring heroes back into the spotlight where they belong. "By reading and talking about the great men and women who have made our world a better place, our youth will be inspired to follow in their footsteps," says Dr. Denneberg.

Heroic Activities to Celebrate Heroes
Everyone has a hero -- someone to look up to or admire. This week, Education Word offers ten lessons that will get students thinking about their heroes. Included: Activities -- students create a picture book about their heroes, develop holidays honoring their favorite heroes, create memorials for animal heroes, and more. Plus additional online resources.

Heroes Online: Looking to the Web for Those We Can Look Up To
Introduce your students to heroes online with Web sites devoted to people we can admire. Some heroes have received national acclaim; others work tirelessly and thanklessly for issues close to home and our hearts. You can use the resources of the Web to encourage this type of dedication in your students and get them thinking about the people they look up to! Included: Ten Web sites to work into your lessons.