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Alex Freeman

Heroes Thematic Unit

GLCE:

Language Arts:

R.CM.05.01 connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses.

R.CM.05.03 analyze global themes, universal truths, and principles within and across text to create a deeper understanding by drawing conclusions, making inferences, and synthesizing.

R.CM.05.04 apply significant knowledge from grade-level science, social studies, and mathematics texts

R.WS.05.03 automatically recognize frequently encountered words in print with the number of words that can be read fluently increasing steadily across the school year

R.NT.05.04 explain how authors use literary devices including exaggeration and metaphors to develop characters, themes, plot, and functions of heroes, anti-heroes, and narrators.

R.WS.05.06 fluently read beginning grade-level text and increasingly demanding text as the year proceeds.

R.NT.05.01 analyze how characters and communities reflect life (in positive and negative ways) in classic, multicultural, and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit.

R.NT.05.03 analyze how characters’ traits and setting define plot, climax, the role of dialogue, and how problems are resolved.

R.IT.05.02 identify and describe informational text patterns including compare/contrast, cause/effect, and problem/solution.

R.AT.05.01 be enthusiastic about reading and do substantial reading and writing on their own.

W.GN.05.01 write a cohesive narrative piece such as a mystery, tall tale, or historical fiction using time period and setting to enhance the plot; demonstrating roles and functions of heroes, anti-heroes, and narrator; and depicting conflicts and resolutions.

W.PS.05.01 exhibit personal style and voice to enhance the written message in both narrative (e.g., personification, humor, element of surprise) and informational writing (e.g., emotional appeal, strong opinion, credible support).

W.GR.05.01 in the context of writing, correctly use compound subjects and predicates; proper nouns and pronouns; articles; conjunctions; hyphens in compound and number words; commas between two independent clauses to set off direct address, long phrases, clauses; colons to separate hours and minutes and to introduce a list.

W.SP.05.01 in the context of writing, correctly spell frequently encountered words (e.g., roots, inflections, prefixes, suffixes, multi-syllabic); for less frequently encountered words, use structural cues (e.g., letter/sound, rime, morphemic) and environmental sources (e.g., word walls, word lists, dictionaries, spell checkers).

W.HW.05.01 write neat and legible compositions. W.PR.05.01 set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns

when writing a narrative or informational piece W.PR.05.02 apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for both narrative and informational

writing (e.g., graphic organizers such as maps, webs, Venn diagrams) in order to generate, sequence, and structure ideas (e.g., role and relationships of characters, settings, ideas, relationship of theory/evidence, or compare/contrast).

W.PR.05.03 draft focused ideas using linguistic structures and textual features needed to clearly communicate information composing coherent, mechanically sound paragraphs when writing compositions.

W.PR.05.04 revise drafts based on constructive and specific oral and written responses to writing by identifying sections of the piece to improve organization and flow of ideas (e.g., position/evidence organizational pattern, craft such as titles, leads, endings, and powerful verbs).

W.PR.05.05 proofread and edit writing using grade-level checklists and other appropriate resources both individually and in groups Social Studies:

P3.1 Identifying and Analyzing Public Issues

Clearly state a problem as public policy issue, analyze various perspectives, and generate and

evaluate possible

alternative resolutions.

5 – P3.1.3 Give examples of how conflicts over core democratic values lead people to

differ on contemporary constitutional issues in the United States.

K1 General Knowledge

K1.3 Understand the diversity of human beings and human cultures

K1.5 Understand social problems, social structure, institutions, class, groups, and

interaction.

K1.6 Apply social studies concepts to better understand major current local, national,

and world events, issues, and problems.

K1.7 Integrate concepts from at least two different social studies disciplines.

P2.3 Know how to find and organize information from a variety of sources, analyze,

interpret, support interpretations with evidence, critically evaluate, and present the

information orally and in writing; report investigation results effectively.

P2.4 Use multiple perspectives and resources to identify and analyze issues appropriate

to the social studies discipline being studied.

Lesson 1: Heroes That Save Things/Superheroes

2 Days

Day 1

Materials:

* Several superhero comic strips

*Hero Journals

* Paper

* Colored pencils/Crayons

Procedure:

1) Ask students “Who is your favorite superhero? Why? Describe them.” Introduce several

superhero comic strips, such as Superman, Spiderman, Batman, Wonder Woman, etc. Read

some of the comic strips aloud. Make some generalizations about superheroes together as a

class. (15-20 minutes)

2) Tell the students to pretend they have been hired to create a new superhero for a comic

strip. They are to think about three things: What does their superhero look like? What are

his/her superpowers? What “heroic” thing will they do?

3) Once they have decided this information, the students will begin to create their comic strips.

Comic strips must be 4-10 slides or boxes. Allow the students to use the comic strips that the

teacher used for reference. (30-40 minutes)

Day 2

Materials:

* Several superhero comic strips

* Paper

*Hero Journals

* Colored pencils/Crayons

Procedure:

1) The students will continue to work on and finish creating their comic strips. (20-30 minutes)

Have the students put away their materials, and have some select students to introduce their

superhero to the class and read their comic strip aloud. (5-10 minutes)

2) Make some more generalizations about superheroes. After investigating the comics, are

there are new ones that we did say yesterday? (5-10 minutes)

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on the ideas behind their comic strips and how well they addressed

the questions in step 2.

Lesson 2: Heroes That Stand Up For Something

2 Days

Day 1

Materials:

*Ruby Bridges book

*Hero journals

*List of characters from the book

Procedure:

1) Read the story Ruby Bridges aloud to the class. (10-15 minutes)

2) Have the students take out their hero journals and compare their 1st grade year to hers

in groups of 3 or 4. What were different rules the schools had? Would this every happen

in your school? (5-10 minutes)

3) Give students a list of characters from the story. In their groups, have them rank the

characters from most favorite to least. Be sure they can explain why they chose that

character for that spot. (5 minutes)

4) Have the groups share their ideas to the class. (5-10 minutes)

Day 2

Materials:

*Hero journals

Procedure:

1) Split the class up into two. Give each half a position: Yes, it was fair to send Ruby to this

school or No, it was not fair. Give each half ample time to complete a persuasive

argument as to why or why it was not fair or right to send Ruby to this new school. (15-

20 minutes)

2) Each half should then argue persuasively their side. (10-15 minutes)

3) When each half has gone, they may ask each other questions. (5-10 minutes)

4) Finish by discussing how, whether it was fair or not, this did happen and Ruby was one

courageous girl to continue on how she did. Have students give other character traits of

Ruby. (5 minutes)

5) Make a list on the board. Have the students copy the list into their hero journals.

Assessment:

Students will be assessed based on their arguments as well as their identifying of character

traits.

Lesson 3: Young Heroes/Heroes That Stand Up for Others

2 Days

Day 1

Materials:

*How to Train Your Dragon movie

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Begin by explaining how the day before, we had a lesson on a hero that was our age.

Many people think that kids cannot be heroes, but they can.

2) Watch the beginning of the movie How to Train Your Dragon. (40 minutes)

3) As a class, begin listing the character traits that the father and other older Vikings had.

(2 minutes)

4) Then, make a separate column for traits that Hiccup had. (2 minutes)

5) Discuss the traits that make a hero and compare the two. Ex: Stoik and the other Vikings

just killed/ran away from the dragons. Killing them made them heroes. Hiccup set the

dragon free and visited it. He had courage. Did the other Vikings? Ect. (5-10 minutes)

Day2

Materials:

*Hero Journals

*How to Train Your Dragon movie

Procedure:

1) Continue the movie How to Train Your Dragon. (40 minutes)

2) Discuss the end result. What made Hiccup a hero to his town? What character traits

proved to be useful to him? What about Stoik and the other Vikings. What character

traits do they wish they hadn’t had? (20-15 minutes)

3) Have students think of a time when they themselves were heroes like Hiccup. Did

anyone doubt them? Did people make fun of them before they became heroic? Have

them journal about it to themselves. (5-10 minutes)

Lesson 4: Everyday Heroes

2 Days

Day 1

Materials:

*When I Was Your Age Letter

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Read “when I was your age” letter to the class. (2 minutes)

2) Discuss what it means to be an everyday hero. Talk about the after effects of 9-11 and the

firemen and officers who helped save the people trapped in buildings. Also talk about the

people aboard the flight who were able to crash the plane in a field as opposed to another

terrorist target. (10-15 minutes)

3) Students brain storm about events that created vivid memories in their lives, good or bad. (5-

10 minutes)

4) Students will write a letter about an event they choose that shows an everyday hero that has

made an impact on their life. (15-20 minutes)

Assessment:

Did students identify an everyday hero in their life?

Were students able to write about a memory that impacted them?

Day 2

Materials:

*Computer Lab

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Students will revise another student’s work from the previous day. (5-10 minutes)

2) The class will move to the computer lab where each student will research a recent news article

in which an everyday hero helped another person. (10-15 minutes)

3) As a class, students will make a list of everyday heroes they learned about. (5-10 minutes)

4) Introduce the idea of pay it forward as a way of making everyone an everyday hero. Start the

pay it forward movement in the school with one person in the classroom. (5 minutes)

Assessment:

Were students able to identify a hero in the news?

Were students willing to try pay it forward?

Lesson 5: Female Heroes/Heroes That Faced the Unknown

1 Day

Materials:

*http://www.ameliaearhartmuseum.org/AmeliaEarhart/AEBiography.htm

*Map

*Hero Journal

Procedure:

1) Pass out short biography on Amelia Earhart. (2 minutes)

2) Have students talk in groups to answer the question, “Why is Amelia Earhart a hero (first

person to attempt around the world flight and was a women) and what kind of hero is she)?” (5

minutes)

3) Have students individually think of other heroes this kind and why they are that. (5 minutes)

4) Have students make mock flight plans using world map. Must include 10 stops. (10-15

minutes)

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on how well they addressed the questions in step 2 as well as the

other heroes they came up with.

Lesson 6: Inspirational Heroes/Heroes Traits

2 Days

Day 1

Materials:

*Poem “Shades of a Diary” cut into strips

Procedure:

1) Students will begin by separating into groups of 4 or 5 depending on the class size.

Students will then use the poem Shades of a Diary by Sha O. Kling which has been cut up

into strips line by line to craft a poem of their own. (15-20 minutes)

2) Students will then write on the board 3 literary themes that they believe the poem to be

about. (2 minutes)

Assessment:

The instructor will be able to assess how well students have understood the poem as well as

the unit by the literary themes they have given.

Day 2

Materials:

*Poem “It Takes Courage”

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Students will read the poem It Takes Courage and discuss how it relates to the heroes

discussed throughout the unit. (20-30 minutes)

Assessment:

The instructor will be able to assess how well students have understood the poem as well as

the unit by the answers given in their discussion.

Lesson 7: Inspirational Heroes

1 Day

Materials:

*http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005210

*The Diary of Anne Frank

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Pass out short biography on Anne Frank.

2) Read entry from Wednesday, 13 January, 1943 in Anne Frank’s Diary. (5-10 minutes)

3) Have open discussion about Anne Frank’s hardships. Ask “How is Anne Frank’s life

different than yours?” “What would you have done if you were her?” (15-20 minutes)

4) Ask students to talk in groups to determine what type of hero Anne Frank is

(inspirational) and why she is that hero (survived hardship and wrote about her

accounts). (5 minutes)

5) Have students write a mock journal entry as if they were Anne Frank in hiding. (10

minutes)

Assessment:

Students will be assessed on their open discussion as well as their journal entry.

Lesson 8: Writing About a Favorite Hero

4 Days

Day 1

Materials:

*Index cards with names on them

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Students, in groups of 3 or 4, are given index cards with the names of each hero on two

cards (ex: firefighters, Anne Frank, Superman, ect.) Students are instructed to group

heroes into categories. The students will design the categories. Each hero must be used

at LEAST once, twice at the most. There should be no more than 6 categories. Students

should record their ideas into their hero journal. (15-20 minutes)

2) Once students have designed categories, they should present their ideas to the class

about the categories as well as why the heroes are in the categories. (15 minutes)

3) As a class, they will discuss the character traits that heroes had. As a student has a new

trait idea, they should write it on the board themselves. Students should write the

character traits in their hero journals. (10 minutes)

4) Then, in groups, students should look at both the different types of heroes as well as

what characteristics a hero has. They should begin to think about what a hero is, the

definition.

Day 2

Materials:

*Hero Journals

Procedure:

1) Throughout this unit, students have been keeping a hero journal, simply a notebook

with their assignments, activities, and thoughts about heroes in them. Today, students

will look back into their hero journal and think about all the heroes they talked about as

well as the types of heroes. Students should pick one hero, hero category, hero

definition, or a hero trait or two that they liked the best to do a short piece on. (5-10

minutes)

2) Students will begin brainstorming a short composition, poem, news article, ect on their

favorite hero, trait, or category with teacher guidance. Students should, by this point in

time, have discussed the writing process and how a paper is written. They should begin

a rough draft of their paper. The teacher should visit each student and ask what they are

doing/thinking about doing, ect. (30-40 minutes)

Day 3

Materials:

*Hero Journal

*Rough Draft

*Computer Lab

Procedure:

1) Students should continue with their rough draft, rewriting as many times as needed. (40

minutes)

2) The teacher should conference with each student during this time, following up on their

idea and guiding them in the writing and creative process.

3) When students begin finishing, they should return to the computer lab and begin typing

up their composition.

Day 4

Materials:

*Hero Journal

*Rough Draft

*Computer Lab

Procedure:

1) All students should be typing up their final draft by this point in time.

2) If a student finishes early before the other students, have him/her draw a picture of the

person or something related to their composition.

3) When students have finished, have a sharing circle. Each student should read their final

piece to the class. The teacher can have a copy of each paper and create a class Hero

Book. (20-30 minutes)

Assessment:

Students will be assessed upon their categorizing skills and following the categorizing rules.

Students will also be assessed on their logical thinking in their final piece as well as their ability

to work through the writing process and their final piece.

A final assessment of the unit should be done using the hero journals kept by each student over

the course of the unit. Reminds students in the beginning that it is important for them each to

keep a record of the unit as well as everything they do in a group. Do not just have one

secretary.