Brenda Sansom

Multidimensional Unit- HEROS


 

Introduction

I am not quite sure when I first knew what a hero was or who might be a

hero. What I do know for sure is that children-all children need heroes, Real

Heroes. I believe this to be especially true for children in their

preadolescent and adolescent years.

Young teenagers find themselves bombarded with a wide range of values and

human behaviours. They can find themselves struggling to determine which

values they believe for themselves. It is for this reason that adults have an

enormous responsibility to be role models and in some cases be heroes to our

children.

Many children‚s heroes have seriously disappointed them. Sports heroes

have taken banned substances (Ben Johnson), been found guilty of rape (Mike

Tyson) and in large part simply lost their justification to be a hero; many

political heroes have performed no better. Even family and religious

heroes have abused their authority and children have become victims of

serious disappointment.

Our kids need Real Heroes. Our kids need to know that the people we

see as heroes do not need to score game winning baskets or climb mountains.

Our heroes are the people we meet every day of our lives . These are the

people who have courage and give unselfishly to others.

By providing our kids with „Real Heroes‰ we will be giving them role

models from whom they can learn. Every adult has a responsibility to be a

role model or a hero to at least one child. This unit helps students to learn

about the the „Real Heroes‰ of today. These are the heroes from whom our

kids should be learning about values about human behaviour.

Brenda J. Sansom

 

This multidimensional unit is in response to the academic requirements

for ESL 3561 (6096). In meeting this requirement it is also acknowledged

that this unit, as presented, provides more information than requested.

This unit provides me with a binder that has everything that I need when

I go out the door. Except where there is a need to photocopy, this

binder/unit provides the necessary information and materials.

The resource materials (except for the Walt Disney Movie) are my own personal

resources which I have accumulated.

I trust it is acceptable that I have chosen to fully utilize this learning

opportunity in this manner. It is an effective time management tool for me.

I now have more comprehensive materials and I will be able to more effectivley

teach this unit.


 

Overview of Multidimensional Unit

Grade Level: 7-9

Language and Level: English, Intermediate-Advanced

Filed of Experience: Human Behaviour-Heroism

Topics to be Discussed: Characteristics of Heroes

Different Heroes/Different Countries

A Canadian Hero-Terry Fox

Children Heroes

Choosing a Hero

Experiential Goal:Students will discuss and discover heroes of yesteryear

and today. They will compare and contrast different heroes in Canada,

their country and other countries. They will propose someone as their

personal hero and enter their nomination with supporting reasons onto the

Heroism Web Site http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515

Steps To Achieve Goal:

1. Build a "Word Wall" of Hero Characteristics

2. Highlight a Hero of Today- Terry Fox

Lesson Plan

3. Discover Different Heroes/Different Countries

4. Identify Children Heroes-Young Heroes in Action

Lesson Plan

5. Compare Heroes of Yesteryear to Heroes of Today

6. Choose Any Hero and Explain Characteristics

7. Prepare a News Item on The Chosen Hero

8. Nominate for Hero on the Heroism Web site

http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515/heroism/

Lesson Plan

9. Reflection on the unit

Peer and self evaluation

Explanation of Steps

Step 1. Build a „Word Wall‰ of Hero Characteristics/Names

In this first step it is important to build with information the students

already know. Using newsprint, the back of old wallpaper or any kind of

writing surface the teacher brainstorms with the children about the idea of a

hero/heroine*. The students think of people whom they believe to be heroes

and the teacher does a cluster map or webbing noting names of heroes and

describing characteristics of heroes. Since the rest of the unit discusses

heroes from different countries and different eras there should be a free flow

of information with some students giving names of heroes and characteristics

of heroes while some students might give only one or the other. This process

allows for the students to work at their personal cognitive level and still

benefit from the class‚ collective cognitive level. The teacher , where

necessary, can scaffold the students‚ struggle with attempts beyond their

level. These clusters could be put into categories or additions made to the

webbing as the other steps are undertaken.

*Teachers should be sensitive to the cultural implications of using the words

"hero" and "heroine". Although technically it could be argued that a female

is not a hero but a heroine, it is commonly accepted that the word "hero"

can refer to either a male or a female. However, it is important for teachers

to be aware that it is possible that certain populations are offended if a

female is called a hero. This note is simply to indicate that some thought

should be given to this so that cultural sensitivities can be respected.

Step 2. Highlight a Hero of Today-Terry Fox See Lesson Plan

Step 3. Discover Different Heroes in Canada and Different Heroes From

Different Countries

There can be three approaches to this step. The teacher can be the

"encyclopaedia" for this step or the students can be. In either case this

step involves discovering other heroes in Canada or other heroes from other

countries. (This will depend to some extent on the make-up of the class.)

Students select two heroes and write two facts/characteristics about their two

heroes. By getting two heroes it will make allowance for students selecting

the same heroes and you want enough heroes to assign to individual members of

the class.

Alternative A

The teacher then lets each student assume the identity of one of their heroes

and the others try to guess the identity of each other by scrambling about

the class and writing down the names as they discover the identity. (Students

should have their secret hero name on a card so that the identifying student

has a visual clue to assist with writing the heroes‚ names. They might look

for five heroes. (Depending on the class they can look for more.) Since

students chose their heroes they are going to know more about their choice

while it will be more difficult for other students to discover their

identities.

Example: Jane might have the secret identity of Princess Diana. Students

then ask is she a man, is she old, is she alive, is she famous... Teacher

will need to help students learn how to funnel information by asking broad

scope questions and then narrow scope questions. She can do this by

modelling. The teacher can be a resource in terms of helping students prepare

their characteristics or descriptors.

Alternative B

The teacher collects this information and redistributes it with a challenge

to Hunt for All The Heroes . The teacher redistributes the hero selections

and assigns a secret hero identity to each student and gives the information

about „His /her Assigned Hero. By doing it this way students have a chance

to learn about new heroes.

They then assume this identity. Each student is also given a list containing facts of

all of the hero facts as provided by the students. They then Hunt for the

Hero by asking each other questions, correctly matching the information with

the secret hero identity and completing the list by matching the hero identity

with the information.

Example: Kevin might have the secret identity of President Kennedy and his

information point s might be 1. Was a president of USA 2. Was assassinated.

Students with the list might have: a president who was assassinated. They then

search for the hero who was a president who was assassinated and complete

their list. Once they find the person with matching characteristics they can

ask Are you ?? or Who are You ?

At the end of the activity each student gets to reveal "I am ---and I was

chosen as a hero because I-----". They can then add that no one found them or

everyone found them.

Alternative C

The teacher can also prepare this hero information and distribute the secret

identities. Both methods allow for exchange but information from students

hero selections allows the class members to learn more from each other. This

step can be done with the teacher simply giving out one piece of information

and having the students question each other on mass until they find the secret

identity of the hero as a match with the teachers information.

Example Teacher: There is secret hero in our class who was a famous French

underwater explorer. He helped to invent scuba diving equipment.- Students

would then search the room looking for the student who is Jacques Cousteau.

Tip: The Oxford Children‚s Book of Famous People is a helpful text for

reference. This was a special edition of the Year 2000. It gives a brief

description of 1000 men and women who have shaped the world.

End of the year magazines are also good resources for this kind of

information. Most of these can be found in larger libraries. Examples are;

Biography, People, Life, Chatelaine

This text has a strong USA bias and is only about women but it is

still useful; Girls Who Rocked the World

Step 4. Identify Children Heroes-Young Heroes in Action

See Lesson Plan

Step 5. Compare Heroes of Yesteryear to Heroes of Today

After having done Step 4 it should be noted that there is a different

focus. Steps 1 and 2 built on a traditional look at heroes. This was done

in an attempt to use the natural knowledge that students would have about

„famous heroes". Steps 3 and 4 was a natural progression to look at other

heroes who perhaps are not so famous. Steps 3 and 4 had students thinking

more about „local heroes" or more not so famous acts of heroism. This step

involves having students think about less famous heroes and to think about

heroes in their community or perhaps in their families. A fun activity would

be to have students invite two heroes to dinner-a hero of the past and a hero

of today and explain why. This step might involve adding to the „Word Wall‰ in

Step 1. Good background for the teacher on traditional and contemporary

definitions of heroes can be found on the Heroism in Action Web site

http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515 For the benefit of this paper the

information is attached.

Step 6. Choose Any Hero and Explain Characteristics

By now students students should have a grasp of traditional viewpoints

and a contemporary viewpoint of how to describe a hero. During Step 6 the

teacher encourages them to choose any hero and prepare a mini word wall ( one

piece of paper) describing this person. This could also be a cluster map with

the hero‚s name in the middle or this step could be a type of Journal where

the students write why they have chosen this hero. This step provides the

student the opportunity to consider the different values and select those

values which most appropriately match with his views about a hero.

page 9 Step 7. Prepare a Promotional News Item on A Chosen Hero

In Step 4 the students summarised information about heroes in the stories

in Super Kids. This would have helped them to select important information

and to explain the heroes in their stories. In this step 7, students will

prepare a brief news story about their choice for hero. The news story about

Bryan Priestman can be used as an example. as well as the Terry Fox abstract

in Step 2. Caution needs to be shown that the Priestman story is is a very

expanded news story but it is an authentic news story. This is available

from The Daily Gleaner, November 11, 2000 edition. For the benefit of this

paper the story is attached.

Some students might choose to write this news story while others might

like to prepare a radio or television Interview with their hero making a guest

appearance in a role playing scenario. Other students might choose to prepare

a pamphlet about their hero. This opportunity to make choices is another

illustration of allowing students to make decisions about how they learn the

language and also provides students with different opportunities to utilize

their differing skills. It is fun.

Step 8. Nomination for Hero on the Heroism Web site

http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515/heroism/

Lesson Plan

Step 9. Reflection on the unit.

Peer and self evaluation


 

Objectives

Communicative/Experiential

1. Students will propose people whom they personally believe to be

heroes

2. Students will describe characteristics of their idea of a hero

3. Students will negotiate meaning with each other as they compare and

contrast hero preferences

4. Students will create a news item-radio, news bulletin or poster

5. Students will select, nominate and justify a personal hero

6. Students will post their personal reflections and thoughts on the

internet.

Cultural

1. Students will tell/hear about heroes in other parts of the country and

world

2. Students will discover (on the net) the values of other students in

other countries and what they believe about heroes.

3. Students will discover values of other classmates in their opinions

about heroes

3. Students will identify a Canadian Hero -Terry Fox

4. Students will compare the cultural shift in what a hero was in years gone

by and how we look at heroes today

5. Students will be able to identify a local hero of yesteryear-Bryan

Priestman

6. Students will read and summarize acts of heroism by children across North

America

7. Students will hear North American music about a hero

8. Students who view „Tundra Woman‰ would question the ethics of

television promotion and personal values

Language

1. Students will contribute to brainstorming with the cluster map/webbing

exercises

2. Students will develop vocabulary about characteristics of a hero

3. Students will develop historical and cultural vocabulary about people

who are heroes

3. Students will express their thoughts in their Journals

4. Students will develop words/phrases about heroes from listening to a

song

5. Students will engage in discussion with other students in many of the

paired and grouped activities

6. Students will have writing reinforced in news items, journal entries,

guest book entries and hero nominations

General Language Education

1. Students will predict stories by looking at pictures

2. Students will discover how to „guess‰ identities by starting with a broad

question and progressively narrowing down the questions as if it were a

funnel.

3. Students will use communication/convincing strategies to support their

choices for hero nominations

4. Students will learn social strategies in a second language as they work

in pairs and small groups and with the teacher.

5. Students will draw on their personal experiences, feeling and values as

they make decisions about human values as shown in hero selections


 

Highlight a Hero of Today-Terry Fox

Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 7-9 Language: English Length: 90 minutes

Field of Experience: Human Behaviour- Heroism Lesson One (Step 2)

materials:

Teacher

-Abstract: Terry‚s Journey:

The Marathon of Hope

-Article: Terry Fox; His Story

-Map of Canada (mostly blank)

Abstract and Article found http// www.terryfoxrun.org

Activity: This is a presentation of an article using the interactive model

for teaching reading.

Objective: Students will choose and construct one of : a chain of events,

a time line or a date/destination map which illustrates the events in the

story

1.Pre-reading activity

Students will look and/or listen to the abstract title and the pictures

and suggest what they think the reading may be about. Using the abstract

students can suggest three things they think they might learn from the

article.

NOTE*Teacher might choose to read the abstract twice or read it once and allow

the students to read it the second time on their own. This will allow for

students who learn visually and auditorily.

2. Reading Activity

The students will read the article silently or orally. Students may

read individually or read in pairs.

NOTE*Teachers can best assess the learning styles of students and make the

necessary accommodations.

3. Post Activity

Students in groups of two or three will prepare a chain of events chart

outlining the events in Terry‚s Story OR they can do a time line outlining the

same OR students can use a map of Canada and diagram the journey using date

and destinations. A copy of the Canada map time line is attached.

NOTE*Students will enjoy having an opportunity to choose the post activity.

This opportunity to choose will help students feel more in control and

contribute to their self-esteem. Learning a second language can OFTEN have

students feeling that they do not have control because they do not have

control or capacity to speak as they would like. Having Choices will help

re-establish a sense of control.

NOTE* Grouping is a very effective way to promote the exchange of language but

sensitivity should be given to the combination of the groups. Generally there

is more balanced discussion in small groups of four or less but possibly pairs

are necessary to encourage more timid speakers. More confident speakers can

out-speak more timid speaks so teachers need to watch grouping carefully. The

is a fun role for random groupings but this should not always be the way to

choose groups.

Students can compare their chains, time lines or maps with other students and

make any necessary revisions. These activities can be posted on the wall under

the tile of A Hero of Today- Terry Fox

NOTE* Teachers need to be careful when choosing a hero of today. Caution

should be exercised when presenting heroes. The president of the United

States is not a hero in all cultures.

Other Activities for this kind of lesson could include reading the

submissions about why people think Terry Fox is a hero. Students can go on

line and tell why they think Terry Fox is a hero. This can be done on the

same web site as indicated in the materials. For the purpose of this paper a

few of the 100 pages of submissions are attached. These submission pages

would be very useful with students who are having difficulties with concepts

about why someone is a hero.


 

Identify Children Heroes-Young Heroes in Action

Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 7-9 Language: English Length: 90 minutes

Field of Experience: Human Behaviour- Heroism Lesson Two (Step 4)

Materials:

Teacher

-Text Super Kids -Young Heroes in Action

Author Leslie Garrett

-cassette recordings of stories

-copies of photos of main characters

Activity: Students will choose a super kid story and engage in listening to

the story about the hero they have chosen

Objectives: Students will summarize and explain the story about one of the

twelve Super Kids on the tape(in the text)

Pre-listening Activity

Students will give three choices for stories based on the photos from

the text. The pictures will give the students clues about the story and they

will need to predict which story they would like to hear based on the picture

clues of the main character(s). The photos can be posted around the room and

students can write their name under their three choices. Once this information

is given the teacher will assign the stories. The photos are from the text.

For the purpose of this paper the photos and stories are attached.

Listening Activity

Using the twelve stories about Super Kids the teacher will have arranged for

other speakers to tape each of the stories( or it would be great if people from the

community came in to read the stories).

Post Activity

Students will either individually or in small groups be given the photo of

the main character ( hopefully this will be one of their three choices) and a

tape of the story.( or a person) They will need to listen to each story at

least twice. The stories are 5-7 minutes in length. A few stories have

unusual names. These should be noted so students can be prepared when they

encounter these new words.

NOTE*Teachers will know which students will need or will benefit from a

written copy of the text. So as not to stigmatise some students who need this

extra help, teachers might give copies of the text to all students challenging

them to listen to the text before going to the written work. The teacher

might need to provide some vocabulary assistance. Individuals who are

recording( or reading) might start their recording with a brief review of

difficult or unusual words.

Students will prepare a summary of each story and explain it orally. Some

students might make a chain of events or a time line as was done in Step 2 to

assist them with organization.

Students will then share in pairs, small groups or perhaps with the class

their stories about Super Kids-Youth Heroes in Action.

Other Activities could involve preparing news items about these twelve super

kids. This format could be similar to those discussed in Step 7.

Students could also prepare a My Heroes Log and name qualities about each

of the twelve heroes. A copy of a log is attached. The students could prepare

a cassette with their summary and let other students listen to their summary

on cassette.


 

Nomination for Hero on the Heroism Web site

Lesson Plan

Grade Level: 7-9 Language: English Length: 90 minutes

Field of Experience: Human Behaviour- Heroism Lesson Three (Step 8)

materials:

Teacher

- music by Bette Midler „Wind Beneath My Wings"

-access/copies of Heroism Web site

http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515/heroism

Activity: This is an activity where students will nominate someone as their

hero and give reasons. They will post this nomination on the heroism web

site and sign the guest book. Copies of this nomination will be made.

Objective: Students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the

concept of heroism by reflecting on what has been discussed in the previous

steps. Students will then select one person, justify the choice and prepare

a nomination which they will post on the Heroism Web site. Students will

identify their heroism choice and use the Heroism Guest Book to sign in.

Students will be able to view and print a copy of their nomination.

1. PreActivity* (A)

Students will listen to the song Wind Beneath My Wings and listen for

phrases and words about heroes. Some students could explain some terms such

as: I can fly higher than an eagle you are the wind beneath my wings

 

NOTE*I have put two preactivities because I believe either could be done,

depending on the class. Teachers can best determine which is more suitable

for the class.

WIND BENEATH MY WINGS

It must have been cold there in my shadow

To never have sunlight on your face

You were content to let me shine, that‚s your way

You always walked a step behind

So I was the one with all the glory

While you were the one with all the strength

A beautiful face without a name for so long

A beautiful smile to hide the pain

Did you ever know that you‚re my hero?

And everything I would like to be

I can fly higher than an eagle

You are the wind beneath my wings.

It might have appeared to go unnoticed

But I Œve got it all here in my heart

I want you to know I know the truth, of course I do

I would be nothing without you

Did you ever know that you‚re my hero?

You‚re everything I wish I could be

I could fly higher than an eagle

You are the wind beneath my wings.

Did I ever tell you, you‚re my hero

You‚re everything I wish I could be

Oh, I can fly higher than an eagle

You are the wind beneath my wings

Because you are the wind beneath my wings

1.Preactivity *(B)

Students will scan some of the nominations which have already been posted

on the Web Site to learn who other students in other countries have

nominated. There is a great variety in the nominations of local page 19

heroes and famous heroes.

2. Activity

Students can have the opportunity to view some of the nominations which

are on the Web site. (If this was not done in the preactivity and the teacher

feels they need more examples.) Using information in the previous steps

they are to choose one person as their personal hero and complete a

nomination. They will need to support their nomination with reasons. Some

descriptors and characteristics will have been learned in previous steps.

Having done a news item will have contributed to their ability to summarize

and illustrate their reasons. This is an individual activity for writing but

students should work in pairs or small groups to compare their information and

organization of ideas. Students can check each others content and accuracy

before posting on the web site. The teacher might do some scaffolding to

assist where students require „fine tuning‰ of their information before it is

posted. Copies of the nominations can be printed once they have been posted.

PostActivity

Students can sign the guest book and give a brief statement about their

hero or about the information which they read on the Web site.

You can print your entry on in the guest book immediately following input. It

is great fun to print out your entry.

Special Note: Coincidentally, the day I am doing this lesson, I became a

Great Aunt to our newest entry into the family- eight pound Hannah-. Hannah

was my personal hero. She was my great grandmother and I nominated her and

posted her on the site. My entry is attached

PostActivity

Students can view each others nominations once they have been printed

from the web site. Nominations can be posted in the classroom.

Other Activities which could be considered is sending your nomination page 20

to your personal hero if that person is alive or sending the nomination to

their son or daughter. or close relative. It is a compassionate act of

kindness when someone we love, who is no longer with us, is so fondly regarded

by someone else long after they are gone.

Another Activity could involve the viewing of Walt Disney Cartoon Tundra

Woman (not available at video stores yet). This is a cartoon story about a

young girl who creates a story about Tundra Woman. The story line is about a

meteor crashing into the earth and pummelling it into an ice age. Tundra

woman emerges to save everyone and is the child‚s personal hero. She is

courageous and unselfish. However, the producer, who bought her script,

wanting to to have a popular show portrays Tundra Woman as a mean, selfish,

uncaring and violent. The little girl takes on the producer and wants her

hero restored to its ordinal character. After all she demands, "she was MY

personal hero"



Reflection and Assessment

One of the most challenging aspects of learning is assessment. Various

methods exist but the most beneficial are those methods which are time

effective and personalized to the extent that they take into consideration the

starting point of the learning continuum for each student.

Throughout the unit it is important that teachers do formative (in the

process) and summative (at the end) assessments. Success of the learning

environment, can to some extent, be determined by these measurements.

Evaluations and assessments are no longer just the domain of the teacher. The

following shows possible assessments for the individual, peers and teachers.

They in no way represent complete reflections or assessments of the unit.

Each of the four objective areas of communicative/experiential, cultural.

language and general language should be assessed. Teachers are looking for

evidence of learning in growth and improvement as students undertake the

various activities. Teachers need to remember that students have different

learning styles. Activities should reflect this diversity and assessments

should take into account these different learning styles. Some students will

show growth in verbal activates while others might show growth in written

material.

Portfolios are a useful way to „track‰ a student‚s progress. Portfolios

also give teachers a tool to identify areas of weakness while giving students

a running commentary of their growth and success.

Everyone enjoys seeing their achievements. It contributes to their

confidence and feelings of self worth, which in turn contributes to a positive

attitude toward the acquisition of the target language.


 

READING /LISTENING SELF-EVALUATION

 

Name________________________________Date____________

NO YES

1. I understood the main idea in the

better

story about Super Kids-

Youth Heroes in Action

2. I had a plan for organizing

how I would explain the story

3. I could explain the ideas to my

student partner

3. I used new words from the

story

4. I could explain why this

youth was a super hero

5. I gave suggestions to my

partner in order to help out

6. When my student partner

gave suggestions, I considered

how I could learn from the

suggestion

7. I found at least two good

things to say about my partner‚s

presentation



UNIT SELF-EVALUATION - HEROES

 

Name________________________________ Date__________

 

1. The activity(ies) I like the best was/were

because

2. The activity (ies) I liked the least was/were

because

3. I learned the most when we did the activity (ies)

Reasons

4. I learned the least from the following activity (ies)

Reasons

 

5. After we did the unit I realize that I have the same opinion about heroes

or I have a different opinion about heroes because

 

6. I would make changes to the unit in the following ways:

 

The reasons are:


 

PEER/GROUP EVALUATION

Name_______________________________Date_______________

Group Names____________________________________________

 

We did the following Always Most Often Sometimes Rarely

1. understood the task

2. started to work

quickly

3. stayed on task

4. each person

participated

5. each person listened

when others spoke

6. each spoke

target language

7. each understood

when others spoke

8. group completed

assigned task

9. did our best


 

TEACHER EVALUATION UNIT HEROS

Name______________________________________Date_______

Student can: 5 4 3 2 1

strong confident with some effort with some difficulty with great difficulty

1. Identify a personal

hero

2. Explain choice with

justified characeteristics

3. Demonstrate

language strategies

in communication

4. Contrast and compare

kinds of heroes

5. Summarize stories

about heroes

6. Integrate personal

opinion with that

of others

7. Illustrate what was

learned in the unit

8. Show joy of language


 

More Resources for the Unit

1. Teachers Handbook Contextualized Language Instruction- Copy of

Model for Teaching Interactive Listening and Reading

2. Bibliographic Essay: A Core List of Web Resources for Researchers and

Teachers

3. Postreading Activities summary as taken from a class presentation on

Chapter 12, Making it Happen

4. List of Prereading Activities as taken from Chapter 12, Making It Happen

5. Two ideas from Dave's ESL Cafe Idea Cookbook -

Tell Peggy, a thought provoking, problem solving, human values, language

activity similar to American Ann Landers.

Plastic Cup Pyramid, a a great teamwork, language building, giving

directions, activity which would go well with heroes who had to work with

others to accomplish what they wanted to do. This is great fun. I did it.

6. Pages are included from Snow Treasure but have been modified to be used

with this unit. there is a heroes log and a blank news bulletin which can

be used when students re reporting and discovering heroes.

7. A sample of Human Bingo is attached; this could easily be modified to Hero

Bingo and students would be assuming hero identities as was shown in the

unit.

8. There are two sample of activities which encourage students to accept

diversity in each other. Heroes are as different and diversified as people

are as students are. 1. Good Apples

2. Who I Am Collage- from http://www.col-ed.org/cur/

9. Chapter Handling Student Diversity in the Language Classroom is VERY

IMPORTANT resource. It is attached as reminder that teachers MUST

Recognize different learning styles and must therefore be prepared with

different teaching styles

10. If students do a radio news item, you could use the CBC Radio LOGO and

call it ALMOST CBC-they have given permission. An overhead of the logo is

attached

11. There can easily be a role for Storytelling in this unit. The topic of

heroes could present an opportunity for students to tell stories about

heroes they have known. This could be a valuable activity which

contributes to students learning about each others values.

 

Poem Local Hero- text - Actions and Reactions, page 12

copyright prohibits copying (no attachment)

There is a "Heroes Gallery „ in the text, Actions and Reactions which

highlights heroes: Manon Rheaume, woman hockey player in NHL, Christy

Brown, a man with cerebral palsy, Zlata, a young girl in wartime Bosnia,

Tuk, a polar bear who becomes a hero to the people in Vancouver, a class

of boys who had their hair shaved to help a fellow student who lost his

hair during chemotherapy. (no attachment) I accessed this text through

our local Middle Schools System

The cover picture and inside cover story was taken from Life Magazine

1999. This story, as well as many others, can be found in the magazines

indicated. Although at first glance it would seem that Sammy Sosa and Mark

McGuire are heroes because of their home run hitting prowess, a closer look

will give you a look at perhaps the Real reason they deserve to be heroes.

It is important for students to look at human behaviours and assess for

themselves which behaviours qualify individuals as Real Heroes.


References

Davis, Gary, Innovations Experiencing Literature In The Classroom,

Snow Treasure, Scholastic Inc, 1990 Copyright noted

Glisan, Eileen W., Shrum. Judith, L., Teachers Handbook Contextualized

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reading and Listening

Herman, Ethel, Semantics for Teens, East Moline, Illinois, 1989

Copyright note attached

Richard-Amato, Patricia, Making it Happen: Interaction in the Second

Language. 2nd Edition. New York: Addison-Wesley, 1996

Roehm, Michelle, Girls Who Rocked the World, Beyond Words

Publishing,Hillsboro, Oregon, 2000

Toutan, Arnold, Actions and Reactions, Toronto, Oxford University Press

Canada 1998

The Oxford Children‚s Book of Famous People, Oxford Press, New York, 1999

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http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515

http‰//www.eslcafe.com/ideas/

http://www.col-ed.org/

Dave‚s ESL Cafe Idea Cookbook, http:www.eslcafe/ideas,

Magazines Life January 1999

Biography January 2000

People Dec 28-January 4 2000