The hero (and heroine) has always been a pivotal character in literature, largely because he or she personified those attributes we look for in real life. Heroes are compassionate, intuitive, giving, daring, courageous and true of heart. They are selfless, honest, hardworking and willing to take a stand. More importantly, heroes by their very existence bring out the best in us. And with everything going on in society today, the concept of the hero is being reexamined as sports stars and entertainers are taking a back seat to rescue workers and law enforcement personnel. Regardless, we all aspire to be heroes, and so what better topic to study with our students? After all, a teacher can be a hero too.

I hope you find resources here you can make use of. Keep those recommendations coming for resources and newsletter topics - and thanks Jerry!

• Academy of Achievement - http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/atv-index/
  Once you've established your class criteria for a hero, this is a great place to bring your students to look for heroes of their own. No one is claimed to be a hero here, just accomplished professionals of all kinds celebrated for their achievements. There are predictable categories like business, science and sports, and then more ethereal topics like courage, perseverance and integrity. This site is a great way to help your students apply their hero studies in a new setting.
• Ageless Heroes - http://www.pbs.org/kcet/agelessheroes/
  This PBS show celebrates those among us who have achieved great things in life, from academics and child-rearing to sports, entertainment and politics. It's a great way to bring home the idea that heroism comes in all shapes, sizes and walks of life. There's also local heroes who have overcome adversities to continue to excel in life, and a nine question quiz students can take right online after taking in the website. Great for discussion of the attributes of heroes.
• Bravest of the Brave - http://teacher.scholastic.com/newszone/specialreports/under_attack/city_heroes.htm
  Scholastic's Mary Harvey presents this look at the Christopher Ganci and his dad Peter who was the highest-ranking uniformed officer in the New York City fire department. Chris lost his dad in the World trade center tragedy, and through this interview he is able to share his father's heroic actions. There's further good reading here in the related City of Heroes link <http://teacher.scholastic.com/newszone/specialreports/under_attack/city_heroes2.htm> in which Ms. Harvey looks at the city as a whole and how people have banded together to help one another in this trying time in its history.
• Harry Potter - http://www.scholastic.com/harrypotter/home.asp
  Here's a nice study of the J.K. Rowling series that will have avid readers and those unfamiliar with our hero discussing the popularity of these books. Why is Harry a hero? How does he compare with our conception of other heroes in our lives? There's all kinds of information and the opportunity to meet with the author and illustrator too. The Flash-based Wizard Challenge is a great way to test student knowledge of the series either leading up to a discussion of Harry as hero or in bringing closure to your study.
• The Hero's Journey - http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/
  Ideal for older students, Maricopa offers this study of classic mythical structure popularized by the works of writer Joseph Campbell. It's emphasis is in classic literature, bit its implications can be felt across the curricula as your class explores the meaning of heroism in the past and today. You can peruse classic tales as well as original work submitted on this site, and the teacher's section offers ideas on how to involve your students in extending their work beyond the website back into your classroom.
• Heroes and Icons - http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/
  Time magazine present biographies of twenty people who truly made a mark for themselves in twentieth century history. There's Emmeline Pankhurst, Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay and Andrei Sakharov to name a few. For each hero, a biography contains several pages of background information as well as links for further study. Each bio is presented in a way that tries to address how the person in question fits the definition of a hero. And there are stark contrasts here among the twenty chosen.
• Heroes in Action: The Olympics - http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515/heroism/olympic.shtml
  This ThinkQuest entry takes a look at the torch relay at the Sydney games and provides a historical context for the tradition. There's an emphasis on how modern day heroes are selected to carry the torch and a great look at what heroism is by discussing how we select our heroes today and how we recognize them. The culminating task of the site is to participate in identifying and celebrating your own local heroes, which is perhaps the best higher order thinking project of all.....and just in time for the upcoming Olympic games.
• Heroes of History - http://www.heroesofhistory.com/
  Here's a hero site that is always adding something new and offers almost two dozen features on heroes from Christopher Columbus and John Calvin through T. D. Jakes and Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Looking for people you won't find elsewhere? How about the Native American Black Elk and prisoner of war Corrie ten Boom. And what truly separates this site from others is the way it makes the case for the traits of a hero as well is a hero's humanity and shortcomings. There's lots of ways students are challenged to think here.
• Home of Heroes - http://www.homeofheroes.com/
  Here is a website that celebrates American heroes, especially those in military service and have earned the congressional medal of honor. There are sections on profiles in courage, airborne heroes and Pearl harbor, but I would especially commend to you the feature on What Does a Hero Look Like? It's a great starting point for discussing our preconceptions of heroes and their deeds. The Just 4 Kidz section includes online activities such as coloring and painting and an arcade of puzzles and games.
• Lee's Useless Super-Hero Generator - http://home.hiwaay.net/~lkseitz/comics/herogen/
  Being a hero doesn't have to be all gloom and doom. This silly site allows students to select traits for a fictitious super-hero and then allow the generator to create a variety of super-powered identities based on their input. And if you've never seen this site before, it's at least worth a visit on your part - makes for great party conversation. On second thought, this might be a great way to come up with some super hero prompts for creative writing in your classroom as a component of your hero studies.
• My Hero - http://www.myhero.com/New_features/home_11_04_01.asp
  Jeanne Meyers and Karen Vlock produce this timely site that celebrates all kinds of heroes, including animals, lifesavers and teachers. The current front page looks at the upcoming United Nations International Day of Tolerance this Friday (November 16, 2001) as well as heroes in New York City since September 11th. Using the new interactive tool on the site, students can now add their own hero's stories with illustrations, or e-mail their stories and images in to the webmaster.
• Pegasus' Paradise - http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/4553/
  This ThinkQuest entry focuses on greek Mythology, with a special section on Heroes and Heroines and a contrasting view of Gods and Villains. The site requires the QuickTime plugin to see and hear everything it has to offer, but it's worth the effort. The student-generated graphics and text in entices other students to learn more and consider their own potential for publishing learning digitally. The section on mythical animals will be a hit with your students too. See also http://www.mythweb.com/heroes/heroes.html for additional treatment of Greek heroes from a child's point of view.

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