This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills.  For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to generationon.org.

Anticipatory Set:

Review the meaning of courage from the previous lesson.

• Brainstorm a list of real-life heroes (Rosa Parks, 9-11 firefighters, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, soldiers, police officers, etc.). Write the names of some of these "heroes" on chart paper (one name per chart). Put the students into groups of 4 - 5 and give each group a chart. Then have the groups answer the following three questions on their chart paper about their person/character.

1. What situations or events allowed this individual to become “heroic"?
2. What actions and qualities make the person/character courageous?
3. How did he or she act as a philanthropist? Did the individual give time, talent, or treasure for the common good? How did his or her actions affect the actions of others?

• Allow the groups ten to fifteen minutes to work (access to the Internet for research is helpful) and then display the charts for the next class period.