Religious and Values Education
Unit Planner
Title: Heroes
Key Learning Area(s): Religious and Values Education – Ethics
strand
Year Level: Yr 8
Teacher(s): Richard Pengelley, Tim Russell, John Reddan
Proposed duration:
1.Outcomes / Objectives:
For the students:
To explain their understanding of a hero
To investigate any relationship between heroes and people they
admire
To identify characteristics, qualities and traits of a hero
To recognize the impact of heroes on themselves and society. (pos
/ neg role models)
To critically examine people’s needs for heroes and how they are
constructed (e.g. media)
To identify reasons why people’s heroes can change
2.Resources:
Songs – Heroes
Bowie - Heroes
Bette Midler
Comics
Newspapers
Gallipoli
Anzacs
Sports Heroes
Chariots of Fire
Posters
Quotation Websites
Family
Power of One
Touching the Void
Twice Pardoned
Guest Speakers
3.Key Questions:
 What is a hero?
 What are the characteristics of a hero?
 Are all heroes famous?
 Is a hero always a positive role model?
 Are there different types of heroes?
 Why does society elevate certain people and not others to
heroic stature?
 Do you need to be famous in order to be a hero?
 Is there a relationship between heroes and people you
admire?
 Do your heroes change over time?
 Does your need for heroes change over time?
 Do society’s heroes change over time?
 What influences your choice of heroes? (hobbies / interests
/ etc)
 Are there secular and religious heroes?
 How do they influence society?
 Does the media construct / report on heroes? Or both?
 Does the media bring down / deconstruct heroes?
 Who are your heroes?
 Who are the people you admire?
 Are you influenced by your heroes?
 Can negative role models be considered heroes by some
people?
 Do heroes have responsibilities?
 Does the media have responsibilities towards heroes and
the audience?
 Do we as members of society / consumers / audience have
responsibilities? (discerning, not sponges)
 Does the fan need the hero, the hero need the fan or both?
4. Activities:
1. Students complete a newspaper / TV search – who are the
listed heroes – share responses and classify according to
genre (sport / political / religious / media …. Classify
famous and non famous) – students discuss how heroes
influence their lifestyles / how they chose their heroes /
qualities of heroes
2. Students market a fictitious product – who would you
choose to advertise your product – why have you selected
this person … deconstruct qualities / values /
characteristics
3. Students complete inquiry questions
4. Share photos of people you admire – famous and not
famous – what are the things I admire - students complete
written reflection with visuals of famous / non famous.(e.g.
Father, Grandpa)
5. Students view “The Hurricane” – debrief hero status / how
media has portrayed him in film
6. Students view Prince of Egypt – Who were the villains /
heroes? Was Moses a hero? Why? Written responses from
students
7. Students identify the qualities of a religious / sporting and
political hero – represent in the form of a Venn diagram
8. Contrast the concept of a person being one person’s hero
and another’s villain – (e.g. AFL player according to club
allegiance / politician)
9. Brainstorm lists of humans – classify according to heroes
in short term / heroes who are soon forgotten after they
die / heroes after they die / religious (Jim Morrison /
Richie Vallence / Spice Girls )
10. Students interview cross generations – names of heroes and
why
11. Guest Speaker – Shane Gould / John Inverarity / Les Nunn
/ Margaret Court??… experience and responsibility as a
hero
12. Students identify and research their heroes – prepare and
present oral / PowerPoint presentation.
13. Debate: The hero needs the fan more than the fan needs the
hero.”
5. Assessment:
Student Work samples:
Share photos of people you admire – famous and not famous –
what are the things I admire - students complete written
reflection with visuals of famous / non famous (e.g. Father,
Grandpa)
Students identify and research their heroes – prepare and
present oral / Powerpoint presentation.
Students identify the qualities of a religious / sporting and
political hero – represent in the form of a Venn diagram
6. Evaluation: