Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Ohio Standards Connection
Writing Applications
Benchmark D
Use documented textual
evidence to justify
interpretations of literature or
to support a research topic.
Indicator 4
Write informational essays or
reports, including research,
that:
a. pose relevant and tightly
drawn questions that
engage the reader;
b. provide a clear and
accurate perspective on
the subject;
c. create an organizing
structure appropriate to
the purpose, audience
and context;
d. support the main ideas
with facts, details,
examples and
explanations from
sources; and
e. document sources and
include bibliographies.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson focuses on the use of textual proof as evidence in
research or for justification of literary interpretation. In order to
implement this lesson, students need to have read a short story,
novel, play, nonfiction work or poem that contains at least one
character who meets the definition of a hero. As an introductory
activity, students write journal entries about their thoughts on
heroism.
The students also work in small groups to brainstorm definitions
and characteristics of heroes. In their small groups, students
create definitions of a “hero” and a list of names, behaviors and
personalities of characters from television, society, literature,
movies and video games that match their definition. These small
groups then share with the class their definitions of heroism and
lists of heroic figures and traits.
After individually reading a literary selection and listening to the
lyrics of a popular song (both featuring descriptions of heroic
figures), students compose an essay about heroes. Students use
the examples of heroism and textual quotations from the literary
selections and song lyrics to support their definitions of heroism.
Students also write journal entries, reflecting on the writing
experience.
Estimated Duration: Three hours and 30 minutes.
Writing Conventions
Benchmark A
Use correct spelling
conventions.
Indicator 1
Use correct spelling
conventions.
Benchmark B
Use correct punctuation
and capitalization.
Commentary:
“This unit also addresses elements of affective learning. It
provides the teacher with an opportunity to learn how students
view our world or modern American society and how well they
can express their views. Since writing about heroes invites
students to examine their values as well as society’s, relevant and
personal discussions result that can inform an individual’s
perceptions and understandings about a prevailing cultural theme
– heroism.”
Pre-Assessment:
 Part One: Students write in response to the prompt, “To me, a
hero is….” Their responses are in the form of a
journal/reflective writing assignment. The writing may be
completed in class or for homework.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Indicator 2
Use correct punctuation and
capitalization.
Benchmark C
Demonstrate understanding
of the grammatical
conventions of the English
language.
Indicator 3
Use all eight parts of speech
(e.g., noun, pronoun, verb,
adverb, adjective,
conjunction, preposition,
interjection).
Indicator 4
Use clauses (e.g., main,
subordinate) and phrases
(e.g., gerund, infinitive,
participial).
Indicator 5
Use parallel structure to
present items in a series and
items juxtaposed for
emphasis.
Indicator 6
Use proper placement of
modifiers.
Indicator 7
Maintain the use of
appropriate verb tenses.
Indicator 8
Conjugate regular and
irregular verbs in all tenses
correctly.
Writing Process
Benchmark D
Edit to improve sentence
fluency, grammar and usage.

Part Two: Students work in cooperative groups to create
working definitions of a hero. In their groups, each student
assumes a role as either timekeeper, recorder, discussion
leader or reporter. The reporter writes who has what role.
Each group writes a definition of a hero and includes at least
seven real or fictional individuals the group thinks meet the
criteria of its definition.
Instructional Tip:
Assigning the roles of timekeeper, recorder, discussion leader
and reporter can keep the students on task.
 Part Three: Students work in cooperative groups to list
characteristics of a hero and use song lyrics about heroism
or heroic figures as a source of ideas. Each group records
quotes taken from the lyrics – quotes that contain
characteristics of a hero. Remind them they must accurately
copy and punctuate their quotes. Similar to Part Two of the
pre-assessment, each student has an assigned role when
working in a group.
Instructional Tip:
The group work developed during the pre-assessment can be
collected and saved until the students are ready to begin writing
their essays. Then, individual group members can review and
use these definitions to support their essays. This preassessment helps determine the level of students’ skills at
accurately capturing and punctuating quotes. If this is the first
time students have used this skill, they may need more direct
instruction.
Scoring Guidelines:
 Part One: See Attachment A, Sample Writing Reflection
Scale.
 Part Two: The timekeeper keeps the group on task and
assures it completes the assigned task on time. The recorder
writes down the ideas the group members generate. The
discussion leader leads the group to come up with ideas, and
the reporter presents the group’s ideas to the class and
submits them to the teacher. After collaborating on a
definition, students collaborate to create examples of people
or characters from real life, literature, film, television or
video games that meet the characteristics of their group’s
definition. Then each group reports its ideas to the class.
 Part Three: See Attachment B, Sample Quotation Rubric.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Indicator 15
Proofread writing, edit to
improve conventions (e.g.,
grammar, spelling,
punctuation and
capitalization) and identify
and correct fragments and
run-ons.
Benchmark E
Apply tools to judge the
quality of their writing.
Indicator 16
Apply tools (e.g., rubric,
checklist and feedback) to
judge the quality of
writing.
Post-Assessment:
 Part One: After reading a literary selection, students write
essays in which they define the word “hero” and then apply
this definition to a character from the literary selection. In
their essays, students explain how a literary character meets
their definitions for hero by supporting their views with at
least three textual examples from the selection.
 Part Two: Students write reflective entries in their journals by
responding to the following questions:
a. What did I learn from this assignment?
b. What did I like?
c. What would I do differently?
d. What did I learn or try that I will use the next time I have
a writing assignment?
Scoring Guidelines:
 Part I: See Attachment C, Sample Writing Score Sheet
 Part II: See Attachment A, Sample Writing Reflection Scale
Instructional Procedures:
Day One
3. Several days before beginning this lesson, ask students to bring in
lyrics of songs about heroes. Use these lyrics to make a packet
(copy a class set) of “Student-Generated Song Lyrics” for
students to use.
4. Students enter class as a song with lyrics about a hero is playing.
(See suggestions for appropriate songs offered in the Materials
and Resources section.)
Instructional Tip:
After choosing a song, use an Internet search engine to access a
copy of the song’s lyrics.
1. Students form small groups, receive copies of the lyrics of a
song and listen again more intently to it. As a class, discuss
the characteristics of a hero that are featured in the song’s
lyrics. Remind students that they need to choose quotes that
are focused on a hero, to list the song and writer and to choose
quotes that may be one-two lines.
2. Hand out the Student-Generated Song Lyrics packets to
students. In their groups, students use their copies to compose
drafts of their supporting examples (at least five) and correctly
punctuate them as quotes. After completing this work,
students share their results with the rest of the class.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
3.
Students read a literary selection featuring at least one heroic character. Or students
decide which character to use from a literary selection they have read previously.
Instructional Tip:
This activity could be used after students have completed a unit covering several short stories.
Students could be grouped according to the short stories they had read.
4. Introduce the essay writing assignment and describe the requirements for completing it.
Review Attachment C, Sample Writing Score Sheet, with the students.
Day Two
5. Distribute Outline for Five Paragraph Hero Essay, Attachment E, to students. Review the
essay structure and the content parameters.
Instructional Tip:
Write the information from Outline for Five Paragraph Hero Essay, Attachment E, on the board
or overhead so students can see the information as the class goes over it.
6. Use an overhead or LCD projector to show students an example of an essay that incorporates
quotations as support. See Sample Essay, Attachment F.
7. Return to the students the hero definitions they composed for the pre-assessment, Part Two.
Give the groups time to review on these definitions.
8. Allow students to work collaboratively as each student begins to narrow his/her choice of a
heroic character. Students may choose to use their group-generated definitions of a hero or
use a definition of their own creation. Remind students that although they brainstorm and edit
in groups, each student must write an individual essay. (If there is time, students may begin
working on the assigned homework described in step 9.)
9. Assign homework:
a. Revise and polish their definitions of a hero.
b. Choose a character from a literary selection to use as an example of the definition.
Day Three
10. Check hero definitions and character choices as students work in their small groups.
11. Assign a due date for rough draft.
14. Students begin working on the following tasks which could become homework if they do not
finish by the end of class.
a. Find three examples from the literary work that support the definition of a hero.
b. Write the first draft of the essay assignment.
Day Four
15. Check first drafts as the students work in their groups.
16. Students work in their groups to revise and edit their essays. Have student pairs or trios use
Attachment D, Sample Peer Editing Score Sheet, Attachment D, to review one another’s
essays. Be sure peer editors return the Sample Peer Editing Score Sheet to the writer to use as
a revision tool.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Instructional Tip:
If students are unfamiliar with any terms on the Sample Peer Editing Score Sheet, provide direct
instruction on their meaning and use.
17. For homework, assign students the task of revising their essays and preparing their final,
polished version.
Instructional Tip:
Depending on the class schedule and teacher discretion, students may use two to three days to
finalize their essays. Use a school computer lab, if one is available, allowing students to work
during class and at other times through the school day.
Day Five
18. Final versions of essays are due.
19. Students share their essays with their group members.
20. Students submit their essays.
21. Complete Part Two of the post-assessment. See Attachment C, Sample Writing Score Sheet.
Differentiated Instructional Support:
Instruction is differentiated according to learner needs to help all learners either meet the intent
of the specified indicator(s) or, if the indicator is already met, to advance beyond the specified
indicator(s).

Students working at different levels may read literary selections more suited to their ability
levels and interests. Some students may respond well to the sophistication of the
writing of James Joyce, William Faulkner, Katherine Mansfield or Toni Morrison. Exposure
to their writing may take the form of reading aloud in class passages from their major works
or recommending certain short story titles for more voracious readers.

Other students may respond best to heroic story lines found in mythology and folklore told
and illustrated in children’s books. Short film productions of well-known and appropriate
short stories may be suggested to or provided for students who have reading difficulties,
broadening their understanding of the text.

Shakespearean sonnets and plays, the poems of Shel Silverstein or Mother Goose nursery
rhymes offer alternative text compatible with varying reading and writing abilities that can
support differentiation. Students’ essays may be used as writing prompts with invitations to
convert narrative to dialogue, verse, exposition, film or visual art.
Students working at different levels may have a number of supportive examples from a
literary work adjusted to be more challenging or more basic.

Extensions:
 Students name real-life heroes and compare and contrast these heroes to heroic characters in
literature or film.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight


Students may apply the idea of hero to our society and explore how our society defines a
hero and how we, as members of society, treat or respond to a hero.
Students may interview family and community members to discover others’ views or
definitions of hero. They could create slide shows or brochures about these different ideas.
Homework Options and Home Connections:
 Students watch news broadcasts or listen to radio broadcasts with parents or guardians over a
series of days, keeping a Hero Log of people who are “hero-worthy.”
 Students identify people featured in popular magazines or newspapers who match their
definitions of a hero.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Social Studies
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Standard
Benchmark: A. Show the relationship between civic participation and attainment of civic and
public goals.
Indicator: 3. Evaluate the role of historical figures and political bodies in furthering and
restricting rights of individuals.
Materials and Resources:
The inclusion of a specific resource in any lesson formulated by the Ohio Department of
Education should not be interpreted as an endorsement of that particular resource, or any of
its contents, by the Ohio Department of Education. The Ohio Department of Education does not
endorse any particular resource. The Web addresses listed are for a given site’s main page,
therefore, it may be necessary to search within that site to find the specific information
required for a given lesson. Please note that information published on the Internet changes over
time, therefore the links provided may no longer contain the specific information related to a
given lesson. Teachers are advised to preview all sites before using them with students.
For the teacher:
rubric, writing check lists, appropriate literary selections, group work paper
and markers, lyrics from a song that describes a hero such as “Holding Out for
a Hero,” by Bonnie Tyler, “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler or
“White Flag,” by Dido and/or “Student Generated Song Lyrics” packets, a CD
or tape of the hero song and CD/tape player
For the students: paper, pencil/pen, literary selection and a grammar handbook
Vocabulary:
 brainstorm
 collaborative learning
 cooperative learning
 criteria
 definition
 editing
 literary
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight




lyrics
reflection
revising
rubric
Technology Connections:
 Using desktop publishing, students create a class publication containing their essays.
 Students use the Internet as a research tool to find real-life examples of heroism.
 Students create a “hero” Web page with literary and real-life examples of heroes.
 Students search for songs with a hero focus and create a slide show using the music and song
lyrics.
Research Connections:
Arter, Judith and Jay McTighe. Scoring Rubrics in the Classroom: Using Performance Criteria
for Assessing and Improving Student Performance. Thousand Oaks, Calif. Corwin Press, 2001.
Arter and McTighe summarize the qualities of good, average and unacceptable rubrics. The
content of a good rubric is selective, yet complete, and is based on the best thinking in the field.
Marzano, Robert J., Jane E. Pollock and Debra Pickering. Classroom Instruction that Works:
Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, Alexandria, Va.: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2001.
This synthesis of the research offers precise descriptions of instructional practices that yield the
greatest increases in student achievement. Summarizing and note taking are two of the most
powerful skills to help students identify and understand the most important aspects of what they
are learning. Practice and homework provide students with opportunities to deepen their
understanding and skills related to content that has been presented to them. Nonlinguistic
representations or imagery help students think about and recall knowledge. Creating graphic
representations, making physical models and drawing pictures and pictographs are a few
examples of the forms these representations or images may take. Cooperative-learning grouping
has a powerful effect on student learning. Finally, setting objectives and providing feedback
establish a direction for learning and a way to monitor progress, resulting in increased student
learning.
Attachments:
 Attachment A, Sample Writing Reflection Scale
 Attachment B, Sample Quotation Rubric
 Attachment C, Sample Writing Score Sheet
 Attachment D, Sample Peer Editing Score Sheet
 Attachment E, Outline for Five Paragraph Hero Essay
 Attachment F, Sample Essay
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment A
Sample Writing for Reflection Scale
Name___________________________
1. Does the writing show evidence of thought and effort? Did the writer go deeper than the
immediate surface reaction to the prompt?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
Little to no
Clearly shows
thought
in-depth
and effort
thought and
effort
2. Did the writer stay focused on the assigned prompt?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
May touch
on topic, but
most of the
writing was
off-topic
Focused on the
assigned
prompt
3. Does the writer support his or her ideas with specific examples and ideas?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
Few or no
specific
examples
Specific
examples that
support the
writer’s ideas
4. Does the writer completely explain his or her ideas?
1-----------------------2----------------------------3---------------------------4----------------------5
Difficult to
understand
what the
writer is
trying to say
Reader can
clearly
understand the
writer’s views
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment B
Sample Quotation Rubric
Names of the Group Members:
1. _________________________________ 2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________ 4. _________________________________
Directions:
Use your classroom’s writing handbook to compare the quotations your
group recorded to quotations that follow standard guidelines. After
checking your quotations for correctness, use the rubric below to decide if
your group is at the advanced, proficient or basic level of quotation
writing and follow the appropriate directions.
ADVANCED:
Your quotations follow the handbook guidelines exactly. Your
punctuation and documentation are correct. Turn in your paper.
PROFICIENT: Your quotations contain one to three errors in punctuation or
documentation. Correct the errors in a different color ink or pencil and
turn in your paper.
BASIC:
Your quotations contain more than three errors in punctuation or
documentation. Correct the errors in a different color ink or pencil and
turn in your paper.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment C
Sample Writing Score Sheet
Name of Writer________________________________ Total Points (100) __________
1.
_____ (20 points) Does the essay contain a thesis statement that defines hero and states
which character meets these requirements?
2.
_____ (10 points) Are there five paragraphs? Does each paragraph have at least four
sentences, except for the last one? Give up to two points for each paragraph with four
sentences, except the final one, which may have three sentences.
3.
_____ (25 points) Does each paragraph focus on the correct information? Does each of the
three paragraphs, comprising the body of your essay, contain a specific example
and/or quotation from the literary selection that supports your thesis?
[Up to five points for each paragraph that meets the requirements.]
See the requirements below:
___
___
___
___
___
Introduce the topic and thesis, clearly defining “hero”
and the character
Paragraph two Support the thesis with your first example
Paragraph three Support the thesis with your second example
Paragraph four Support the thesis with your third example
Paragraph five Restate the thesis and conclude the essay
Paragraph one
4. _____ (15 points) Are the three literary examples and/or quotations correctly documented
and punctuated? Five points for each correctly presented example or quote.
5.
_____ (20 points) Does the writer demonstrate an understanding of the grammatical
conventions of the English language? Give up to five points for the accuracy of the
essay’s adherence to the rules governing each of the following conventions
categories:
___
Use of spelling, punctuation and capitalization
___
Use of all eight parts of speech and verb tenses
___
Use of clauses (e.g., main/independent or subordinate/dependent) and
phrases (e.g., gerund, infinitive and participial) and proper placement of
modifiers
___
Use of parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for
emphasis
6. _____ (10 points) Does the essay have a sense of flow or transition from one thought to
another and from one paragraph to another?
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment D
Sample Peer Editing Score Sheet
Name of Writer _______________________________ Total Points (30) ___________
Name of Peer Editor _____________________________________________________
1. _____ (5 points) Does the essay contain a thesis statement that defines hero and states which
character meets these requirements? Give up to five points for meeting this requirement.
2. _____ (5 points) Are there five paragraphs? Does each paragraph have at least four sentences,
except for the last one? One point for each paragraph as long as it has as many as four
sentences, except the last one, which may have as few as three sentences.
3. _____ (5 points) Does each paragraph focus on the correct information? Do each of the three
paragraphs, comprising the body of your essay, contain a specific example and/or
quotation from the literary selection that supports your thesis? Give one point for each
paragraph that meets the requirements. See the requirements below:
___ Paragraph one Introduce the topic and thesis by clearly defining “hero” and by
identifying which character best matches your definition.
___ Paragraph two Supports the thesis with your first example.
___ Paragraph three Support the thesis with your second example.
___ Paragraph four Supports the thesis with your third example.
___ Paragraph five Restate the thesis and conclude the essay.
4. _____ (5 points) Does the writer demonstrate understanding of the grammatical conventions of
the English language? Check for the following writing conventions errors, circle the
errors on the letter and give one point for each category if the letter has NO errors in that
category.
___ Use of spelling, punctuation and capitalization
___ Use of all eight parts of speech
___ Use of clauses (e.g., main/independent and subordinate/dependent) and phrases
(e.g., gerund, infinitive and participial)
___ Use of parallel structure to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for
emphasis
___ Use of proper placement of modifiers
5. _____ (5 points) Are there at least three literary examples/quotations correctly documented and
punctuated?
6. _____ (5 points) Does the essay have a sense of flow or transition from one thought to another and
from one paragraph to another?
7. The Peer Editor writes one positive and one negative comment about the essay on the back of this
score sheet and returns the essay and score sheet to the writer.
8. The Writer makes the edits and turns in this draft with his or her final, polished essay.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment E
Outline for Five Paragraph Hero Essay
I.
Introduction – paragraph one
A. Name a hero from a work you’ve read this year and its title.
B. Find a quote about hero that fits with this essay. (Use lyrics, quotes from famous
people, and/or quotes from the work.)
C. Include your definition of a hero.
II. Body – paragraph two
A. Describe one heroic event that involved this character in the work you read.
B. Describe what this character did that was heroic. If you can, include a quote from the
work.
III. Body – paragraph three
A. Describe one heroic event that involved this character did in the work you read.
B. Describe what this character did that was heroic. If you can, include a quote from the
work.
IV. Body – paragraph four
A. Describe one heroic event that involved this character in the work you read.
B. Describe what this character did that was heroic. If you can, include a quote from the
work.
V. Conclusion – paragraph five
A. Summarize the description in the body of the essay.
B. Describe again why this character is a hero.
C. Leave the reader with an interesting thought about what it is to be a hero.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment F
Sample Essay
In “Heroes and Friends,” Randy Travis sings, “Your heroes will always help you find good
in yourself.” Some people may agree with him while others may define a hero as someone who
remains strong and brave while believing in herself and others. Heroes stand up for what is
right, which is what Mr. Frank does in The Diary of a Young Girl. Mr. Frank is a hero because
he helped other people and treated them fairly while remaining brave in dangerous situations.
Mr. Frank helped others by finding a hiding place for his family and for the Van Daans. He
saw what the Nazis were doing and made a plan with his friends. According to Anne in The
Dairy of a Young Girl, “For months as many of our goods and chattels and necessities of life as
possible had been sent away and they were sufficiently ready for us to have gone into hiding of
our own accord on July 16 (Frank 26). This plan was changed because Margot, Anne’s sister,
was called up to the camps and the family had to go into hiding earlier than Mr. Frank had
planned.
Even though Mr. Frank’s family had to go into hiding because of the unfair treatment of the
Jews by the Nazis, Mr. Frank treated people fairly. When Mr. Frank and the others heard that
the Nazis were sending more and more Jews to the camps, Mr. Frank “got a hold of the two
people who had to decide, and they thought it was an excellent plan” (Frank 60). The plan was
to give someone else the opportunity to hide with the Franks and the Van Daans. In a situation
when many people would think only of themselves, Mr. Frank wanted to help others.
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Hero Anyone? – Grade Eight
Attachment F (Continued)
Sample Hero Essay
Helping others during a time of war takes courage, but Mr. Frank also showed how brave he
was when thieves broke into the building where the Franks were hiding. Everyone hid and
remained quiet until it seemed that the thieves were gone, but the problem was not over. When
the break-in occurred, some of the group in hiding had been listening to the wireless or radio.
“Now, it was unfortunate that the wireless downstairs was still tuned to England and that the
chairs were neatly arranged around it. If the door had been forced and the air raid wardens had
noticed and warned the police, then the results might have been very unpleasant” (Frank 85). So,
Mr. Frank led the others downstairs to change the setting on the wireless and to rearrange the
furniture. The thieves could have still been in the building, but Mr. Frank bravely went
downstairs to take care of things so his friends would not get into trouble. He put the safety of
others before his own.
As hard as he planned and tried to keep his family safe, Mr. Frank was unsuccessful. His
caring and courage gave them extra time, but eventually the Nazis found the secret hiding place.
Although he was unable to save his family, Mr. Frank was a hero because he helped others and
treated others fairly while remaining brave and strong.
Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1952.
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