Name:______________
Class:_______________
My Hero
Writing Assignment
Deadline: ______________________
The Merriam-Webster On-line Dictionary defines a hero in a number of ways,
including:
1) a man [or woman] admired for his[/her] achievements and noble qualities
2) one that shows great courage
3) the central figure in an event, period, or movement.
In this assignment, you are to further develop the definition of a hero to include
those qualities that qualify a person to be a hero. In contrast to simply a
“celebrity,” these people are ones whom set standards of greatness. Perhaps one
day people will look back at your life and see that you were also a hero. . .
Task:
• To define the qualities and attributes of a hero (at least two)
• To write a biography of a well-known hero, past or present
• To demonstrate how the person you have chosen matches your definition of a
hero
• To complete research using at least two types of sources and write a proper
bibliography
Steps:
□ Write a paragraph answering the question: “what is a hero?”
□ Choose a well-known person to research. This person cannot be someone you
know personally. Person: __________________
□ Take notes on your chosen person.
□ Draft your biography.
□ Get feedback from peers and adults.
□ Finalize your biography!
□ Remember to include a bibliography (with at least two types of sources)
Criteria:
• Definition of a hero includes at least two attributes that define a hero
• Information about person: accurate, told in a descriptive style (not just a list),
and includes relevant information.
• Demonstrates how this person matches your definition of a hero
• Writing style (choice of words, variety of sentence structures, flow) and writing
mechanics
• Bibliography-includes a variety of types of sources and credible sources chosen,
as well citations follow the proper format.
Possible People
Billy Graham
Mother Theresa
Princess Dianna
Martin Luther King Jr.
William Wilberforce
Florence Nightingale
Tommy Douglas
C.S. Lewis
Dr. Katherine Hamlin
Amy Carmichael
David Livingstone
Rachel Carson
Rosa Parks
Winston Churchill
Francis Schaeffer
Martin Luther
Anne Frank
Helen Keller
Edmund Hillary
Terry Fox
Rick Hansen
Resources
www.google.com
http://www.heroesofhistory.com/
http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/index.html
http://www.collectionscanada.ca/2/6/h6-209-e.html
Canadian heroes (some are fictional)
http://myhero.com/myhero/go/theteachersroom/teachersguide_9thgradeclassroo
m_app5.html
Provides links to additional sites
http://www.womeninworldhistory.com/heroine.html
Outline for Hero Biography
Paragraph #1: Introduction of person chosen with a catchy lead and
interesting facts about them, relevant to the essay
Paragraph #2: Personal definition of a hero. Provide your definition (at
least two qualities) and then contrast it to a dictionary definition or explain
why you have chosen a particular set of qualities.
Paragraph #3: First quality of chosen person that fits your definition.
Provide examples from their life that shows they have this quality and
conclude with a sentence that ties back into the definition.
Paragraph #4: Second quality of chosen person that fits your definition.
Provide examples from their life that shows they have this quality and
conclude with a sentence that ties back into the definition.
Note: More paragraphs may be needed to do the work of explaining your
person and why they fit the definition. That is okay, but don’t get stuck
with an endless list of information about your hero. Remember that the goal
of this assignment is to show how they fit your definition of a hero, not to
tell their life story.
Paragraph #5: Conclusion. Summarize how your chosen person fits the title
of hero. Try to end with some inspiration—whether it is a question about
the reader’s own life, about what the hero will do next, or a similar
statement that inspires the reader to greatness!