“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but
the urge to serve others at whatever cost.”- Arthur Ashe
Heroes Research Paper
Your Research Paper Adventure Begins Now!
Background
The popularity of the heroic tradition seen in Greek and other ancient cultures has continued to
the present day. Legends immortalize cultural heroes, fairy tales echo heroic themes, and folk
tales show average men, women, children, and even animals acting in heroic ways. Modern
stories, television programs and films often follow the heroic tradition---the archetypal pattern of
a hero, an imperfect person who displays fierce determination, courage, and resolve in the face of
seemingly insurmountable challenges.
The hero is the person who rises to the occasion—one who others look up to as a figure
of hope that the impossible is possible to attain.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Use the following categories to get you started on choosing your hero:
1.
Championing Children -- Commitment to the welfare of young people.
2.
Community Crusader -- Creating solutions to a local program or challenging social issues or
racial
barriers.
3.
Defending the Planet -- Innovative efforts to preserve and protect the environment and its nonhuman inhabitants.
4.
Everyday Superhero -- Spontaneous acts of courage in the face of danger by members of the
public.
5.
Medical Marvel -- Dedication to the enhancement of human health.
6. Protecting the Powerless -- Advancing the cause of human or equal rights.
7. Young Wonder -- Outstanding achievement by a person 25 and under.
Your (not so easy) Task
- You will now choose a modern day hero to research.
- Your objective is to prove that the person you chose merits the distinction of being regarded as a hero.
- You must research the life of your chosen person and show how this person has overcome obstacles and
learned lessons as a result of the challenges they have had to face. Thus, you must show in what ways this
person’s life parallels the archetypal pattern of the hero.
- You must ask yourself: what qualities make this person a hero? What distinguishes this person? What
challenges has this person faced? What contributions has this person made to the world? What lessons
has this person learned?
- This paper will be produced in Google Drive. You will be able to access and work on your paper
outside of class as long as you have Google Chrome and an internet connection.
Helpful Links
:
http://tatsbox.com/hero/
A Review of the Hero Archetype in Literature, Film, and Pop Culture
http://tinyurl.com/6mx7ymu
A link to Time Magazine's extensive information about heroes.
WritingHeroQuest.pdf
A Review of the Archetypal Pattern of the Hero
http://myhero.com/go/home.asp
Articles and information about many of the heroes on the list.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/
Information and articles about heroes, including everyday heroes.
http://www.theheroesclub.org/
Snapshots, in the form of trading cards, of heroes. Provides detailed information on heroes.
http://library.thinkquest.org/C001515/design/
Information on heroes of the 20th century.
Writing, Format, and Source Citation
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
Everything You Need to Know About Documenting Sources in MLA Format and writing a
research paper - step by step.
Research Databases
http://www.ewml.org/
The Edith Wheeler Memorial Library
http://tiny.cc/uMO1Q
IConn Connecticut's Research Database
The Grading
Your research paper will be completed in stages for homework grades; the final product will be worth a
double test grade. Remember: for each class day late, ten points will be deducted from your paper.
Please plan on investing in a flash drive if you will not have access to the internet, or you cannot access
Google Drive at home.
The Final Product
12 point, Times New Roman research paper
MLA Format
Works Cited page
3 credible sources. The information you find from these sources will be woven into and well
documented in your research paper.
In-text citations for all source information—You must integrate one quote in each body
paragraph.
The paper must be free of spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors, and utilize effective
transitions, and sentence types.
*** There is no minimum or maximum length for this project.
PROJECT TIMELINE
Friday 1/28
Receive research packets and pick a hero.
Monday 3/3
Find credible sources to research your hero.
Tuesday 3/4
You will be working with counselors to register for classes. You will not have class time to work on your
project this day. I recommend you try to research at home.
Wednesday 3/5
Compile research in research notes. I have hard copies available, or you can access a digital copy on the
library’s website.
Thursday 3/6
Type essay on your hero. Include an MLA formatted works cited page. Complete self-editing assignment
as homework.
Print rough draft of your essay and take home with self-editing sheet. You will have one day in the lab
tomorrow to make changes to your essay. The self-editing sheet will be checked on Friday at the
beginning of class. You will NOT have class time to work on the self-editing sheet on Friday.
Friday 3/7
Make necessary changes to final draft. Remember to include your works cited mage. Staple final draft,
rough draft, peer editing sheet, and research notes into one packet. TURN IN TO ME AT THE END OF
THE PERIOD.
PRINT ONE MORE FINAL DRAFT FOR YOU TO USE ON Y OUR PRESENTATION NEXT WEEK.