Educator's Name:                  Beverly McWilliams

School:                                    Bankston Elementary

School District:                      Greenwood Public

Student Grade Level:            5-6

Subject:                                   Library

Title of Lesson Plan:              My Hero

Unit/Theme:                           My Hero Poetry

Objective:                               To encourage students to honor America's hero and to develop

                                                poetry writing skills

Instructional Format:

Students are reminded of 9-11-01 and of the courage of many Americans.  Students choose a person(s)from 9/11 tragedy who is a hero to them, and create a poem about them.  Students are encouraged to find pictures from MAGNOLIA that symbolize the person(s) in which they are writing about.

Prior Preparation:

Librarian must search MAGNOLIA databases to guide students in their searches.  Middle Search Plus

has several articles such as "The 9/11 Kid," Source: Time, 9/11/02, Volume 160, Issue 11, page 48, by

Jodie Morse; "A 9-11 Victim Fights On," Source: U.S. News and World Report, 5/16/02, Volume 132,

Issue Number 15, page 16, by Edward T. Pound; "9/11: Six Months Later," by Junior Scholastic, 3/11/02, Volume 104, Issue 14, by Suzanne McCabe; "September 11 Terrorist Attacks, Remembering

Victims of the 9/11 Tragedy," Source: Ebony, December 2001, Volume 57, Issue 2.  Students are not

limited by these articles.

Materials Needed:

MAGNOLIA for research

Computer paper

Colored computer printers

7 strips of mural paper and/or construction paper 5 inches wide and 72 inches long

6 strips of mural paper 5 inches wide and 126 inches long

A blue background that measures 35 inches wide and 54 inches long

Student-made stars to paste on the blue background

Picture of the U.S. flag

35 scissors

Glue

Duration of Activity:              3-4 days

Activities:

Using Grolier, Middle Search Plus, and Education World from MAGNOLIA, students remember

heroes from the 9/11 tragedy through poetry.  By posting their poems to mural strips, a student-created

flag mural expresses their feelings and patriotism to honor the memory of those who gave their lives

on September 11, 2001.  The mural will help students revisit their feelings stimulated by the events

of 9/11 by making a mural flag that approximates the dimensions of a United States flag.  This poetry

flag can be displayed in the library.  Students draft their poems and pictures before posting them on the flag.  Students can make a display in the library by selecting scholarly resource books, magazines, and other resources from the library that are relevant to patriotism, diversity, heroism, and courage. 

Explore Activity:

Students must use MAGNOLIA to stimulate discussion and to write in their own words a 4-page essay,

doubled-spaced, 12-point font, answering the questions:

 

"What is an American?"

"Where were you when you learned of the attack on the United States, and what were your reactions

to it?"

"Why is remembering 9/11 important?"

"Did September 11th change the U.S. forever?  If so, how?  If not, why?"

Formal Assessment:             

MAGNOLIA databases are needed for students choosing a recent 9/11 hero.  Some students may

choose  a group of people such as the New York firefighters.  Students should be very creative in

their choice of heroes and in their written poetry.