This character education mini-lesson is not intended to be a service learning lesson or to meet the K-12 Service-Learning Standards for Quality Practice. The character education units will be most effective when taught in conjunction with a student-designed service project that provides a real world setting in which students can develop and practice good character and leadership skills.  For ideas and suggestions for organizing service events go to www.generationon.org.

Anticipatory Set

Tell the Learners you are going to play a song and as they listen they are to think about how the lyrics relate to what they have learned and discussed in the last two lessons on about courage. Play the song "Hero" by Mariah Carey (see Materials and Bibliographical References).  

• Hand out copies of the song lyrics. Tell the learners that you will play the song a second time and this time they are to highlight, circle or underline words or phrases in the song that define or describe courage.
• Ask the students what the song says about where heroes can be found. Discuss and define hero. List some essential traits of a hero and discuss whether young people can be heroes.
• Ask the learners to share what words or phrases they noted and to give a rationale about how those relate to courage.
• Tell the learners that Jackie Robinson was a hero because he had the courage to stand up for what he knew was right. The issue was so important to him that he persevered [stuck with it] through his fears and humiliations, and he changed the future of baseball.
• Have the students pair up to discuss and identify other character traits (besides courage and perseverance) that heroes exhibit. Share these with the whole group.