This inquiry leads 5th-grade students through an investigation of the American Revolution and the varying impacts of individuals who could be deemed heroes based on their impact. The compelling question, “What defines a hero?” allows students to consider all the actions of an individual and if they think that they are worthy of the title of hero. Students will review the featured sources and complete the formative performance tasks to gather evidence for analyzing and forming different points of view of varying humans during the American Revolution period, as well as contemporary sources to develop their own definition of what a hero is. Students interact with all the sources to develop their own understanding of heroism, as well as various perspectives of historical figures and individuals, specifically those from the American Revolution era.
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About the inquiry
Compelling Question
What defines a Hero?
Staging Question
Analyze a video, a comic book, or an image of a superhero students will recognize. After sharing, discuss the actions of superheroes in superhero movies and comics and what makes them heroic. Create a list of what makes a superhero a hero. Introduce the compelling question “What defines a hero?” and have students create a list of heroes from the Revolutionary War.
What do heroes look like?
Formative TasksDraw what students think a hero looks like and discuss with the class the characteristics of a hero.
SourcesSource A (Task inspiration): What does a scientist look like?
Source B: Pay it Forward from Fox 4 News Kansas City
Do heroes only do good?
Formative TasksComplete a graphic organizer detailing the positive and negative impacts of varying famous individuals during the American Revolution.
SourcesSource A: Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Source B (research): National Geographic Kids
Source C (research): Britannica School
Can there be everyday heroes?
Formative TasksWrite a brief caption for a photo that would be seen in a newspaper describing the positive or negative impacts of an everyday person during the American Revolution.
SourcesSource A (optional): Heroes of Mauí
Source B: Women of Revolution
Source C: Declaration of Independence signers
Source D: ReadWorks Non-Colonists in the American Revolution:
Summative Performance Task
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Taking Informed Action
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