Cooper Smith

th
10 Grade US History
45 min.
“Heroes” in History

Standards (include NCTE/NCSS/NGSS/NCTM):

● SS.IS.1.9-12: Address essential questions that reflect an enduring issue in the field.
● SS.H.8.9-12: Analyze key historical events and contributions of individuals through a
variety of perspectives, including those of historically underrepresented groups.
● SS.H.11.9-12: Analyze multiple and complex causes and effects of events in the past.

Educational Objectives:
● Students will be able to identify and critique various historical figures.
● Students will be able to identify research resources and tools available to them.

Assessment on Learning:
● Students will construct an argument centered on a historical figure. Students will pick a
side and state whether they support or are in opposition to celebrating their figure and
will provide two properly cited sources that they could use to support their argument.

Central Focus
● This lesson will challenge students’ prior knowledge about historical figures as well as
how to properly research a topic using reliable sources and proper citations.

Accommodations for students with specific learning needs:

● Students with language needs will have access to the following accommodations:
o Research materials and readings can be provided in students home languages or in
a larger text size.
o Students will be able to have texts read aloud to them.
o Students will be able to submit their work in their home languages.

Vocabulary:
 Primary Source
 Secondary Source
 Heroification
 Misconception
 Credible and Reliable sources
Plus at least one of the following:
Syntax
Discourse

Materials:
Students will need:
 Laptops & internet
Teacher will need:
 “Heroes” in History Presentation

Anticipatory Set/ Attention Getter:

What are some characteristics of a hero? Think of Superman, Batman, Iron Man, and Captain
America. What makes these characters heros? Lets take a look at some people who may not have
immediately come to mind, but we still consider to be heros.

Questions to Ask
1. Who in history had been made into a hero?
2. Should we make heroes out of historical figures?
3. Can heroes have flaws?
4. Should we reexamine figures we already consider to be heroes?

Sequence of Events (include time needed):

1. Intro presentation (5 - 10 min.)
 Teacher will give a short presentation introducing the idea of people in history who have
been turned into perfect “heroes” today.
2. Class Brainstorming Session (5 - 10 min.)
 Teacher will ask students if they know of any other figures who have been made into
heroes, and then ask the class to evaluate these figures to see if they should be treated as
heroes.
3. How to research (10 - 15 min.)
 The Teacher will then ask the class if they know how to research a topic without using
google or Wikipedia, if they know how to tell if a source is credible/reliable, and if they
know how to cite their sources. The teacher will then answer all these questions.
4. Student Research Time (10 – 15 min.)
 Students will have the rest of class to researching a historical figure who they believe has
been made into a hero. Students will be asked to submit at least two sources, properly
cited, before they start writing their essays.
Conclusion/Summary:
We are going to continue working on these essays tomorrow, so keep brainstorming what you
are going to talk about and what sources you will use to justify your argument.