Especially for Teachers

The Mini Page — 2003 Activities

Read About Heroes

This week´s standards:

Students comprehend and respond to a variety of images and text. (Language arts: Reading)

Students understand that history relates to events and people of other times and places by identifying examples of interesting Americans. (Social Studies: History)

Students use biographies and stories to understand the individuals who are honored by the nation. (Social Studies: History)

Activities:

1. Select a family member or friend who is a hero to you. Design a book cover for a book about that person. Make up a title for your pretend book.

2. Think of five family members or friends. What books in today´s Mini Page would you recommend for each person? Why do you think that person would like the title you have chosen?

3. Find examples of "heroes" in the newspaper whose stories would make good books. Find someone who (a) has done a brave deed, (b) has made a positive difference in the community, (c) has overcome a serious obstacle, and (d) puts others before himself/herself.

4. Many of the titles in today´s Mini Page have elements in common. Find books that (a) are fiction but deal with real-life situations, (b) are fiction but deal with fantasy situations, (c) are non-fiction and deal with people who have made a difference in the lives of family members or friends, and (d) are non-fiction and deal with people who have made a difference in the way the world thinks.

5. Use reference materials and the Internet to learn more about one of the authors identified in today´s Mini Page. Use these questions to guide your research: How long has the author been writing? Why did the author become a writer? What led the author to write the story featured in today´s Mini Page? What other books has the author written? What two books written by the author would you like to read?

Dr. Sherrye D. Garrett
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

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