Teacher Center: Journalism

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Lesson Plan Title: Two Heroes

Grade Level: 9–12

Duration: 60 minutes

Description: Aaron Keirsh’s exemplary journalistic piece, “Two Heroes, One Common Dream,” profiles two dedicated individuals from different backgrounds working toward the same positive goals in a community. This lesson will help students write a similar profile of twp heroes in their community.

Student Objectives: Using Aaron Keirsh’s story as a model, students will write journalistic profiles of two heroes from different backgrounds in their community.

List Materials:

   1. Paper, pencil, or pen
   2. “Two Heroes, One Common Dream” by Aaron Keirsh

Set Up and Prepare: Distribute copies of Aaron’s story to the class.

Directions: Have students read “Two Heroes, One Common Dream,” taking copious notes in the margins of about what makes Aaron’s piece good journalism. Ask them to share their observations. (15 minutes)

Step 1: Have students free-write about what makes a hero. (5 minutes)

Step 2: Ask students to refine their answers and free-write about what makes a hero in their community. (5 minutes)

Step 3: Ask students to generate a list of possible heroes in their community to profile. (5 minutes)

Step 4: Have them narrow down their lists to two heroes from radically different backgrounds. (5 minutes)

Step 5: Have students draft a list of interview questions for their subjects. (10 minutes)

Step 6: Have students begin drafting skeletal profiles of their two subjects and then share these stories in class for feedback. (15 minutes)

Assess Students: Were students able to define what a hero is in their community? Were they able to identify proper subjects for their profiles?

Lesson Extension: Have students go out and collect research on their two subjects through interviews and visits to the library.

Evaluate Lesson: Were students inspired by the lesson to write compelling journalistic profiles of heroes in their community?

Assignment: Have students transform their interviews and research into fully formulated journalistic profiles of heroes in their community.

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