Heroic Virtues: Anatomy of A Heroic Action

Lesson Objectives:

Students will explore the anatomy of a heroic act and engage in a critical discussion about the difference between a heroic action or mission and the labors of everyday life expected from all of us as contributing, productive members of society.

INTRODUCE AND DISCUSS THE FIVE COMPONENTS OF A HEROIC ACT

All actions, from the profound to the mundane, are made up of five elements:

1. Vision: A vision is simply something a person can see that naturally fills them with enthusiasm. For example, after watching a TV program on homelessness, a hero may feel an overwhelming compassion for people who are homeless.

2. Intent: This is the hero’s motivation or reason why s/he pursues a given quest or mission. For example, it might be expressed as “I am moved to provide housing for people regardless of their ability to pay.”

3. Actions: These are the strategies/tactics/steps heroes use to set out and accomplish their mission. For example, “I know other people who share this concern. I am going to get them together and, with their help, I’m going to see what human, financial, in-kind and donated resources we can put together to address the problem of homelessness in our community.”

4. Outcome: This is simply the result of a hero's actions. For example, one outcome may be that the hero was successful in developing affordable housing for homeless people that is sustained by donations from individuals, foundations, and nominal.

5. Evaluation: This is the final step in which heroes take a fearless, honest inventory assessing whether or not their heroic quest has served their original intention. For example, an intended outcome might be a 30% decrease in homelessness in the area where affordable housing was constructed. An unintended outcome might be that the housing is located away from other parts of the community, creating social and economic isolation.ion? What would you have done? 

SELECT AND DISCUSS STORIES / EXAMPLE(S) OF HEROIC QUESTS from the MY HERO Story Directory.

As you read various examples, ask students the following questions:

- What about this hero's work is heroic?

- What heroic virtues does this person embody?

- Do you see any flaws in this hero's heroic act that could disqualify him or her as a hero?

It is important to remember that there is no heroic action that is without flaws. The only thing heroes have control over is their intent and vigilantly maintaining the integrity of their original intent through action and evaluation.

The main library of MY HERO stories is organized by categories and every story has a category on top. In the library you will find curated stories submitted by people of all ages from around the world, as well as stories by professionals and staff members. Educators are encouraged to create their own list of stories for their students use. Students can also search through the library and choose a hero they would like to learn more about. In addition, the stories library has curated Selected Stories in Multiple Languages and Stories with Text and Audio.