Hero Day

Last Thursday was Hero Day in the third grade. This was a culminating activity for the class’s unit on historic heroes and leaders. Each student spent weeks researching their hero, becoming third grade experts on him or her. When the guests arrived on Thursday they were able to travel around the classrooms visiting each student’s booth. The students, in costume, shared ten facts about their hero and challenged the visitors to guess who they were. They also shared artwork and writing samples about their subject. Hero Day allows the students to experience these important people’s lives in a way that they wouldn’t just by writing a report on them. By stepping into their shoes, or at least a fair facsimile of them, the students are able to gain a sense of empathy for these remarkable men and women. I would wager that years from now each of these students will still have a special affinity for the hero they reported on last week. When I asked the older students in the school that day they could all immediately tell me who they were on Hero Day in third grade. What a great opportunity to provide positive role models to our students.

Greg Henderson