thinking themes: everyday heroes ages 5-8

www.macmillan.com.au Christine Schelfhout

Activities to switch on thinking skills!Activities to switch on thinking skills!

45 photocopiable pages

ages

5-8At last, here is a practical resource that cross-references multiple intelligences with critical and creative thinking skills! Each title in the Thinking Themes series contains a set of ready-to-use activities built around a popular topic. Each activity is linked to both an intelligence and a thinking skill.

Use the activities as a library learning centre, or add them to an integrated unit. However you use the series, it will enable you to teach to your students’ strengths and develop their weaker intelligences, while consciously and systematically incorporating thinking skills into your program.

The perfect partner . . .

Each title in the Thinking Themes series can stand alone. Or use it as a companion to the Macmillan Library series.

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acmillan Education Austra

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Christine Schelfhout

ages

5-8

Activities to switch on thinking skills!

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First published in 2012 by

MACMILLAN EDUCATION AUSTRALIA PTY LTD15–19 Claremont Street, South Yarra 3141

Visit our website at www.macmillan.com.au

Associated companies and representatives throughout the world.

Copyright © Christine Schelfhout/Macmillan Education Australia 2012Thinking Themes: Everyday Heroes Ages 5-8

ISBN 978 1 4202 9731 7Publisher: Sharon DalgleishManaging editor: Bonnie WilsonEditor: Sarah PayneDesign and illustrations: Nice Stuff

Printed in Australia by TYPO Corporate Services, South Melbourne

Copying of this work by educational institutions or teachersYou may reproduce pages within this book in accordance with the Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) and provided the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) under the Act.

For details of the CAL licence for educational institutions, contact:Copyright Agency LimitedLevel 15, 233 Castlereagh StreetSydney NSW 2000Telephone: (02) 9394 7600Facsimile: (02) 9394 7601Email: [email protected]

Reproduction and communication for other purposesExcept as permitted under the Act (for example, any fair dealing for the purposes of study, research, criticism or review), no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, communicated or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior written permission. All inquiries should be made to the publisher.

Dedicated to the heroes of the Alsa Buhay project who ‘lift up lives’ every day. — C. S.

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What is a hero? 4

Hero or idol? 13

Everyday heroes 20

We can be heroes 38

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Thinking Themes: Everyday Heroes Ages 5–8 © Christine Schelfhout/Macmillan Education Australia. ISBN 978 1 4202 9731 7

Task 1

Think about heroes.

IntelligenceIntrapersonal

Thinking skillApplying

What is a hero?

What colour would you use to show your thinking about heroes?

What shape would you use to show your thinking about heroes?

What image or picture would you use to show your thinking about heroes?

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Task 2

What is a hero?

1 In each box, write a word that could describe a hero.

2 Think about what musical instrument matches this word. Write or draw it.

3 Explain why you chose this musical instrument.

IntelligenceMusical-rhythmic

Thinking skillEvaluating

Word

Word

Instrument

Instrument

Why?

Why?

Word

Word

Instrument

Instrument

Why?

Why?

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Think about each question in order. Write your thoughts in the puzzle pieces. Cut out each piece and fit them together with piece 5 in the middle.

IntelligenceVerbal-linguistic

Thinking skillUnderstanding

Task 3

What is a hero?

1 How would you feel if you met a hero?

2 Why do stories often have a hero?

3 Could an animal be a hero? Why or why not?

4 What can you learn from heroes?

5 Why do people have heroes?

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Hint: You could use these symbols to show the rhythm.Ta = 1 beatTi-ti = 2 half beatsRest = Rest for 1 beat

Write four sentences about a hero you admire. You could think about what they do, who they help, where they work or what qualities they have.

Next, make up a rhythm for each sentence.



Task 4

What is a hero?

Work in a small group. Put the sentences together to create a chant. Practise and perform the chant for the class.

Sentence 1 _________________________________________________________________________

Rhythm:

Sentence 2 _________________________________________________________________________

Rhythm:

Sentence 3 _________________________________________________________________________

Rhythm:

Sentence 4 _________________________________________________________________________

Rhythm:

Everyday hero

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Quality

Quality

Quality

Quality

IntelligenceBodily-kinaesthetic

Thinking skillCreating

Work in a group of four. Think about qualities that heroes have. As a group, choose four qualities. Make up an action for each quality. Think about timing (counts or how long you will do each action). Think about formations (lines, circles, squares, pairs and so on).

Task 5

What is a hero?

Action

Timing

Formation

Action

Timing

Formation

Action

Timing

Formation

Action

Timing

Formation

Now, put the actions together to make up a dance. Practise the dance and perform it for the class.

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Quality

Quality

IntelligenceVisual-spatial


Invent a comic book hero.

Name __________________________________

Age _____________________________________

Appearance and costume ______________________________________________________

Strengths and skills _______________________________________________________________

Personality __________________________________________________________________________

Now, use the boxes to make a comic strip about the hero at work. Remember to include any speech and thoughts.

Task 6

What is a hero?

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IntelligenceNaturalistic

Thinking skillAnalysing

Task 7

This is a guide dog. Its owner is blind.

Answer the questions. Then, decide if you think the dog is a hero or not.

What is a hero?

I think this dog is a hero. Yes No

Why or why not? _________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Who does the guide dog help?

How does it help?

Why does it help?

What equipment and training does it need?

What qualities does it need?

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Statement

1 Heroes save lives.

2 Heroes only help people.

3 Heroes choose who they help.

4 Places with heroes are better places to live.

5 Heroes are always able to help people who need them.

6 Heroes are kind people.

7 Animals can be heroes.

8 People need a lot of training to become heroes.

9 Our group showed good teamwork.

How many agree?

Group answer

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

IntelligenceInterpersonal


Task 8

Work in a group of four. Record how many people in the group agree with each statement. Finally, as a group, decide if your group answer is ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to each statement.

What is a hero?

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Task 9

Since you began your work on heroes, how has your thinking about heroes changed?

What is a hero?

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Task 10

Look in magazines and newspapers. Find and cut out pictures of each of these types of people.

Hero or idol?

Cut out the headings. Stick each heading onto a separate sheet of paper. Arrange the magazine and newspaper pictures under each heading. Then, stick them onto the paper.

What do these people have in common?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Why do people want to read about them?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

What do you think makes someone an idol?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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Task 11

1 Can an idol be a hero? Why or why not? ____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

2 Can a hero be an idol? Why or why not? ____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Hero or idol?

Where do you see heroes? Where do you see idols?

What do idols do?

Who are some idols?

Hero

What do heroes do?

Who are some heroes?

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Talk to family and friends. Ask them who they admire. Write their answers in the box. Add the names of people you admire, too.

IntelligenceLogical-mathematical


Task 12

People we admire

Hero or idol?

Both

Now, decide whether each person is a hero, an idol or both.

HeroIdol

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Write about what they are

good at. Include any awards they have won.

Picture

Write your name and why

you admire them.



Task 13

Choose someone who you think of as an idol. Find information about them. Use this information to make a collector card about them.

Hero or idol?

Name

________________________________

Age

________________________________

Achievements

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Comments from a fan

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

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Task 14

Find out about some of the people who have been named Australian of the Year. Record their names and the reasons they won the award.

Decide whether you think each person is a hero or an idol. Write H for hero or I for idol.

Hero or idol?

Look at the heroes. Why do you think these people are heroes?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Name Reason Hero or idol?

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Task 15

Research a famous person. Complete the cards. Then, cut them out and make a mobile.

Hero or idol?

I think this famous person is

Name

Date of birth

Place of birth

What they do/did

When they started their work

Who they help/helped

Interesting fact

I chose this famous person because

a hero an idol both

because

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Task 16

Work in a group of three. Think about the question:

Would you rather be a hero or an idol?

Each group member must think of one reason to answer ‘hero’ and one reason to answer ‘idol’.

Write the reasons for ‘hero’ in the circles. Write the reasons for ‘idol’ in the squares.

Hero or idol?

As a group, decide whether you would rather be heroes or idols.

We would rather be _______________________ because _________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________________.

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Task 17

Choose two everyday heroes. Answer the questions in each half of the brain.

Everyday heroes

Everyday hero 2

_______________________

Where do they work?

What do they do?

What skills and qualities do they need?

What sort of challenges do they have?

Everyday hero 1

_______________________

Where do they work?

What do they do?

What skills and qualities do they need?

What sort of challenges do they have?

Now, use your thoughts to write a definition for ‘everyday hero’.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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How to play• Spreadoutthecardsfacedown.• Taketurnstoturnovertwocards.

If the setting matches the hero, keep the pair. If they do not match, put them back in the same place.

• Continueuntilallthepairshave been found. The winner is the player with the most pairs.


Thinking skillRemembering

Task 18

For each everyday hero, make a card showing a setting where that hero would work. Make sure that it is a setting that a partner can easily match up.

Cut out the cards. Use them to play ‘memory’ with a partner.

Everyday heroes

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Task 19

Look through newspapers for stories that include everyday heroes. Make a tally of the stories you find.

Everyday heroes

____________________________________________________ were included most often.

_____________________________________________________ were included least often.

List the everyday heroes that belong in the ‘Others’ group.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Hero

Firefighter

Police officer

Surf lifesaver

Wildlife rescue worker

Search and rescue worker

Paramedic

Others

Tally Total

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Choose an everyday hero. Find out about the clothes this person wears to do their job. Find out what sort of equipment they need. Make a stick puppet of the hero.

You will need• colouredpaper• otherartandcraftmaterials• feltpens• scissors• glue• stickytape• iceblockstick

What to do1 Cut out the puppet.2 Draw the everyday

hero’s uniform on the puppet. Or, make a uniform out of paper or craft materials and stick it onto the puppet.

3 Make any equipment that the everyday hero needs. Add this equipment to the puppet.

4 Tape the puppet to the iceblock stick.

Now, use the puppet to tell the class about the everyday hero’s clothes and equipment. Explain how the hero uses his or her uniform and equipment in their job.



Task 20

Everyday heroes

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Task 21

Think of an emergency situation that an everyday hero deals with.

Choose four events that would happen during this emergency. What would you hear in each event?Make these sounds using percussion instruments.

Play the instruments to tell the story of the emergency through sound effects. Practise and perform the soundscape for the class.

Everyday heroes

Event

Emergency

Everyday hero

Sounds Instrument and sound effect

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Everyday hero



Task 22

Choose an everyday hero. Find out the different activities that this hero does during the day. Plan a day’s timetable for this hero. Write the time and the activity. Draw the activity.

Everyday heroes

Write two questions about the timetable. See if a partner can answer them. Make sure that you know the correct answers so that you can check their answers.

1 _____________________________________________________________________________________

2 _____________________________________________________________________________________

Time:

Activity:

Time:

Activity:

Time:

Activity:

Time:

Activity:

Time:

Activity:

Time:

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Find out about an everyday hero who helps wildlife.

Write or draw your answers in each leaf.

Task 23



Everyday heroes

Who do they help?

When do they help wildlife?

Where do they do their job?

How do they help wildlife?

Hero

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Task 24

Imagine that you are an everyday hero helping at a disaster, such as a bushfire, plane crash or flood. Write or draw to describe the experience.



Everyday heroes

DisasterHero

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Task 25



1 Think of six natural elements. Make an icon for each one. One has been done for you.

Everyday heroes

2 Choose two everyday heroes. Think about how much each of these natural elements could affect their work. Rate the effect by drawing the icons on the scale.

Strong winds

Hero Hero

Great effect Great effect

3 Compare the two scales. Talk with a partner about the differences between the two heroes.

No effect No effect

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Task 26



Choose an everyday hero. List some different tools and equipment that they need in their job.

Now, choose one tool or piece of equipment. Make a model of it.

Plan your model. Sketch what it will look like. Label the parts with the craft materials you will use to make them.

Everyday heroes

Everyday hero

Now, make the equipment.

Tools and equipment

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Task 27



Choose an everyday hero. Plan a story in which this hero shows courage.

Everyday heroes

Events (what)

Starting event

Problem

Ending (how the problem is solved)

Title

Main character (everyday hero)

Setting (where)

Now, write the story on a separate sheet of paper.

Characters (who)

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Task 28



Choose an everyday hero. Draw and label the everyday hero inside the star. Think about how this hero shows different qualities in their job. In each circle, draw how the hero shows that quality.

Everyday heroes

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Tip: Include actions, such as expressions and gestures.

Task 29



Work with a partner. Choose an everyday hero. Imagine that one of you wants to apply for this hero’s job and one of you is the interviewer.

Create a role-play of the job interview. Decide what questions the interviewer will ask. Write how the person applying for the job will answer.

Everyday heroes

Now, practise and perform the role-play for the class.

Interviewer: _________________________________________________________________________

Job seeker: _________________________________________________________________________

Action

Interviewer: _________________________________________________________________________

Job seeker: _________________________________________________________________________

Action

Interviewer: _________________________________________________________________________

Job seeker: _________________________________________________________________________

Action

Interviewer: _________________________________________________________________________

Job seeker: _________________________________________________________________________

Action

Everyday hero

Interviewer Job seeker

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Task 30



A logo is a picture or symbol that represents a group or organisation.

Choose an everyday hero. Design a new logo for their uniform. Think about the work that the hero does and the people they help. Think about words or a slogan, images, symbols and colours that you could include.

Sketch the new logo. Label each part of the logo.

Everyday heroes

Everyday hero

Words and/or slogan

Images and symbols

Colours

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Task 31



Everyday heroes

Cut out the hero labels and the pictures of people who need help. Arrange them on a separate sheet of paper to show who helps whom. You could make a chart or draw lines on a diagram. Then, glue the labels and pictures into place.

Family in a house fire

Sailor on a sinking boat

Baby bird fallen from a tree

Swimmer waving for help

Child lost in a crowd

Person whose bag has been stolen

Footballer with a broken leg

Possum hit by a car

Person lost in the bush

Town in a bushfire

Swimmer stung by a jellyfish

Workers at a factory explosion

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Task 32



Choose an everyday hero. Design a work space for them. Make a list of the furniture, equipment and other items that this hero would need in their work space.

Everyday heroes

Items

Now, draw the everyday hero’s work space. Think about how the everyday hero would organise their work space to make it a good place to work. Label each item in the work space.

Everyday hero

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Task 33



Work in a small group. Choose one of the emergency situations. Or, think of a different emergency situation.

First, plan a mime of what an everyday hero would do in this situation.

Next, plan a mime of what would happen if there was no everyday hero.

Everyday heroes

Now, practise and then perform the two mimes to the class.

Everyday hero No everyday hero

Characters Characters

Setting Setting

Sequence of events Sequence of events

Car crashes into a tree and the driver is

hurt

A shark is sighted at the

beach

A puppy is stuck down

a drain in the street

There is a snake in

somebody’s house

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Task 34



Choose an everyday hero. Think about why the community needs this hero.

Everyday hero _______________________________________

What do they do? ________________________________________________________________

Who do they help? _______________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

What would happen without this everyday hero? _______________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Create a mini poster to persuade the community that they need this hero. Use persuasive language. Create a slogan to catch people’s attention. Arrange pictures and text in an eye-catching way.

Everyday heroes

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Task 35


Thinking skillRemembering

Think about a time when you did something heroic. Write or draw in each section.

We can be heroes

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Think about• Whatneedstobedoneinyourhome?• Whichofthesethingscanyoudo?• Whenisthebesttimeduringthe

week to do each task?

Task 36



We can be heroes

You can be a hero at home by doing lots of little things to help others.

Make a plan to show some things that you could do during the week.

Day

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Time Task Who I am helping

Try to follow the schedule for a week.

Did you complete all the tasks? _______________________________________________

What changes would you make to the schedule? _______________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

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Situation Should not do Should do



Task 37

It is important to stay safe when helping others. There are some things that are not safe for children to do.

Look at each picture. Draw a way of helping that would be dangerous for children. Then, draw what a child could do safely.

We can be heroes

Make up two situations of your own where a way of helping might be unsafe.

Now try this . . .

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How do I feel about this?

What do I think about this?

What could I do about this?

How do I feel about this?

What do I think about this?

What could I do about this?



Task 38

Think about these situations. How could you be a hero in these situations?

We can be heroes

You are playing a game with your friends. Sam wants to join in. Your friends say no because Sam isn’t very good

at the game.

A bully is teasing another student about his or her shoes. There are students watching

and laughing.

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A hero would

A hero would not



Task 39

1 Work with a partner. For each situation, think of what a hero would do and would not do.

We can be heroes

2 With your partner, make a freeze-frame to show what a hero would do. Then, make a freeze-frame to show what a hero would not do.

3 Choose your favourite freeze-frame. Practise and perform it for the class. See if your classmates can guess what the situation is, and which freeze-frame shows what the hero would do.

A hero would

A hero would

A hero would not

A hero would not

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Task 40

Work in a group of four. For each question, write each group member’s idea on a step. Then, write the group’s decision on the top step.

1 Think of a problem at your school.

We can be heroes

2 What can be done about the problem your group chose?

3 On a separate sheet of paper, make an action plan to solve the problem. Give each group member a task to carry out.

4 Now, as a group, present the action plan to the class.

Group decision

Student 4

Student 3

Student 2

Student 1

Group decision

Student 4

Student 3

Student 2

Student 1

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Task 41

Look at the picture. What problems can you see? What could you do to fix or prevent each problem?

We can be heroes

Problem How I would fix the problem©

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Task 42

Plan a diorama to show how people can make their community a better place to live.

On one side of the diorama, show how your community would look if nobody acted like heroes. On the other side, show how your community would look if people acted like heroes.

We can be heroes

Now, use shoeboxes and craft materials to make the diorama. Include a label to describe each scene.

Not like heroes Like heroes

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Task 43

Think about qualities that a hero could have. Write sentences of your own about qualities that you think a hero has or needs to have.

Colour the circles to rate yourself for each of the qualities.

We can be heroes

What do you see as your strongest quality? _______________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

How could you use this quality to be a hero? _____________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

That’s a lot like me

That’s a bit like me

That’s not like me

I can be courageous.

I show kindness.

I think quickly in an emergency.

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What to do1 Give the graph a title.2 Label the horizontal line.3 Label the vertical line.4 Make a key.5 Colour the graph to

show the results.

Title Key

Collect information about volunteers who help at your school. Find out what sort of jobs they do. Find out how many volunteers do each job.

Record your findings on a separate sheet of paper. Then, use this information to make a graph.

We can be heroes

What do volunteers help with the most? __________________________________

What do volunteers help with the least? __________________________________

Is there something that needs more help from volunteers? _____________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Task 44



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Task 45

Choose a person in your school who helps others and makes the school a better place. Ask them questions to find out what they do, why they do it and how they feel about it.

Now, write a profile of this person for the school newsletter.

We can be heroes

Headline _________________________________________________________________________

Name ________________________________

Occupation __________________________

What this person does to help others ________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

Why they do it ______________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

How they feel about it ______________

________________________________________ Caption ______________________________

________________________________________ ________________________________________

________________________________________ ________________________________________

Picture

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www.macmillan.com.au Christine Schelfhout

Activities to switch on thinking skills!Activities to switch on thinking skills!

45 photocopiable pages

ages

5-8At last, here is a practical resource that cross-references multiple intelligences with critical and creative thinking skills! Each title in the Thinking Themes series contains a set of ready-to-use activities built around a popular topic. Each activity is linked to both an intelligence and a thinking skill.

Use the activities as a library learning centre, or add them to an integrated unit. However you use the series, it will enable you to teach to your students’ strengths and develop their weaker intelligences, while consciously and systematically incorporating thinking skills into your program.

The perfect partner . . .

Each title in the Thinking Themes series can stand alone. Or use it as a companion to the Macmillan Library series.

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9368

5

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9370

8

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9367

8

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9369

2

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9371

5

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9372

2

ISBN

978

1 4

202

9391

3

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thinking themes: everyday heroes ages 5-8

Documents

thinking themes series

creative thinking skills

macmillan library series

everyday heroes ages

purposes of study

australian copyright

educational institutions

copyright agency limitedlevel