Heroes
Introduction: What makes a hero? We see examples in the vision and dedication of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and in the development of the life-saving polio vaccine by Jonas Salk. Learn about the heroic contributions of men, women and children through the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site: https:www.latimes.com/launchpoint
--Prepared by the UC Irvine department of education
Level 1
The Wall of Inspiration: As a conductor on the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman risked her life by bringing more than 300 slaves to freedom. Find out about 37 people who made a difference through these illustrated accounts by fourth- and fifth-graders.
https://www.auroraschool.org/WAMWEB/
KIDPROJ: My Hero and Me: You don’t need to be famous to be a hero; anyone--young or old--can inspire us with courage or kindness. Write about a hero in your life and add it to this collection of profiles written by children from around the world.
https://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/Hero
Biographies of African American Heroes: Did you know that some school children were important figures in the fight for civil rights? Explore this site to learn about important African American heroes through these reports written by Park School third-graders.
https://marin.k12.ca.us/~parkweb/african_american/HeroContents.html
Level 2
LIFE=92s Hall of Heroes: Cesar Chavez, with his motto of “Si se puede” (“Yes, it can be done”), demonstrated courage and vision as he organized farm workers and protested the use of pesticides. Learn how many men and women have changed the world for the better through their talents and strength of character.
https://www.pathfinder.com/Life/heroes/hall.html
Heroes for Today: View the writings and artwork of Rundlett Junior High School students who describe their heroes of the past and present and who discover ways to contribute to their own community.
https://www.concord.k12.nh.us/schools/rundlett/heroes/
Yahoo-Great Kids: Whether it’s a third-grader working to save a local lake from pollution or a group of Seattle high school students marching for peace, kids can be heroes too. Read about noteworthy achievements of children from all over the world.
https://headlines.yahoo.com/Full_Coverage/Yahooligans/Great_Kids
Level 3
MY HERO--Home Page: Mother Teresa won the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize for her many years of caring for the sick in Calcutta, India. Read about all sorts of heroes--poets and peacemakers, scientists and sports stars, and even some animal heroes.
https://myhero.com/home.asp
Academy of Achievement: View video clips and hear recordings that give insights into how people such as civil rights activist Rosa Parks and scientist Linus Pauling were motivated to great achievements.
https://www.achievement.org/frames.html
BBC Education--Walden on Heroes: People don’t always agree on whether a person is a hero or a particular deed is heroic. Learn about the heroic and the human sides of people like Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Mohandas K. Gandhi and others.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/walden/index.shtml
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Explorer’s Quest:
The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.
Question: What American hero was influenced by Mohandas K. Gandhi’s peaceful form of civil disobedience?
Clue: See LIFE=92s Hall of Heroes
Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 80 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Bookmark https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.
Answer to last week’s Quest: An artifact can be any age, as long as it was made or used by a human.
Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This column was designed by Kay Nekota, Rich Sarkisian and Anna Manring.