Writing About a Healthy Hero

Explain that students will write a five-paragraph essay about a person they admire for promoting good health. Provide a few minutes for students to think about what a “Healthy Hero” means to them.

 

Brainstorm

Discuss qualities that might make someone a “Healthy Hero.” Invite students to share their ideas. Start a list of the qualities on the board. Consider different types of people for different reasons.

 

Distribute copies of the My Healthy Hero handout to students. Encourage them to think about details and specifics by asking students questions on the handout.

 

My Healthy Hero

Give students a few minutes to think about the different people in their lives who are healthy. Have them continue to write down their ideas and reasons on the My Healthy Hero handout and their notebooks. After they have had some time to brainstorm, they should select one person as their “Healthy Hero.”

 

The Writing Process

Provide students with a copy of the Essay Tools handout. Go over the parts of a five-paragraph essay with students, as well as the checklist provided to help them create a first draft.

 

Guide students through each step of the writing process:

1. Pre-write
2. Draft
3. Revise
4. Edit
5. Publish

 

Emphasize the purpose of the essay. Completed essays should clearly explain why they chose their Healthy Hero, and how the person inspires them. Students may handwrite or type up their first drafts.

 

Peer-Edit and Revise

Have students work in pairs to peer-edit their drafts. While editing, encourage “reviewers” to provide the “writers” with one “glow” (complement) and a “grow” (area for improvement).

 

Remind students to reference the questions on their My Healthy Hero handouts. Ask reviewers: Does the essay answer these questions clearly? Is there anything you wish you could know more about?

 

Students should then revise and edit their essays. Once finalized, student essays can be presented to the rest of the class along with pictures of their heroes. Essays can be mounted and displayed on bulletin boards or published online on your class blog

 

Extend the Lesson

Have students share their essays or artwork and display them throughout the classroom or school hallway. Consider creating a book featuring all of the essays and artwork to share with the rest of the school.

 

Hold an assembly for students to share their “Healthy Hero” essays with the rest of the school community during a school wellness event. If their “Healthy Heroes” are at the school, essays may be presented to the hero as a symbol of recognition.

 

For students in lower grades, have them draw a picture with three or four steps to tell the story of their Healthy Hero (cape included!)

 

For students in higher grades, work on a three- paragraph essay with a beginning, middle, and end