Heroes and Villains
26 LessonsWhat principles is this resource built on?
In a nation founded on constitutional principles such as individual liberty and consent of the governed, civic virtue must be central to all civic education. To teach civic virtue is to help preserve our republic by developing the character of students. This civic resource avoids shallow topics, inviting teachers and students to dive straightforwardly into robust, history-based topics. Through rich narratives, critical questions, meaningful discussions, and personal application, teachers and students will examine the civic virtue assumptions of our nation’s Founders and their relevance today.
Where should I start?
Educators are encouraged to begin exploring this resource with our Thought Activity for Educators. It provides important background for teaching character through the lens of virtue. A student’s first introduction to the resource should be the Defining Civics Virtue lesson which can be paired with the Benjamin Franklin and Civic Virtue lesson or used as an introduction to any of the 24 lessons provided.
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26 Lessons
Defining Civic Virtues
Through this introduction lesson, students will understand why it is important for engaged citizens to practice civic virtues to build and support a healthy civil society.
Benjamin Franklin and Civic Virtue
How did Benjamin Franklin’s develop and practice virtue? Help students identify ways they can make being virtuous a habit.
Aaron Burr and Hubris
What is the difference between self-serving ambition and noble ambition? Explore the character and career of Aaron Burr.
Alice Paul and Responsibility
How did Alice Paul respond in the face adversity? Explore how her choice to act responsibly.
August Landmesser and Courage
How did August Landmesser display the virtue of courage? Explores the significance of courage in a society built on democratic principles.
Benedict Arnold and Dishonor
What are the dangers of deception and lack of integrity in a civil society? Explore the vice of dishonor by examining the story of Benedict Arnold.
Che Guevara and Injustice
How did the Communist system Che Guevara fought for and helped install lead to great injustice in Cuba and contribute to global communist injustice?
Clara Barton and Responsibility
How did Clara Barton dedicate herself to the responsibility for caring for others throughout her life? How can students act responsibly in their own lives?
Douglas MacArthur and Hubris
What are the benefits of humility in leadership? Learn about the vice of hubris through the story of Douglas MacArthur.
Dwight Eisenhower and Responsibility
What military decisions did Dwight Eisenhower make on D-Day in World War II and how did he take responsibility for his grave decisions of launching the Normandy invasion?
Elizabeth Eckford and Courage
What is the virtue of courage and why it is important in a society that values individual liberty? Trace the experience of Elizabeth Eckford and the Little Rock Nine to explore these questions.
Frederick Douglass and Responsibility
Dive-deep into the life of Frederick Douglass and explore how he demonstrate the virtue of responsibility.
George Washington and Prudence
How did George Washington display the virtue of prudence through his life? Explore the influence of his prudence on the early republic and discuss what examples of prudence can be observed today.
Huey Long and Immoderation (Extremism)
How should leaders behave and make decisions in a democratic society? Explore these questions through narratives and activities that focus on Huey Long.
Irma Grese and Self-Deception
How did self-deception play a role in the World War II Holocaust? How can ordinary men and women be indoctrinated to commit inhuman evil, and how can we guard against ideologies that lead to these behaviors?
James Armistead and Courage
How and when should an individual act courageously? Explore the story of James Armistead Lafayette.
John Brown and Self-Deception
What is the vice of self-deception? Examine whether John Brown deceived himself with self-righteousness by thinking that he could end slavery in the antebellum United States by freeing and arming slaves to launch a racial war in the South.
Joseph McCarthy and Irresponsibility
How can irresponsibility create an unhealthy civic culture of fear and distrust?
Jourdon Anderson and Justice
How did Jourdon Anderson received justice for himself and for his family from his former owner? Analyze the virtue of justice by evaluating a letter from Anderson to his former slave owner. How can students seek justice on behalf of themselves and others?
Maximilien Robespierre and Injustice
What role did Robespierre play in the mass murder of the Terror during the French Revolution? Students will focus on the vice of injustice.
Roger Taney and Injustice
Explore the vice of injustice in this lesson on civic virtue. Examine Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney and the Dred Scott (1857) decision that instituted great injustice against African Americans by arguing that they cannot be citizens. This lesson contains a historical narrative, discussion guide, primary sources related to the majority decision and dissents in the Supreme Court case, and activities that guide students through analyzing the effect of injustice on constitutional principles and civil society.
The Schechter Brothers and Integrity
What struggles did the Schechter Brothers face and how did they refuse to give up their values or compromise their integrity? Students will use this example to think about ways they can be purposeful in their own lives.
Thomas Jefferson and Prudence
What is the virtue of prudence? Use art analysis, secondary source analysis, and guided discussion to help students explore this important virtue.
Tiananmen Square and Courage
How did the anonymous individual who refused to yield to a tank during the crackdown on protesters at Tiananmen Square display the virtue of courage?
William “Boss” Tweed and Immoderation
Explore the vice of immoderation in civil society in this lesson on civic virtue. Examine “Boss” Tweed and his corrupt New York political machine, and how the vice affected politics and civil society.
William Stoughton and Injustice
Explore what injustice looks like in leadership and among ordinary citizens.