PA VIRTUAL CHARTER SCHOOL

KING OF PRUSSIA, PA
INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL

“Justice League” – A Course About Heroes

Audience: Intermediate School Students (5th Grade)
Prerequisites: None

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

Grade 5 Teacher
Intermediate School
PA Virtual Charter School

Office: Blackboard Collaborate

Phone: 484-680-7845
Email: apace@pavcsk12.org

Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday @ 3:00 - 4:00 PM
Other virtual hours available by appointment.

Text:
K12 Literature 5 Student Guide
K12 Classics for Young Readers (Volume 5A)

Academic Honesty Policy:

All students must conduct themselves in accordance with the Academic Honesty Policy outlined in the
school handbook. Please contact your Family Support Coordinator if you need an additional copy of the
school handbook.

Late Assignments:
All gradable items are due when assigned. Late assignments will have a five-point grade reduction for
each day it is late. Any assignment past due more than four school days will be graded as a zero. Please
submit your work on time.

Grade Calculations:
Range (as a percentage) Letter Grade
90 + A
80 - 89.9 B
70 - 79.9 C
60 - 69.9 D
< 59.9 F

Course Description:
This course provides students with a supplemental opportunity to build on fifth grade literature skills
through a topic of interest. Students enrolling in this course will develop reading comprehension and
related reading skills through activities outlined in our Blackboard Learning Management System (LMS).
Involvement with Blackboard tools, such as the discussion board and Collaborate classroom, and other
virtual learning tools, such as videos, will be encouraged to promote critical thinking, creativity,
collaboration, and community and meet learning objectives.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

Course Standards:
 CC.1.3.5.A: Determine a theme of a text from details in the text, including how characters in a story or
drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
 CC.1.3.5.C: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or events in a story or drama,
drawing on specific details in the text.
 CC.1.3.5.D: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and
differences in the point of view they represent.
 CC.1.3.5.I: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
based on grade-level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools
 CC.1.4.5.C: Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information
and examples related to the topic; include illustrations and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
 CC.1.5.5.A: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade-level topics and texts,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Course Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes:

After successfully completing this course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate comprehension of texts.
2. Support definitions with examples from texts.
3. Define important qualities of a hero.
4. Make inferences and draw conclusions based on textual evidence.
5. Describe main characters.
6. Compare and contrast characters.
7. Contribute meaningfully to group discussions by:
a. Being prepared for discussion.
b. Drawing on preparation.
c. Explaining own ideas.
d. Building upon others' comments.
e. Asking questions.

Assessments:
Assessment will be based on the following:
A) Assignments
a. Written
b. Project-based learning
B) Class participation

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

Course Outline:
Heroes
Unit 1 – Getting Started
 Course Syllabus
 Tips for Students
Unit 2 – “St. George and the Dragon”
 Story vocabulary
 Story reading
 Independent writing: Recap of story events
 Group discussion: Heroism of characters
 “Hall of Heroes”: Creative project
Unit 3 – What is a Hero?
 Independent pre-writing
 Guest speaker: Community hero
 Group discussion: Qualities of a hero
 “Royal Proclamation”: Creative project
Unit 4 – “Robin Hood and Allin-a-dale”
 Story vocabulary
 Story reading
 Independent writing: Recap of story events
 Group discussion: Types of heroes
 Song writing/performing
Unit 5 – Let’s Talk About Heroes
 Independent writing: Reflection
 Group discussion: Debate etiquette
 Debate (synchronous)

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Top 10 Tips for Students
Staying Organized in a DE Course

1. Establish a routine
 Use your school schedule to keep you on track at certain times of the day. When
would be an appropriate time to focus on your math assignments? Literature
assignments? Art assignments? Following a consistent schedule with designated
times will help set a smooth pace and make the workload less overwhelming.
2. Use a planner
 Create bulleted lists of your assignments, projects, and assessments with their due
dates. Is there an assembly coming up? Is there a club or special event happening
that you may be interested in? Track these dates and times. You will get a better
idea of when you may need to add or remove time from your daily routine due to
certain events or homework tasks.
3. Check your email daily
 Important communications will always be sent via email—class cancellations,
assignment changes, upcoming assemblies, and more. Teachers often send
feedback and check in with students via email. This is how you can best stay up to
date and on track with what is immediately going on.
4. Keep your inbox clean
 Did you acknowledge the email about an upcoming assembly and log it in your
planner? Did you respond to your teacher’s email about completing your overdue
exam? File these emails away, or delete them. Keeping your inbox clean helps to
keep you stress-free, organized, and on top of all information.
5. Communicate with your teacher
 Were you a little unclear about the difference between dividing decimals by
decimals versus whole numbers? Email your teacher and ask for further support.
Perhaps you might just need an extension on the assignment since you were
confused originally during the lesson. Do not be afraid to write to your teacher
and/or ask for help! Your teacher wants to see everyone succeed.
6. Get to know one another
 In an online course or school, it can be a challenge to become familiar with your
classmates. Put your best foot forward, and send a classmate an email! Start a
conversation about the latest homework assignment. Hey, maybe that question
you had about dividing decimals could be answered in a different way by your
classmate. Never be afraid to reach out to others—it can be the start of a great
friendship (and rather beneficial if you are in the same class together!).
7. Organize your study area
 Maintain designated folders and notebooks for each of your classes. Most
importantly, keep all of your materials together for each class! It is much easier to
learn and work through a class when your materials are right there and readily
available, all in the same spot, for you to get the most out of your learning
experience. This also helps you to not lose your books (fines are no good!).
8. Color code
 Speaking of maintaining your class materials and keeping organized, try to
designate one unique color for each of your classes. Aim to use a blue folder and

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 notebook for your math class, a green folder and notebook for your science class,
etc. The visual appeal helps you even more to be prepared and ready to work
through your classes. It also helps to avoid bringing the wrong materials to the
library when your Internet goes out at home—big time!
9. Understand your resources
 Got an important research project coming up about penguins? Get to know your
school library—there is a whole kingdom of knowledge to seek! The library is a
great place to find books, magazines, journals, as well as technologies, like
special search engines, that you never knew existed. However, maybe you are just
stumped trying to write your fabulous research paper about penguins. Get to know
your tutoring options! Find out when and what types of tutoring services are
occurring and how to access them. Your teachers are great resources in general to
find out what extra resources are available, such as these tools.
10. Take a break
 We are all human—we get it! Sometimes a good break from school can just be
the fuel you need to start knocking out all of your major assignments one by one.
Staying organized by following your established routine will especially help in
setting off breaks for yourself. Find some time to get out in the fresh air, or maybe
just take a good nap. Resting will help you to keep focused, relaxed, and
recharged to tackle your academics to the best of your abilities.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Top 10 Tips for Students
Online Course Rules and Procedures

1. Check your email daily

 In the event of important announcements, such as assignment changes or technical
issues, it is recommended that you check your email consistently to be well-
informed and up to date.
2. Read the homework agenda carefully
 Use the posted homework agenda (sent via email and the Announcements section
of our course) as a checklist to ensure you have completed all assignments
appropriately and on time.
3. Be patient
 You can expect responses to your emails within 24-48 hours. Please do not send
multiple emails asking if I received your original message. In the event of this
rare instance: If I do not respond after 48 hours, then it is safe to assume your
message was not received. You may then resend your original message.
4. Review your writing
 Make sure that you are writing appropriately and to the best of your ability. Check
your spelling, grammar, and punctuation before sending all messages. It is not
appropriate to WRITE IN ALL CAPS (assumed to be yelling), Write Like This,
or wRiTe LiKe ThIs. Also, remember to break up large amounts of writing into
paragraphs. Otherwise, these things can make your writing rather difficult to read.
5. Think before you submit
 Keep in mind it is very possible more than one person will read what you write,
including your emails to others. It is also possible what you write on the computer
may be out there for the whole world to read. Remember to always write
appropriately and never send anything you would not want others to see in the
news.
6. Be positive and encouraging
 We are all here to learn. Please be positive in all communications with others,
such as through the discussion board and email. Also, please be encouraging.
Learning can be a challenge. Our online environment should be a place where we
feel safe to share our thoughts and learn from one another. It should also be a
stimulating environment where we can help others to think critically in new ways.
7. Be original (no plagiarism!)
 Plagiarism will absolutely not be tolerated. Please review the school Code of
Conduct for school-wide policies regarding consequences for plagiarism. All
thoughts and writing submitted should be completely your own. If borrowing the
ideas of others or sharing information from different sources, please give credit
where it is due and cite sources appropriately in MLA format. You can review
your MLA Handbook or the Purdue OWL for the latest information on how to
cite in MLA format.
8. Respect diversity
 Our school community is committed to respecting all backgrounds and beliefs.
We welcome all students in this environment; so, please be aware of the speech
you use, especially when responding to others’ thoughts. Do not use language that

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 may be offensive to others. Please review our school handbook for more
information on school policies regarding diversity.
9. Report glitches
 In our online environment, it is very likely that we may experience technical
issues that can disturb our learning community. If you notice anything unusual,
such as difficulty in accessing or submitting coursework, please send an email to
the teacher as soon as possible.
10. Participate!
 Without you, our learning community would not be possible. Please remember to
stay organized and active in all required activities. Complete all tasks before their
outlined due dates. Inactivity can result in consequences as outlined by our school
handbook. Please review the school’s academic policies, including those related
to non-compliancy.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Two Assignments

Unit 2 – “St. George and the Dragon”

1. Read the Unit Two Lecture document posted in D2L.

2. Watch this video: https://safeshare.tv/x/wBXXOVOJJpM

3. Review the Quizlet flashcards at https://quizlet.com/_35swud to become familiar with the

vocabulary terms we will find in “St. George and the Dragon.”

4. Read “St. George and the Dragon” on pages 47-51 in your Classics for Young Readers
(Volume 5A) book. As you read, write down notes or thoughts in response to these
questions:

a. Why does St. George leave his peaceful, happy lands?

b. What is the Princess going to do to try to save the city?

c. What does St. George do to save the city?

5. Post a response to the “Unit 2: St. George and the Dragon” discussion forum in D2L. In
the first part of your post, share your responses from task #5. Then, in the second part of
your post, share your thoughts on what makes the Princess and St. George both heroes.
Use examples of their individual heroism from the story to support your response.

○ Try your best to contribute new ideas that your classmates have not yet
posted. Remember to write in complete sentences, and use proper grammar and
spelling. Proofread your writing before publishing your new discussion board
post. It is highly recommended that you first write your response in a word
processor, such as Microsoft Word, and quickly save using CTRL + S as you
write (this prevents loss of your hard work!). Then, copy and paste your writing
into the new discussion board post.

6. Comment on at least one other classmate’s post in this discussion forum about their
thoughts on what makes the Princess and St. George both heroes. Remember to only
post comments that contribute to the topic of our discussion. For example, you can

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 elaborate on others’ thoughts and describe why you are in agreement or respectful
disagreement.

7. Complete a “Hall of Heroes” page (found in your K12 Literature 5 Student Guide) for
both the Princess and St. George. In this activity, remember to:

a. Write each hero’s name on the line.

b. Write a paragraph that tells why the character is a hero. (Support your opinions
with examples of things the character says and does in the story.)

c. Draw a picture of the hero.

Feel free to be as creative as you would like to proudly showcase these characters in the
Hall of Heroes. Upload your completed “Hall of Heroes” pages to the Unit 2 D2L
dropbox (under “Course Elements”  “Assignments”) no later than [Date Here]. Your
submission should be in PDF format and should be named using the following
convention: LastName_FirstName.pdf.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Two Lecture

Unit 2 – “St. George and the Dragon”

Welcome aboard, again, to the Justice League! In this second unit, we will be off and
running with our thoughts and discussion on heroes.

Have you ever thought about what it means to be a hero? Are heroes the people we see
in the movies or on television, like Superman? Are all heroes built the same? If you had to draw
a picture of a hero, what would that look like to you? Would you draw a cape? Would he have a
superpower? Would he actually be a “he” after all?

Our journey begins with a reading called “St. George and the Dragon.” This reading will
help present our immediate views and beliefs about heroes and what they look like, the qualities
they hold, and the actions they take on. The short video you will be watching beforehand will
also help us to do the same—getting us thinking about heroes, before we dive deeper and
consider ideas or additional questions we may have never thought of before. That is what we
can expect for next week. For now, the goal with our second unit is to get a feel for our current
ideas about heroes.

Before we get started, let’s take a look at what we can expect for our culminating activity
in this course. The final activity we will be engaging in at the end of unit five will be a debate.
The most interesting and fun part about this activity is that we will be completing it
synchronously in our Blackboard Collaborate classroom. This will give us an opportunity to
engage more in real-time with our classmates and discover how our thoughts about heroes
have shaped after having completed this course. Here is some additional information:

Information: Synchronous Debate

Ms. Pace’s Justice League students will be meeting synchronously for a 45-minute session in
the Blackboard Collaborate classroom on [Date Here]. Students will be divided amongst two
groups in breakout rooms, and they will work together within their groups to debate several
questions about the heroism of various characters from our stories. Each student will take a
turn expressing their facts, thoughts, and feelings in response to these questions, presenting
themselves in a previously discussed manner that follows the guidelines for appropriate peer
discussion. Students will be prepared for discussion beforehand through our various course
activities, completed independently and collaboratively through discussions, reading, writing

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 prompts, and more. Scores for this debate will be based on participation (through webcam,
microphone, and contributions to discussion), ideas/information, comprehension,
persuasiveness, delivery, and rebuttal. If you have questions about the debate, email me or
see me during my office hours in Collaborate.

Please do not be too worried about this debate activity. Our students tend to have a great deal
of fun with this, especially considering the nature of this course and how it is driven by student
interest in heroes. Past students have also confirmed it prepared them well for future class
activities in the upper grades on more serious topics! We will talk more about this activity as the
time gets closer. We will also continue to build on our class community through our interactions
with one another and become more comfortable with sharing our thoughts and ideas.

Ms. Pace

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Three Assignments

Unit 3 – What is a Hero?

1. Read the Unit Three Lecture document posted in D2L.

2. Post a response to the “What is a Hero?” Padlet:

https://padlet.com/ae_pace/7s9hpstorhjw

3. Watch the “For the Heroes: A Pep Talk From Kid President” and “3-Year-Old Hero”
videos posted in Unit 3.

4. Attend the Collaborate session on [Date Here] to hear from our guest speaker, a local
firefighter. Have questions ready to ask our guest speaker, especially those related to
our discussion on heroes. If you have a time conflict, view the recorded session.

5. Post a response to the “Unit 3: Qualities of a Hero” discussion forum in D2L. In the first
part of your response: Now that we have been exposed to different versions of heroes,
discuss what you now believe are the qualities of a hero. In the second part of your
response: If your original thoughts about what makes a hero have changed, talk about
this. What did you originally believe, and what made you change your mind?

○ Try your best to contribute new ideas that your classmates have not yet
posted. Remember to write in complete sentences, and use proper grammar and
spelling. Proofread your writing before publishing your new discussion board
post. It is highly recommended that you first write your response in a word
processor, such as Microsoft Word, and quickly save using CTRL + S as you
write (this prevents loss of your hard work!). Then, copy and paste your writing
into the new discussion board post.

6. Comment on at least one other classmate’s post in this discussion forum about their
thoughts on the qualities of a hero, as well as how their original thoughts may have
changed. Remember to only post comments that contribute to the topic of our
discussion. For example, you can elaborate on others’ thoughts and describe why you
are in agreement or respectful disagreement about the qualities a hero maintains.

7. Complete the “Calling All Heroes!” activity (found in your K12 Literature 5 Student
Guide). The purpose of this writing activity is to build on the previous discussion and

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Pace 2

prewriting to define the three most important qualities of a hero and illustrate those
qualities with examples we have discussed (such as the characters from “St. George
and the Dragon”). In this activity, remember:

a. Note: To proclaim is to announce; a proclamation is an official announcement.

b. In the first blank, students should fill in their own name—for example, “the most
high and mighty Queen Julia.” Each of the three following paragraphs should
name one of three important qualities of a specified hero. Follow this model: “Like
Mulan, you must be brave. Mulan showed her bravery by…”

c. Provide specific details and examples about the hero you specify (whether the
hero is from a story or real life) to illustrate each of the three qualities.

d. Check your writing to correct any errors. Try to read your proclamation to family
members to ensure accuracy.

Feel free to be as creative as you would like to proudly showcase these heroes in a royal
proclamation. Upload your completed “Calling All Heroes!” pages to the Unit 3 D2L
dropbox (under “Course Elements”  “Assignments”) no later than [Date Here]. Your
submission should be in PDF format and should be named using the following
convention: LastName_FirstName.pdf.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Three Lecture

Unit 3 – What is a Hero?

Did you know that not all heroes wear capes or fight dragons? In this third unit, we will
be thinking outside the box and expanding on our discussion of heroic figures.

If someone asked you how you have helped others, what would you say? Do you help
your parents with chores while they take care of your newborn brother or sister? Have you
helped shovel snow out of the driveway for your elderly neighbor? Did you introduce yourself to
your new teammate at basketball practice?

When I was in fifth grade, I attended a brick-and-mortar school (a school building I

physically attended in our local school district). I had the opportunity to volunteer as a Safety
Patrol and help our crossing guard ensure students, from kindergarten through the fifth grade,
could safely cross our busy, main street on their walk home. I remember receiving thank-you
cards from kindergarteners for not only keeping them safe, but being kind to them every day. To
these little ones, I was considered a hero. I could have gone home early after school every day,
making it in time for the newest episode of Pokémon (my favorite cartoon back then), but I
chose to remain at school longer to make sure all our students traveled home safely.

You, too, can be a hero—to your family, neighbors, school, or a larger community.

Our journey to find out more about what makes a hero begins with the sharing of your
own thoughts. Before coming into this unit, what was a hero like to you? You will share your
thoughts on this using our new tool called Padlet—a creative, online bulletin board. The short
videos you will be watching afterwards will help us to start thinking outside the box and uncover
the characteristics of a hero beyond wearing capes and fighting dragons.

There is also something special we have planned for us this week: We will be meeting in
Collaborate with a guest speaker, a local firefighter, who sets another example of a hero. Start
thinking about different questions you may be interested in asking our guest speaker, such as in
regards to the job of a firefighter or what it means to be a hero. If you have a time conflict and
cannot attend synchronously, you will be able to view the recorded session.

The last items to complete this week will be a group discussion and an independent
activity in your K12 Literature 5 Student Guide. Through the tasks outlined in the group
discussion, we will be able to learn and discuss what others believe are the qualities of a hero,

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Pace 2

as well as how our thoughts have changed about heroes while going through this unit. With the
K12 activity, you will have the opportunity to narrow down and outline the qualities you believe
are the most important for heroes to maintain.

The activities you will be engaging in will continue to prepare us for the final debate at
the end of this course. (Expectations for the final debate were outlined in our last unit.)
Remember, one of our goals with the final debate is to discuss the heroism of characters from
our stories. By thinking outside of the box in this unit, we can consider other ways in which our
characters can be known to be heroes.

Ms. Pace

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Four Assignments

Unit 4 – “Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale”

1. Read the Unit Four Lecture document posted in D2L.

2. Watch the “Robin Hood and Little John (Disney Robin Hood)” video posted in Unit 4.

3. Review the Quizlet flashcards at https://quizlet.com/_3azx8s to become familiar with the

vocabulary terms we will find in “Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale.”

4. Read “Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale” on pages 62-65 in your Classics for Young Readers
(Volume 5A) book. As you read, write down notes or thoughts in response to these
questions:

a. Why do the men live in Sherwood Forest?

b. Why do the common people call Robin Hood their friend?

c. What does Allin-a-Dale promise he will do if Robin saves his bride?

d. What does Robin disguise himself as to get into the church?

e. What happens when Robin Hood blows his horn?

5. Post a response to the “Unit 4: Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale” discussion forum in D2L.
In the first part of your post, share your responses from task #4. Then, in the second part
of your post, share your thoughts on how you would compare Robin Hood as a hero to
St. George. Does Robin Hood do anything that you think St. George would not do? Use
examples of their individual heroism or actions from the story to support your response.

○ Try your best to contribute new ideas that your classmates have not yet
posted. Remember to write in complete sentences, and use proper grammar and
spelling. Proofread your writing before publishing your new discussion board
post. It is highly recommended that you first write your response in a word
processor, such as Microsoft Word, and quickly save using CTRL + S as you
write (this prevents loss of your hard work!). Then, copy and paste your writing
into the new discussion board post.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Pace 2

6. Comment on at least one other classmate’s post in this discussion forum about their
comparisons between Robin Hood and St. George as heroes. Remember to only post
comments that contribute to the topic of our discussion. For example, you can elaborate
on others’ thoughts and describe why you are in agreement or respectful disagreement.

7. Working in your group:

a. Decide which tool you will be using to deliver your illustrated Song of Robin
Hood. Post a link to that tool in your group discussion forum.

b. Meet with your group via Chat or our Collaborate classroom at mutually agreed
upon times to create your final product.

c. Each group member must post at least two ideas for the group’s writing or
illustration of their Song of Robin Hood. Do not duplicate the ideas of your
teammates.

d. Identify the roles and responsibilities of the team members in your group. For
instance, one of you may choose to be the spelling/grammar checker of the song
writing. Another may be the actual Padlet or Weebly creator. While you do not
have to assign these exact roles, the goal is to be clear about who is responsible
for which contributions and post these assignments in your discussion forum.

A link to your completed product must be posted to your group’s discussion forum no
later than [Date Here].

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Four Lecture

Unit 4 – “Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale”

Throughout this course, you have met several different heroes—ones that take on a
variety of shapes and sizes. Think about how your initial idea of a “hero” has changed before
embarking on the journey through this course with us. I am willing to bet your view of a hero has
changed significantly! Well, we’re not quite finished yet…

We have talked about heroes that create the usual, happy, fairytale ending in a story.
We have also talked about heroes that are more local and relatable to us—our community
heroes. Did you ever imagine any of these heroes doing anything relatively “bad?” Have you
ever heard about a hero that maybe steals from or lies to others? Would you still call that person
a “hero” if you knew their lives also involved doing things that many would consider a negative?
Our journey continues in Unit Four as we meet someone who, yet again, challenges some of
our most common thoughts and ideas—but is still deemed a “hero” to many.

In this unit, we will be reading and responding to “Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale.” The
short video you will first be watching will be familiar to some of you; however, it will give us
some insight and visuals into our next “hero” as we have our focus narrowed down to this topic.
In this unit, we will also be engaging in a small, creative group project. I hope you are excited
about the opportunity to work more closely with your classmates and get to know each other
through this fun activity! Here is what you need to know:

Requirements for the "A Song of Robin Hood Group Project"

Reread the poem at the end of "Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale." You will work online with two
classmates to develop your own song of Robin Hood. Each group of three students will be
determined by me, your teacher. Your song may be about the whole story or one scene. It
does not have to rhyme. Once you have a neat copy of your song written, illustrate your song
with clipart or your own uploaded drawings.

Each group will be assigned a private discussion forum and file exchange area in D2L to aid
you in developing and exchanging ideas for your project. I will be monitoring this forum each
day to ensure participation and progress, as well as respectful interactions. Your group may
develop your project in any online tool that is approved by me. One tool I recommend is
Padlet (http://www.padlet.com/) to establish your presentation in a bulletin board format. A

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Pace 2

second tool I recommend is Weebly (http://education.weebly.com/) if you would prefer to

share your presentation in a website format. Both Padlet and Weebly are fun and easy to use!

Your work on this project will be graded using the following criteria:

Category Description

Content Does the final product have a well-developed Song of Robin Hood
comparable to the style of “Robin Hood and Allin-a-Dale?”

Illustrations Does the final product include appropriate images (hand-drawn or

from the web) related to the content of the writing piece?

Attractiveness Does the final product take on a design and layout that is attractive
and neat in appearance?

Grammar & Is the final product free of grammar and spelling errors?
Spelling

Contribution Did each group member contribute equally throughout the process of
creating the final product? Did each member complete assigned roles
and responsibilities?

Cooperation Did each group member cooperate well with the team and project?
Were interactions between each group member polite and respectful,
even when in disagreement?

Feel free to go above and beyond with your project and add anything you would like to
enhance or contribute to your final product!

A link to your completed product must be posted to your group’s discussion forum no later
than [Date Here].

Ms. Pace

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Five Assignments

Unit 5 – Let’s Talk About Heroes

1. Read the Unit Five Lecture document posted in D2L.

2. Watch the “How to Run a Debate” video posted in Unit 5.

3. Complete the Interactive Debate Game posted in Unit 5.

4. In your Literature journal, reflect on the differences in heroism between the prince and
the princess in “The Last of the Dragons” and Robin Hood. Write a response to at least
three of the following questions:

○ How are these characters like other heroic characters found in story books?

○ How are these characters different from other heroes in literature?

○ What qualities do they demonstrate that make them unique?

○ In what ways are these characters like real people?

○ Which of these characters do you admire most? Why?

○ If you could trade places with one of these characters, which one would it be?
Which character would you not want to trade places with? Why?

○ If you were in trouble and needed help, which of these characters would you most
want to help you? Why?

5. Post a response to the “Unit 5: Let’s Talk About Heroes” discussion forum in D2L.
Consider debate etiquette: How should everyone involved in a civil debate act? One
suggestion I would give is to pay attention to what others say so that you can add your
ideas. List two of your own guidelines for proper debate etiquette in your post.

○ Try your best to contribute new ideas that your classmates have not yet
posted. Remember to write in complete sentences, and use proper grammar and
spelling. Proofread your writing before publishing your new discussion board
post. It is highly recommended that you first write your response in a word

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Pace 2

processor, such as Microsoft Word, and quickly save using CTRL + S as you
write (this prevents loss of your hard work!). Then, copy and paste your writing
into the new discussion board post.

6. Comment on at least one other classmate’s post in this discussion forum about their
suggestions for proper debate etiquette. Remember to only post comments that
contribute to the topic of our discussion. For example, you can elaborate on others’
thoughts and describe why you are in agreement or respectful disagreement.

7. Attend our synchronous debate session in our Blackboard Collaborate classroom on

[Date Here]. Come prepared with your thoughts and responses to the independent
writing activity in task #4.

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Unit Five Lecture

Unit 5 – Let’s Talk About Heroes

Congratulations! You have made it to the final stretch of our journey together. Think
about how your view of heroes has shaped ever since beginning this course. I am sure many of
you think rather differently now and consider some new people in your life a “hero” based on the
many different characteristics and qualities we have discussed.

This week, we will be wrapping up our discussion through the debate activity we
discussed earlier in the course. To have an effective debate, we will need to consider how we
can act and work appropriately in a debate. Think about a time when you had an argument with
someone. Maybe you were trying to convince your parents or guardians to buy you a cellphone,
but they were a little doubtful about the idea. What did you do to convince them that a fifth
grader, such as yourself, should be allowed to own and use a cellphone? Was it for safety
reasons? Was it because it would help you be more social with your friends? Was it because it
was an easy way to discuss schoolwork with your classmates outside of the classroom walls? I
am willing to bet you found it more effective to find multiple, well thought-out reasons, instead of
just “because I’m right” or “because I said so.” That wouldn’t be very fair or convincing, right?

Through our discussion board, we will be considering proper etiquette that we should
exemplify when we hold our own debate. Think about our actions, voice, attitude, and the
content of our discussion that we should maintain to best hold a fair and appropriate debate.

The information about the debate is again posted below. Many of the essential questions
I will be asking you to focus on when we meet will come from our independent writing activity in
this unit. Remember that our debate will be held synchronously. Ensure that all your technology
is working properly; you can contact the Tech Support team using the information found in your
Student Handbook if any issues occur. As always, I will be available if you have any questions
or concerns.

Information: Synchronous Debate

Ms. Pace’s Justice League students will be meeting synchronously for a 45-minute session in
the Blackboard Collaborate classroom on [Date Here]. Students will be divided amongst two
groups in breakout rooms, and they will work together within their groups to debate several
questions about the heroism of various characters from our stories. Each student will take a

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace

 Pace 2

turn expressing their facts, thoughts, and feelings in response to these questions, presenting
themselves in a previously discussed manner that follows the guidelines for appropriate peer
discussion. Students will be prepared for discussion beforehand through our various course
activities, completed independently and collaboratively through discussions, reading, writing
prompts, and more. Scores for this debate will be based on participation (through webcam,
microphone, and contributions to discussion), ideas/information, comprehension,
persuasiveness, delivery, and rebuttal. If you have questions about the debate, email me or
see me during my office hours in Collaborate.

Ms. Pace

Ms. Aubrey E. Pace