Heroes Who Did Brave Things

Today you will learn to identify heroes and describe their heroic deeds. A hero is a person who does something brave to help others. A heroic deed is the brave action the hero takes. To identify a hero, look for someone who helps others even when it is hard or scary. To describe a heroic deed, tell what the person did, who they helped, and why it was brave. Here is a model of a description: "A firefighter ran into a burning house. She carried a boy out safely. She did this even though the fire was dangerous." That is how you describe a deed.

Harriet Tubman was a hero long ago. She was born enslaved. She escaped to freedom. Then she went back many times to help others. She led people to freedom on the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad was a secret network of paths and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape. She risked her life every time. That is a heroic deed.

Todd Beamer was a hero in our own time. On September 11, 2001, hijackers took over an airplane called United Flight 93. Todd Beamer and other passengers decided to fight back. They rushed the hijackers. The plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. It never reached its target. Their brave deed saved many lives on the ground.

Other contemporary heroes are people who did brave deeds in our own time. Welles Crowther is one of them. On September 11, 2001, he was inside a tall building in New York when it was attacked. He wore a red bandana over his face to block the smoke. He led hurt and scared people down the stairs to safety. Then he went back up to help more people. He did not make it out, but many people lived because of him. Rick Husband is another contemporary hero. He grew up in Amarillo, Texas. He became an astronaut and commanded the space shuttle Columbia in 2003. He and his crew did science to help people on Earth. The shuttle broke apart over Texas coming home, and the crew died. He knew space travel was risky and went anyway. You can also find heroes right in your town. Nurses, teachers, soldiers, and police officers help others every day.

Why do heroes matter? Heroes show us how to be brave and kind. Communities remember them. Texas and our whole nation tell their stories. Their deeds become part of who we are.

Try it: Name one hero from this lesson or from your town, and describe the brave deed that person did.