Our Centers for Ethics:

Weekly writing prompt

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May 10 - 16, 2009 National Police Week President John F. Kennedy signed a law declaring May 10-16 to be National Police Week to honor all those who have died in the line of duty. To commemorate the occasion, students will explore the value of citizenship by describing their images of heroism.

Write or discuss it! Foundations for Life gives teachers an easy way to improve students' critical thinking and composition skills. Each of these weekly prompts comes with a maxim illuminating an ethical issue. Students can analyze it and apply it to current events and their own lives, through discussion or writing. Each prompt also references at least one of the Six Pillars of Character: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. As a result, students can easily tie the author’s words to community values. Suggestions for using the prompts:

• Read the biographies in the Teacher’s Resource.
• Present the maxim to the students.
• Briefly discuss:
  •   What did the author mean?
  •   Can you think of ways the statement applies to something in your life?
• Point out the Pillar related to the maxim.
• Present the writing prompt to the students and have them answer these questions in their draft book or other format.

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Elementary level

"There’s a hero in all of us who keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble and finally allows us to [live] with pride."
– Aunt May Parker, in Spider Man 2

Focus Pillar: Citizenship
A hero demonstrates exceptional courage for a noble purpose. Think about a time when you felt strong enough to put someone else’s needs before your own. Describe this situation as clearly as possible, being sure to include:

• Details on the setting
• Who was involved
• What happened
• Sounds, smells and sights you remember

Suggested extension activity: Have students vote for their favorite descriptions, then let them reenact that moment.

Secondary level

"Lives of great people all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time."
– Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, poet (1807-1182)

Focus Pillar:Citizenship
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. commemorates the 14,600 officers killed in the line of duty. Statues of lions and a wall engraved with the names of fallen officers are features of the memorial. If you were to build a memorial to celebrate these heroes, what would you include in the design? Write a descriptive essay about your memorial that includes:

• Description of what it looks like
• Sensory details that visitors would experience (sights, sounds and smells)
• Symbolic elements and an explanation of what they represent
• How the features of your memorial pay homage to police officers

Suggested extension activity: Encourage students to create a picture or model of their memorial to share with the class.

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