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Brave Hearts
Key Idea: Acting upon core ethical values often requires moral courage.
Character Traits: Courage/Kindness/Honesty
Level: Secondary

Good morning, name of school . This is name of narrator with a few

words of wisdom.

The word courage comes from the Latin word cor, which means "the heart,"
and to be courageous can simply mean listening to your heart in a difficult
situation. Courage can mean facing a physical challenge like climbing a
mountain, but more often, courage means facing another kind of challenge,
like whether to go along with the crowd when your heart tells you it's wrong.
When we listen to our heart, we listen to our conscience and act in ways
that we can be proud of.

Listen to these words from Maya Angelou:

Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with

consistency. We can't be kind, true, merciful, generous, or
honest.

Think about it. It takes both kindness and courage to stand up for the victim
of a bully. It can take honesty and courage to tell the truth. In other words, it
takes courage to do the right thing in the face of a challenge, and it's that
kind of courage — moral courage — that matters most.

With something to think about, this is ___________. Make it a great day . . .

or not. The choice is yours.

Broadcast Message
ERS07-72 (REV 01-18)
Teacher Copy

Brave Hearts
Key Idea: Acting upon core ethical values often requires moral courage.

Character Traits: Courage/Kindness/Honesty

Concept: Students will explore the idea that acting upon core ethical values can require
great moral courage.

Materials: Suggested activities for art classes may require materials for creating a drawing,
painting, or poster.

Directions: Read or ask a student to read aloud the Project Wisdom message that
accompanies this lesson plan. Distribute and have the students complete the
worksheet. Ask for volunteers to share responses to the following questions.

Discussion Generators
For Message and/or Worksheet
1. What is the difference between having physical courage (courage to face physical pain or
hardship) and moral courage (courage to do the right thing in the face of opposition, scandal,
etc.)?
2. Which do you believe is most difficult — physical courage or moral courage? Why?
3. Name some difficult situations and choices that teenagers face that require moral courage.
4. Listening to your heart is the same thing as listening to your conscience. It's the urge to do right
over wrong. It can be very difficult to listen to your conscience in some situations. Why?
5. Maya Angelou said that it can take courage to be merciful. To be merciful means to be
compassionate. Do you agree or disagree? Give an example to support your opinion.
6. She also says it can take courage to be generous. Do you agree or disagree? Give an example to
support your opinion.
For the Worksheet
1. Moral courage requires acting from the heart and doing the right thing even in the face of
opposition. What is the difference between foolish risk-taking and moral courage? Is it necessary
to take appropriate risks in life?
2. What does moral courage have to do with racism? bullying? cheating?
3. Moral courage is the courage to put honesty, respect, compassion, fairness, responsibility into
action. Name an historical figure that had moral courage in the face of great opposition. What did
he or she do? What can you learn from him or her?
4. (Challenge) How did you paraphrase the words of Aristotle below? Do you agree? Why or why
not?

Closing Comments – Moral courage is something we all admire. History gives us many great examples
of moral courage in heroes like Gandhi, Anne Frank, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Moral courage
requires that we act upon the principles in which we believe, while being conscious and aware of the risks
involved. Moral courage can be encouraged and taught by example and by practice. Learning to have the
courage of your convictions is an important part of creating a life that is both successful and meaningful.

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 Student Copy

Brave Hearts
It takes both kindness and courage to stand up for the victim of a bully. It can take
GLOSSARY
honesty and courage to tell the truth. In other words, it takes courage to do the
right thing in the face of a challenge, and it's that kind of courage — moral
courage — that matters most.
temperate
1. Moral courage requires acting from the heart and doing the right thing even in
exercising the face of opposition. What is the difference between foolish risk-taking and
moderation; moral courage? Is it necessary to take appropriate risks in life?
restrained __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
compassion __________________________________________________________________
sharing the __________________________________________________________________
feelings of __________________________________________________________________
others in ______________________________________________________________over
distress and
wanting to 2. What does moral courage have to do with the following?
help them
Racism ________________________________________________________over
excellence Bullying _______________________________________________________over
Cheating ______________________________________________________ over
the quality of
being
3. Moral courage is the courage to put honesty, respect, compassion, fairness,
outstanding
responsibility into action. Name an historical figure who had moral courage in the
or extremely
face of great opposition. What did he or she do? What can you learn from him or
good
her?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________over

4. (Challenge) Paraphrase the words of Aristotle below. Do you agree? Why or

why not?

Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit. We become just by doing

just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts.
~ Aristotle
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________over

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Brave Hearts
Follow-up Activities

Art

• Do you believe that artists have an ethical responsibility when they produce artwork for public
consumption? Do you think that art can shape our ethics as a society? Why or why not? Discuss.
It takes courage to make artwork that challenges the ethical status quo. Can you think of any
particular artists who did this? Brainstorm and discuss. What was the result? Discuss. (One
example: The Slave Ship, by J.M.W. Turner)

• The Aztecs believed that in order to be a true artist a person had to become a yolteotl, or "a heart
rooted in god" (Carrasco, D. & Sessions, S., 1998, Daily Life of the Aztecs: People of the Sun
and Earth, Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, p. 163). Do you think we have a similar idea about
artists? Why or why not? Do you think as a society we value the ethical implications of artwork?
Do you think we should? Why or why not? Discuss.

Social Studies

• It took courage for the founding fathers to establish our country. Does a democratic society
require courage of its citizens? Why or why not? Discuss.

• Brainstorm movements within American history that were grounded in ethical questions (freedom
of the slaves, women's suffrage, civil rights, etc.). Could these have taken place without the
courage of a few individuals? What are some issues that require brave individuals to address
today? Brainstorm and discuss.

• Should public officials and those in positions of power be held to a higher moral standard?
Explain.

Language Arts

• Discuss the role of the media in society. Do you think courage is a prerequisite for being a
journalist? Why or why not? Discuss.

• Do you believe that writers have an ethical responsibility when they produce literature for public
consumption? Do you think that literature can shape society's ethics? Why or why not? Discuss.
It takes courage to publish something that challenges the ethical status quo. Can you think of any
particular writer who did this? Brainstorm and discuss. What was the result? Discuss. (One
example: Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe)

Math

• We sometimes think of mathematics as being beyond the scope of ethical dilemmas. Is it? What
are some of the ethical considerations mathematicians must wrestle with as they work?
Brainstorm and discuss.

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 • Is it enough to "let the numbers speak for themselves," or does it require human courage to
champion a cause that is first made evident by what the numbers show? Why or why not? Can
you think of instances when mathematicians had to exhibit courage to help change an established
paradigm? Brainstorm and discuss.

Science

• Discuss Galileo Galilei and other scientists of the scientific revolution. Where would we be if
they had not shown the courage of their convictions? What scientific causes require courage on
the part of their champions today? Brainstorm and discuss.

• Discuss the ethics involved in scientific research. Introduce your students to the Institutional
Review Board. Does it take courage to stand up for the rights of subjects (animal or human) in
scientific research? Why or why not? Can you name a time when the rights of subjects were
ignored in the name of science? (the Tuskegee study). What was the result? Discuss.

• Some people disagree with the methodologies of some scientific research. If you knew that a
particular research was being conducted that did not correlate with your personal beliefs and
standards, would you take a stand? How would you do that? Explain.

Computer Science

• In what ways is the Internet being used to champion moral or ethical causes? Is it an effective
tool? Why or why not? Discuss.

• Ask your students to use your graphics program to make a poster encouraging others to have the
courage of their convictions. Ask them to come up with an original slogan around the issue.
Afterward, view the products and choose one as a class to reproduce and post around campus.

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