Page 99 - SpringBoard_ELA_Grade8_Flipbook

aCTIvITy 1.13
continued
definition Strategies
debunking: proving false paraplegic: not having movement in the legs
corruption: fraud
strive: to work hard for ridiculing: making fun of
Word CoNNeCTIoNS
Etymology
The English word advocate was first used in the mid- 1300s to refer to someone who argues a case in court.
It was derived from the
French word avocar, meaning “spokesman,” which was
itself derived from the Latin advocatus, meaning “one called to aid.” The word voice also derives from the Latin root vocare, which means “call.” The word advocate was first used as a verb in the 1640s.
3 The simple acts of heroism are often overlooked—that’s very clear to me not only in war but in peace. I’m not debunking all of history: Crossing the Delaware was a magnificent action. But I am saying that I think the meaning of heroism has a lot
to do with evolving into a higher human being. I came into contact with it when
I worked with Ron Kovic, the paraplegic Vietnam vet, on Born on the Fourth of July.
I was impressed by his life change, from a patriotic and strong-willed athlete to someone who had to deal with the total surrender of his body, who grew into a nonviolent and peaceful advocate of change in the Martin Luther King, Jr., and Gandhi tradition. So heroism is tied to an evolution of consciousness....
4 Since the war, I’ve had children, and I’m wrestling now with the everyday problems of trying to share my knowledge with them without overwhelming them. It’s difficult to be a father, to be a mother, and I think that to be a kind and loving parent is an act of heroism. So there you go—heroes are everyday, common people. Most of what they do goes unheralded, unappreciated. And that, ironically, is heroism: not to be recognized.
5 Who is heroic? Scientists who spend years of their lives trying to find cures
for diseases. The teenager who says no to crack. The inner-city kid who works at McDonald’s instead of selling drugs. The kid who stands alone instead of joining a gang, which would give him an instant identity. The celebrity who remains modest and treats others with respect, or who uses his position to help society. The student who defers the immediate pleasure of making money and finishes college or high school. People who take risks despite fears. People in wheelchairs who don’t give up....
6 We have a lot of corruption in our society. But we mustn’t assume that everything is always basely motivated. We should allow for the heroic impulse—which is to be greater than oneself, to try to find another version of oneself, to grow. That’s where virtue comes from. And we must allow our young generation to strive for virtue, instead of ridiculing it.
Second Read
• Reread the article to answer these text-dependent questions.
• Write any additional questions you have about the text in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
4. Key Ideas and Details: What is the connection among the examples of heroes Stone lists in paragraph 5?
Working from the Text
5. How is Stone’s definition of a hero different from the traditional idea of a hero as represented by the examples in paragraph 1?
6. State Stone’s definition of heroism in one concise statement.
my Notes
INdepeNdeNT
readING LINk
Read and Respond
Think about how you could use the protagonist of the book you are reading as part of a definition of a hero. How is he/she an example of a heroic type? Write your response in your Reader/Writer Notebook.
72 SpringBoard® English Language Arts Grade 8
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