I love to teach.  I love that moment when the words you say to a student make their eyes suddenly light up with recognition and understanding.  In those moments you can actually see their world suddenly becoming a little bit bigger.  Yet sometimes these moments are few and far between.  Sometimes the day to day business of teaching becomes just that — business.  Sometimes it is hard to be inspired.

When I was asked to write the educational supplements for Courage I was, quite frankly, elated.  Having participated during production as one of the Art Designers I knew that this series was something more than just pure entertainment.  From the very beginning, the story draws us in and invites us to think deeper.  I felt that this was a key ingredient to writing compelling supplement lesson plans.  The story backs up the learning in a fantastic way.

Yet, for teachers in today’s public schools it has become increasingly more difficult to incorporate interesting, engaging material that goes beyond the scope of standardized textbooks and worksheets. Most schools are under a lot of pressure to raise test scores and increase their school’s level of performance. As a result, many teachers are forced to contend with some difficult questions: How can we as educators present creative material that is student-centered while still teaching the material on the tests? How can we fit “fun” activities into a busy pacing schedule?

When designing the curriculum to accompany Courage, I tried my best to address these questions. It was important to me that the lesson plans could fit seamlessly into the existing standards that public schools must address.  These lessons must also address elementary, middle, and high school lessons.  In addition, I have worked to include additional material for private and home school use.  In other words, the Courage story can and should be applied to every kind of school situation at every level.

In creating the lessons I realize that most teachers will adapt the material further to meet their individual needs.  Still, it is my hope that the lessons and activities will help spark some inspiration, invite discussion, and of course and lead to some more of those ecstatic “aha!” moments.