Reimagining Courage: Expanding the Definition

Engage: Initial Brainstorm (5-7 minutes)

• Ask students to write the word “courage” in the center of their notebook page.
• Invite them to draw or write:
  • Words
  • Images
  • Phrases
  • Associations
• Encourage rapid thinking 

Partner Dialogue: Defining Courage (5-7 minutes)

• Students turn to a partner and:
  • Share their brainstormed ideas
  • Develop a joint definition of courage
• Invite a few pairs to share aloud
  
• Facilitate brief reflection:
  • What similarities did we hear?
  • What differences stood out?
  • Did courage feel big? Quiet? Physical? Emotional?

Introduce Figurative Language (5 minutes)

• Read the following quote from activist and healer Max Turk:“Like the first bird to make the first birdsong before dawn breaks, the molecules of water that move beyond the path of least resistance, the voice that says no when necessary, but also the voice that says ‘yes.’ Courage.”

• Explain: Turk uses figurative language, specifically similes, to define courage through imagery rather than direct explanation

Analyze the Imagery (10 minutes)

• In partners, students discuss:
  • How does the “first bird” show courage?
  • How do the “molecules of water” show courage?
  • How does the “voice” show courage?
    
• Encourage students to consider:
  • Risk
  • Resistance
  • Choice
  • Timing
  • Visibility
• Bring the class back together and invite brief share-outs

Create: Writing a Mini-Poem (15-20 minutes)

• In pairs, students brainstorm three new images that represent courage based on their evolving definition
  • Using Turk’s structure as a model, they write a short minipoem beginning with: “Like…”
  • And ending with:“Courage.”
• Encourage metaphor and specificity

Share: Collective Reflection (10 minutes)

• Students sit or stand in a circle and read their poems aloud
• After each reading, classmates may:
  • Snap or clap briefly in appreciation
• When all have shared, facilitate discussion:
  • What patterns or themes did we notice?
  • Did courage sound different than when we began?
  • What surprised you?

Reflection & Application (5-10 minutes)

• Invite students to respond in writing:
  • What new insights about courage emerged through poetry?
  • How might courage show up in everyday life?
  • What is one small situation this week where you might practice the kind of courage described in your poem?
    
• Optional extension:
  • Students may expand their minipoem into a longer poem, short story, or reflective essay

Educator Support

• Facilitation Tips
  • Emphasize there is no single correct definition
  • Model creative risk-taking
  • Validate quiet forms of courage

• Differentiation
  • Allow students to draw instead of write
  • Provide sentence starters for students who struggle with figurative language
  • Offer individual writing option instead of pair writing

• Assessment
  • Quality of metaphor
  • Depth of reflection
  • Participation in dialogue
  • Written reflections
• School Support
  • This activity is low-intensity and safe for most contexts.