The Hero Inside Us
An assembly from the Culham St Gabriel archive
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To consider that everyone can be a hero.
Preparation and materials
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Have available Crown Imperial, a march by William Walton, and the means to play it during the assembly. It is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WMrQe87gRk and is 6.36 minutes long.
You may like to pick out times in the music when you want to put in statements or allow the children time to think about what you have said. -
You will also need to make a large medal out of shiny paper with the word HERO on it. Have it on display during the assembly.
Assembly
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Start to play Crown Imperial, a march by William Walton.
Using the music as a backdrop, and with a dramatic delivery, talk about how you want to introduce the children to some very special people who have done amazing things: helping others, being brave, standing up for what is right and so on. -
Turn the music down and explain that, before you introduce the heroes, you want to hear the children’s ideas about heroes.
Ask the following questions.
- What is a ‘hero’?
- What do heroes do?
- How do people treat them? -
Show the medal to the children.
Discuss who might receive a medal and why they might receive it. Explain that this medal is for a group of great heroes to whom you would like to introduce them. Ask all of the children to clap in appreciation for them. -
As the children clap, pretend that you are looking all round the hall, off to the side or behind where the children are seated. The children will look round to see where you are looking. Allow a good amount of time for the applause to die down, keep smiling and look really pleased, gradually making it obvious that you are looking at the children themselves. Let the applause subside.
Slowly allow it to dawn on the children that you are looking at them.Announce that actually they are the heroes.
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Explain that everyone can be, and is, a hero of one form or another. One definition of a hero could be someone who affects or changes the lives of others for the better. If that is so, we all have the power to do this. We all have the power to be heroes.
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Ask the children to think of something they have done that they feel has helped or affected someone’s life for the better. They might like to share their ideas and experiences.
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Explore the idea that we don’t always know the results of our actions. Sometimes, we can be a hero without intending to, or even without knowing that we have done a good deed. Often, these situations can be the most heroic, because we receive no thanks or reward.
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Set the children the challenge of doing something heroic today. Point out that it doesn’t matter how small the act or deed is. It just needs to be something that makes someone else’s life better in some way.
Time for reflection
Throughout history, there have been many heroes. We hear about them, read about them, see them on television and enjoy their stories in films.
Ask the children to think about a famous hero, and then ask the following questions.
- What did the hero do?
- How did the hero do it?
- What do they think were the hero’s thoughts and feelings?
- What effect will the hero’s story have on their lives?
Ask the children to think about the act that they are going to perform today that will make a person’s life better.
Prayer
Dear God,
Throughout history, you have given people the gifts of courage, caring, strength, wisdom and love to help each other.
Help us to learn from these examples.
Help us to do good things because we care, not just so that we can receive praise and thanks.
Helps us always to seek to love and care for others.
Amen.
Song/music
Play Crown Imperial again as the children leave.
