Classroom Discussion Guide

Everyone has challenges to overcome. The self-confidence produced by conquering physical and mental challenges can build strength to face moral challenges successfully and to appreciate similar situations faced by others. Here are some ideas for discussion:

  1.  What is a hero? Who are your heroes? Who are your role models? Why?
  2.  Discuss: A hero is an ordinary person who rises to an extraordinary challenge.
  3.  Have you ever been told you will never be a pilot or other lofty goal for arbitrary reasons?
  4.  What role did black soldiers have in the Revolutionary War and Civil War?
  5.  Why were segregation rules still in effect almost 100 years after the Civil War?
  6.  How were various minorities around the world treated before and during World War II?
  7.  Is bigotry based on race, or is race just an easy way to select a target for bigotry?
  8.  Would a person who has proper self-respect feel threatened by people who are different?
  9.  How does a person develop self-respect?
  10. What is diversity? How can diversity help our country, an organization, or a school?
  11. Do you just tolerate people who are different, or do you appreciate their unique attributes?
  12. Would you risk your career to end a social injustice?
  13. How have the Tuskegee Airmen changed American History?
  14. What does the story of the Tuskegee Airmen mean to you?
  15. Both Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein said they reached higher because they stood on the shoulders of giants. What will you reach for?