Defining Courage

This worksheet engages students in Grades 6, 7, and 8 as they analyze excerpts from Theodore Roosevelt and Maya Angelou to explore how courage is defined across different voices and genres. Through close reading, thematic comparison, author perspective analysis, and evidence-based responses, students examine how background, purpose, and context shape each author’s view of courage in a speech versus a reflective essay.

Key Learning Objectives

• Comparing Author Perspectives (Grades 6-8) – Analyze similarities and differences in how Roosevelt and Angelou define courage.
• Theme & Concept Analysis – Examine courage as a practical action, philosophical stance, or personal value.
• Author Background & Purpose – Consider how life experiences and goals influence each author’s viewpoint.
• Textual Evidence for Comparison – Support interpretations with specific details from both excerpts.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with middle school ELA standards.
• Cross-Genre Comparison – Helps students compare ideas across a speech and a reflective essay.
• Critical Thinking Focus – Prompts evaluation of which definition feels more practical or philosophical and why.
• Structured Analytical Questions – Guides students to organize comparisons clearly and thoughtfully.
• Low-Prep Printable – Easy to use for classroom instruction, small groups, independent practice, or homeschool lessons.

This defining courage worksheet helps students strengthen comparative analysis, thematic reasoning, and evidence-based writing skills. By examining how Roosevelt and Angelou approach courage from different perspectives, learners gain insight into how authors communicate complex ideas through genre, tone, and purpose. It’s a discussion-ready, thought-provoking resource that supports deeper interpretation and critical thinking in both classroom and homeschool settings.

This worksheet is part of our comparisons & connections in reading worksheets collection.