New York's Bravest Unit Study & Lapbook

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Are you looking lessons and activities for New York’s Bravest? Grab our free unit study and lapbook. This larger than life story focuses on heroes, and the lessons in the New York’s Bravest unit study include courage, patriotism, legends, remembering 9/11, writing a letter to a hero, and more.

Thanks to Christa Stepien for preparing this New York’s Bravest unit study for Homeschool Share.

New York’s Bravest Book Summary

In the 1840s, there was a real vounteer firefighter named Mose Humphreys whose bravery was reknown throughout New York City. Plays about him began being performed on Broadway in 1848 and over the years his strength and heroics took on larger-than-life proportions, much like those of Paul Bunyan.
from New York’s Bravest at amazon.com

New York’s Bravest Unit Study Lessons

This unit study includes lessons and activities based on the book New York’s Bravest by Mary Pope Osborne.

Here is a sample of the lessons found in this New York’s Bravest unit study:

Character Building: Courage
“When others ran away from danger, Mose ran toward it.” Mose is courageous.

Talk about what this means with your student. Why would someone put their own life in danger to rescue someone else?

Talk with your student about a hero. What role does a hero play in society? What character traits does a true hero possess? Does your student know anyone who he considers a hero?

Patriotism: Being an American
Mose is an American hero. When you hear stories about people like Mose who act in wonderful, selfless ways, it makes you feel good. When those people represent your country, it makes you even more proud because you share something with them! Culture assimilates these stories into our identity, to represent what kind of a person “an American” should be. What kind of traits does your child think of when they think of an American?

History: September 11, 2001
Read the dedication page. If your child is not familiar with the events that happened on that day, discuss it with them in an age-appropriate manor. If your student wants to learn more, try our Fireboat activities and lessons.

History: Clues to the Past
When does this book take place? Look at the clues in the illustrations. Look at the firetruck and pickaxe. Is this story modern, or did it take place in the past?

The author also leaves clues: mining gold, the newspaper costs one penny, the horse drawn trolley, speculations that maybe Mose went to work for Lincoln. Lincoln’s term in office was from 1861-1865.

To access all of the lessons in this unit study, grab an easy-to-print file at the end of this post.

New York’s Bravest Lapbook Mini-books

The file also includes the following mini-books that your student can use to make a lapbook:

My Little Book About Abraham Lincoln
Mose: Fact or Fiction?
My Visit to the Fire Station Mini-book
Five Fast Facts About New York City page
Fire Safety Mini-book
Clues to the Past Simple Fold
What Is a Rumor? Simple Fold
What Is Courage? Simple Fold

How to Get Started with the New York’s Bravest Unit Study

Follow these simple instructions to get started with the New York’s Bravest unit study and lapbook:

Buy a copy of the book, New York’s Bravest, or grab one from your local library.
Print the New York’s Bravest unit study.
Choose the lessons you want to use with your student (a highlighter works great for this).
Enjoy a week of book-based learning with your student.