Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey

Fireboat is the real-life story of the John J. Harvey, which was first launched in 1931. After many years of service fighting fires along the Hudson River, the boat was finally retired. In 1995, several New Yorkers bought and restored the old fireboat. This inspiring book tells how, and why, the Harvey was called into service again on September 11, 2001.

To buy this book, click here or on the book cover.

Enrichment Activities
Internet Resources
Books by Maira Kalman

Enrichment Activities

• Activities to Honor Heroes

  These three activities will enable students to identify the characteristics of a hero and complete a project that reflects the person.

• Appreciation Cards

  Have students make Appreciation Cards for people who have jobs that impact the students' lives.

• Characteristics of Heroes

  Write a list of character traits on the board (like bravery, intelligence, etc). Go through the character traits one at a time and discuss whether each particular trait would make a person a hero. Then have the group write down which of those traits they see in their friends and in themselves.

• Compare and Contrast

  Use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the way the owners of the John J. Harvey felt on September 10 versus September 11.

• Empathy and Peace-Building Activities

  Use these activities with young children to help them learn about each other, communicate positive messages, and more.

• Hero/Heroine Writing Activities

  With these lessons and activities students can use creative writing to explore the topic of heroes.

• If I Were a Hero, I Would...

  Have your students write an essay called, "If I Were a Hero, I Would…" Will they care about their friends, help their parents, be kind to people, say hello to neighbors? This exercise encourages students to think of themselves as heroes and feel good about it.

• September 11, 2001

  Help your students understand the events of September 11, 2001, with our collection of articles, lessons, and advice.

• Children's Literature on September 11

  This collection of books about September 11 will help you extend your teaching of Fireboat: The Heroic Adventures of the John J. Harvey to include more literature on the topic.

Internet Resources

Bibliography of September 11 Books
Grade Levels: All
http://teachervision.com/american-history-us-history/childrens-literature-on-september-11-2001

Heroes Articles
Grade Levels: All
A collection of articles and resources on heroes and heroines.
Heros

The John J. Harvey
Grade Levels: All
This site includes the history of the John J. Harvey, as well as a photo gallery and a description of the important role the boat played in helping on September 11.
http://www.fireboat.org/

The Many Uses of Fireboats
Grade Levels: Intermediate, Middle, Secondary
This article describes the many uses of a fireboat and the times in history it has been used to save waterfront cities, such as New York and San Francisco.
http://www.marinefirefighting.com/Pages/Newsletters/Newsletter9.htm

September 11 Teacher Resources
Grade Levels: All
Find lessons and helpful suggestions to deal with this difficult topic.
http://teachervision.com/lesson/6807

Word Find Puzzle Maker
Grade Levels: All
Use this Family Education site to create a word find puzzle using vocabulary words from Fireboat.
http://www.funbrain.com/detect/index.html

Books by Maira Kalman