American Pop

• Theme in Life: Heroes are people who take action to make things better for others.
• Theme in Art: Art can celebrate heroes.

Key Questions

Look & Make Choices

1. How did the artist use cropping in the artwork?
How can I use cropping in my artwork?
2. How did the artist combine words and images to tell a story?
How can I combine words and images to tell my story?

Look at More Art

3. How have other artists celebrated heroes through art?
How can I show the theme of heroism in my art?

Community Connections

When we think of heroes we may think of people in the military whose service to their country led to great sacrifices, like Pat Tillman, an Arizona football star who volunteered after the 9/11 attacks and was killed in Iraq; or Lori Piestewa, after whom Phoenix’s Piestewa Peak is named to honor her as the first Native American woman to die in combat in the history of the U.S. military; or John McCain, who was imprisoned and tortured for years after his plane was shot down in North Vietnam and who refused an offer of early release ahead of his fellow prisoners. More recently 19 members of the Granite Peak Hot Shots gave their lives fighting a fire threatening the homes and property of people in and around Yarnell, Arizona. Everyday, other Arizona heroes, often anonymously, step up and give their time and/or money to others through regular, systematic ways or spontaneously, when they see a need and come to the rescue.