The men of the Breckinridge family have a long history of service to the nation, including many politicians, soldiers, and even a vice president of the United States. But it was a woman in the family, Mary, who had, arguably, the most direct and long-lived impact on those she served. As the founder of the Frontier Nursing Service (FNS) of Eastern Kentucky, Mary Breckinridge forever changed the health and well being of people of Appalachia. This lesson examines the efforts of the nurses who provided medical assistance to isolated mountain communities and asks students to evaluate the extent to which these women were heroes or heroines. Conducted in a fifth grade class in an urban Title 1 school located within a small Midwestern city, this lesson was taught during a unit on the 1920s and 1930s. Instruction spanned the day's reading and social studies lessons, lasting approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes. Because many outside of Eastern Kentucky are probably unfamiliar with Mary Breckinridge and the FNS, a brief overview of each is presented, prior to the lesson description.