Study Guide byC. K. Robertson, Ph.D. and Peter Samuelson, Ph.D.

v2.11.0801

EPISODE 3COURAGE ・ PERSEVERANCE ・ LOYALTY

for Character EducationFILMclips

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Table of Contents(CLICK A THEME OR CLIP BELOW TO JUMP TO PAGE)

(FOR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES CLICK HERE)

COURAGEStar Wars: The Phantom Menace

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade The Wizard of Oz

Monsters, Inc.

LOYALTYThe Secret Life of Zoey

Shrek School of Rock

Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

PERSEVERANCEThe Addams Family

Chariots of FireParenthood

School of Rock

All clips are under copyright and are used with permission from copyright holders.

None of the movies represented in the Film Clips Series is rated higher than PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America, except for three of the movies in Episode Eight (“Glory”, “Born on the Fourth of July”, and “Saving Private Ryan”). No inappropriate material is included in any of the individual film clips.

Educational StandardsPages 36-40The film clips in this series meet the performance standards.

Spanish/English OptionsOptions for audio and subtitles in English or Spanish are available in “Set-tings” on the main menu of the DVD. Spanish audio is available for most, but not all film clips.

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Welcome to Film Clips for Character Education.

© Film Clips Spirit of America

The following pages contain an exciting new approach to character education which reaches students through a medium for which they have a natural affinity: Hollywood movies. In this nine-part series, clips from the movies are used to assist teachers and students engage in reflection and discussion about character and moral action.

At its core are clips from popular Hollywood movies that exemplify key character traits and issues surrounding moral development. The clips provide students with situations that relate to ‘real life’ experiences and draw them into a natural engagement with the subject. This approach not only stimulates students’ thinking on moral action and character, but enhances their engagement with the regular curriculum in the areas of Language Arts, Social Studies, and Fine Arts.

In this guide you will find resources to help you create the greatest impact with Film Clips. Four clips are listed under each key character trait, for the purpose of illustrating some positive or negative aspect of the given trait and stimulating creative reflection and discussion. This study guide provides a great deal of flexibility for the teacher to use Film Clips most effectively. You will want to use your discretion regarding the appropriateness of both the clips and the suggested activities to the age as well as the intellectual and emotional skill levels of your students.

With this in mind, this study guide can help you take a fresh approach to character education, using the letters F-I-L-M to summarize the appropriate steps:

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Fitting clips to lesson plans and standards.Pages 36-40A list of key education standards covered by the clips and activities suggested in this guide is also available at www.FilmClipsOnline.com.

Creating a Lesson Plan:The teacher can choose to create one 45–50 minute class session, by showing all four clips under a key theme, pausing after each for reaction and discussion (25–30 minutes), and then doing one of the following exercises (15–20 minutes). Alternatively, the teacher can create four 30 minute class sessions by showing one clip, pausing for reaction and discussion (10–15 minutes), and doing one of the following exercises (15–20 minutes).

Introducing clips to students. Pages 6-20As you prepare to show a film clip, you can introduce it with a plot synopsis. This gives students who have not previously seen the movie from which the clip is taken some context for understanding the clip.

Pause the DVD after the on-screen teaser question following the clip.

Listening to students discuss the clips. Pages 6-20The on-screen teaser question following a film clip is designed to initiate thoughtful discussion. The follow-up “Going Deeper” questions should encourage further personal exploration. These questions can be addressed in the context of the whole class, or by splitting the class into small groups and

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then having the groups report back to the larger class after they have explored their thoughts and opinions, or through a written exercise to be handed in later. The quotations help students build higher order thinking skills, foster analysis of the quotation and relate the film clip to their own lives and the topics they are discovering in class.

Character “Word Wall” A “word wall” can help your students develop/build their vocabulary in terms of meaning, context, and relevance. The words below come directly from the video clips themselves or the question prompt at the end of each clip. Developing a word wall is a great way to introduce key vocabulary terms at the beginning of a unit or develop piece by piece as your class explores a unit of study.

Courage Loyalty Perseverance

Fear Leader Determination

Overcome Commitment Will

Moving students to reflection and action. Pages 20-35The film clips offered in this curriculum are designed to be tools for leading students into thoughtful reflection and discussion. To enhance this process, several different pedagogical exercises are presented here. As with the clips themselves, a variety of approaches/exercises is presented so that you can select the one that works best with your students on a particular day to accomplish a particular goal.

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Courage

Theme: The Power of FearFilm: Star Wars: The Phantom Menace(PG) 0:51

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Years before the adventures of Luke Skywalker, young Anakin Skywalker, Luke’s father, seeks to join the ranks of the legendary Jedi knights, keepers of the peace and protectors of the galaxy. In the midst of an interview with Yoda and Mace Windu, key members of the Jedi Council, Anakin is taught an important lesson about the dark power of fear. Knowing that this young boy one day will grow up to become the dreaded Darth Vader, Yoda’s warning to him sounds even more threatening. This 1999 film from Twentieth-Century Fox and Lucasfilm Ltd.is written and directed by George Lucas and produced by Rick McCallum. It stars Liam Neeson, Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Jake Lloyd, Ian McDiarmid, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Prenilla August, and Frank Oz.

Teaser Question: Describe a time when your fear kept you from doing something.

Going Deeper:Do you think most people who are angry are also afraid? Why? Why not? Has fear ever caused you to do the wrong thing? On the other hand, has fear ever caused you to do the right thing? Can fear be a good thing?

Making Choices: You are invited to a party by a person you do not know well, but with whom you would like to become better friends. You know that there will be drinking and no

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parental supervision at the party. You are afraid to go to an unsupervised party but also anxious about what this person will think of you if you do not go. Even if you go, you are afraid to drink but also afraid of what others will say if you don’t drink. In the face of so many different fears, what would you do?

Yoda: “Fear is the path to the dark side.

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.

Hate leads to suffering. I sense much fear in you.”

“The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself.” —Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Theme: Taking the First Step Film: Indiana Jones& the Last Crusade(PG-13) 1:34

He has fought Nazis, thieves, and killers. He has faced countless death traps, supernatural forces, sewer rats and snakes. But now Indiana Jones faces his most fearsome challenge: to take a step of faith against all odds. The situation is desperate; his father, with whom he has recently been reunited, is dying from wounds that cannot be healed by normal means. Indy’s only hope to save his father lies in the miraculous healing powers of the mysterious Holy Grail.

In order to retrieve the Grail, Indiana Jones must reach a cave from which he is separated by a huge chasm. Indy looks down and cannot see the bottom. One step and, surely, he is a dead man. Yet, it is precisely a step that he is asked to take. His father urges him on, knowing that one must step out in faith to

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make it to safety. Indiana has lived his whole life by common sense and reason; this makes no sense. There is, however, no other way. Either he watches his father die, or he trusts his father’s advice and takes that dreaded first step...

This 1989 film from Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm, Ltd. is directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Jeffrey Boam from a story by George Lucas and Menno Meyjes and produced by Robert Watt. It stars Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Denholm Elliott, Alison Doody, John Rhys-Davies, and Julian Glover.

Teaser Question: What enables you to take the first step?

Going Deeper: How is the future like the invisible bridge that Indiana Jones had to step out on? What is the difference between a leap of faith and a leap of foolishness? Making Choices: You’ve moved to a new school. For the first few weeks no one talks to you. You want desperately to make friends, but you are afraid to do so. What will give you the courage to talk to other students? How could others help you gain the courage to take that first step?

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face.” —Eleanor Roosevelt

“One man with courage makes a majority.” —Andrew Jackson

Theme: Pretending to be Brave Film: The Wizard of Oz(G) 1:23

She’s not in Kansas anymore!A tornado sweeps Dorothy and her dog Toto out of Kansas and into the land of Oz. As

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they search for the way home Dorothy and Toto encounter a Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Tin Man who yearns for a heart and a Cowardly Lion who desires above all else ... courage! It will not be that easy, however. The lion pretends to be fierce, but breaks down in tears when Dorothy slaps him.

This 1939 film from MGM is directed by Victor Fleming, written by Moel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf and produced by Mervyn LeRoy. It stars Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Borke, Margaret Hamilton, and Charley Grapewin.

Teaser Question: Describe a time when you pretended to be brave but you were actually scared.

Going Deeper: In a scary situation, what helps more: to pretend that you are brave while inside you are truly scared, or to admit that you are afraid, yet go on? What do others think of us when we say that we are afraid? How do you think Dorothy summoned the courage to stand up to the lion? Would she have done so if her beloved dog Toto were not in danger? Some people say that love casts out fear. Do you agree? Disagree? Why?

Making Choices: You and a group of friends are about to take the biggest test you have ever taken. You get together to study, but no one is able to concentrate because everyone is distracted by fear of failing the test. Should you: A: Try to take their minds off their fear by telling them that they really do know the material? B: Encourage your friends to talk about their fears? C: Leave the group and study by yourself?

“Courage is doing what you’re afraid to do. There can be no courage unless you’re scared. —Eddie Rickenbacker

“You don’t have to be great to start. But you have to get started to be great.” —Keith Davis

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Theme: Overcoming FearFilm: Monsters, Inc.(G) 1:24

Behind the closet door lies your greatest fear, a nightmarish monster created especially for you. At least that is the way that Monsters, Inc. has set up the system. The creatures, who work for Monsters, Inc., steal the screams of children and convert them into energy for the monster city in the otherworld beyond the closet.

The problems start when Sully, a big, blue shaggy monster goes through the wrong door and encounters a little girl he names “Boo.” Sully is not the monster created especially for Boo by Monsters, Inc. Far from fearing him, Boo comes to love the big guy. But this does not mean that Boo is free from fear. Her custom-made monster, the one who can terrify her, is coming for Boo. Her only hope is to find a way to overcome her fear.

This 2001 computer animated film from Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios is directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Lee Unkrich and David Silverman. The screenplay is written by Andrew Stanton and Daniel Gerson from an original story by Pete Docter, Jill Culton, Jeff Pidgeon, and Ralph Eggleston. It is produced by Darla K. Anderson and stars the voice talents of Billy Crystal and John Goodman.

Teaser Question: What helps you overcome your fears?

Going Deeper: How does Sully help Boo deal with her fears? Have you ever been afraid of someone because of how they look, the color of their skin or the clothes they wear? Have you ever changed your mind about someone who made you nervous? How did you lose your fear of that person?

Making Choices: There is a student in school whose clothes

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and hair make that student look tough and angry. You and your friends are intimidated by this person. On Saturday you see this student in a park, sitting alone on a bench. Should you go up and start a conversation, or avoid the person? What would help you overcome your nervousness?“Courage is being scared to death—but saddling up anyway.” —John Wayne

“Never fear shadows. They simply mean that there is light shining somewhere nearby.” —Unknown

LoyaltyTheme: Helping Your FriendsFilm: The Secret Life of Zoey(PG-13) 0:53

Zoey’s best friend discovers drugs and money in Zoey’s locker. What does she do with what she knows? Loyalty means choosing not to tell on a friend, doesn’t it? Or does it mean talking to someone who can help your friend? The choice is big, and it is up to each friend, each true friend, to decide what loyalty really means.

This 2002 TV movie from Lifetime and Viacom is directed by Robert Mandel and written by Betty Goldberg. The executive producer is Patricia Clifford. It stars Mia Farrow, Julia Whelan, and Cliff De Young.

Teaser Question: Is it ever okay to be a snitch? Why? Why not?

Going Deeper: Is keeping a secret the only way, or even the best way to be a loyal friend?

Making Choices: Are there situations where you would keep

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a secret for a friend and others where telling the secret would be the best thing a friend could do? Describe these situations.

“Sometimes you put walls up not to keep people out, but to see who cares enough to break them down.” —Unknown

“Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” —Mothers Against Drunk Driving

Theme: FriendshipFilm: Shrek(PG) 1:26

The main thing about being an ogre is that no one wants to be around one ... and that is perfectly fine with Shrek, an ogre who repeatedly says that all he wants is to be left alone. When his swamp is suddenly overrun with fairy tale characters, Shrek is willing to go to any length to get rid of them, even when that means embarking on a quest to find a princess and deliver her to a power-hungry lord.

Along the way, something happens to Shrek: he begins to care. He begins to care about the princess and he begins to care about his companion on this quest, an often-annoying talkative donkey. Just when Shrek decides that the cost of caring is too high and prepares to retreat to a life of isolation, Donkey teaches him an important lesson.

This animated film from DreamWorks is directed by Andrew Adamson and Vicky Jenson and written by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Joe Stillman, and Roger S. H. Schulman. It is produced by Aron Warner, John H. Williams, and Jeffrey Katzenberg and stars the voice talents of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow.

Teaser Question: Is it okay to hold a grudge? Why? Why not?

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Going Deeper: Are friends always honest about the way they feel? Are there times when making a friend face the truth might be too much to ask?

Making Choices: You know that there is a lot of tension and trouble at your friend’s home. You also know that your friend has not been getting very good grades. You ask how things are going and your friend simply replies, “Things are fine.” Do you leave your friend alone, or do you press your friend to open up? Do you go to others and tell them about your concerns for your friend? How can you best support your friend? Who could you go to for help and advice?

“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.” —Brandi Snyder

“If ever there is tomorrow when we’re not together.. there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart.. i’ll always be with you.” —Winnie the Pooh

Theme: Leaving Someone BehindFilm: School of Rock(PG-13) 0:58

He is loud. He is selfish. He is obnoxious. He started a band. This is one rocker who is about to get a rude awakening from his fellow band members.

This 2003 film from Paramount Pictures is directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White and produced by Scott Rudin. It stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman.

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Teaser Question: Do you think what happened here was okay? Why? Why not?

Going Deeper: When is it wrong to leave someone out of a group? When is it right? If someone wants in, should you automatically include them?

Making Choices: The coach asks you and a few other players who made the team last year to give input on who should make the team this year. Your best friend wants to be on the team but is not as good as some of the others who are trying out. Should you lie, abstain or be honest with the coach about your friend’s abilities? What will you say to your friend?

“Betrayal is the only truth that sticks.” —Aurther Miller

“To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

Theme: CommitmentFilm: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King(PG-13) 0:46

At the foot of Mt. Doom, Frodo, the Hobbit charged with destroying a ring full of evil power, collapses in exhaustion. Sam doesn’t want to lose his friend to the power of the ring and does everything he can to insure its destruction.

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Frodo: I can’t recall the taste of food... nor the sound of

water... nor the touch of grass. I’m... naked in the dark. There’s... nothing. No veil between me and the wheel of fire. I can see him... with my waking eyes.

Sam: Then let us be rid of it (the ring) ... once and for all. Come on, Mr. Frodo. I can’t carry it for you... but I can carry you.

This 2001 film from New Line Cinema and WingNut Films is directed by Peter Jackson and produced by Peter Jackson, Michael Lynne, Mark Ordesky, and Fran Walsh. It is written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkein. It stars Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Orlando Bloom, Ian Holm, and Ian McKellen.

Teaser Question: How do you earn the support of others?

Going Deeper: How do promises and pledges express loyalty (for example, marriage vows or the Pledge of Allegiance)? What do you do if you or a friend breaks a promise or pledge? What does it mean to be loyal? When is loyalty a good thing? When might it be a bad thing?

Making Choices: You have signed up to participate in a neighborhood cleanup day this weekend. Later, a friend calls and asks you to go to a family picnic where there is no one your friend’s age. Your friend doesn’t want to be bored and lonely. The picnic is the same day as the cleanup. Does loyalty help you decide which event you should go to? Which is more important: helping your friend or keeping your promise?

“To lead people, walk beside them. ” —Lao Tszu

“Loyalty means nothing unless it has at its heart the absolute principle of self-sacrifice. —Woodrow Wilson

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Perseverance

Theme: Positive ThinkingFilm: The Addams Family(PG-13) 0:49

It can be frustrating to be different. It can be discouraging when others see you or your family as different. However, when the hard times come and you simply want to give up, it can be an incredible gift to be reminded that all is not lost. Perhaps that is what true families are all about: standing together and surviving together no matter what.

This 1991 film from Paramount Pictures is directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, written by Caroline Thompson and Larry Wilson and produced by Scott Rudin. It stars Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, and Christopher Lloyd.

Teaser Question: What helps you persevere? Why?

Going Deeper: A teacher tells you that you have to keep on working hard in your class because “that is what students do.” Do you think that is a good reason? Is there a better reaon the teacher could give you?

Making Choices: You and your best friend are working on a project which is more difficult and time consuming than you expected. The night before the project is due, your friend leaves after working on it with you for several hours. Your friend explains that your ability to persevere is greater than hers. Now that you are alone, will you keep working? Are you familiar with the saying, “A winner never quits and a quitter never wins?” How about the country song which warns, “You got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em.” How will you make your decision?

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“Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.” —Marie Curie

“If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.” —Thomas J. Watson

Theme: Getting Back UpFilm: Chariots of Fire(PG) 1:58

In a preparation race for the 1924 Olympic trials, Eric Liddell falls, but picks himself up and wins the race.

This 1981 film from Warner Bros., in association with Goldcrest Films, International Film, Allied Stars Ltd., and Enigma Productions is directed by Hugh Hudson. It is written by Colin Welland and stars Nicholas Farrell, Ben Cross, Nigel Havers, Ian Charleson, and Ian Holm.

Teaser Question: “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” -Vince Lombardi. What does this mean?

Going Deeper: Can think of a time that hard work and perseverance enabled you to come from behind and succeed? What is the difference between perseverance and stubbornness? What is meant when an athlete is described as having “a lot of heart?” Does perseverance require sacrifice? Why? Why not?

Making Choices: Your friend (who is a strong leader) seems to be comfortable with both success and failure. Is this an admirable quality? Why? Why not?

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“Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success.” —Dale Carnegie

“The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.” —Tommy Lasorda

Theme: The Way We See ThingsFilm: Parenthood(PG) 1:00

Determined to be a good father and frustrated by his inability to control all the outcomes for his children, Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) detests the “messiness” of life. His wife, Karen, (Mary Steenburgen) insists that life is naturally messy. Grandma (Helen Shaw) prefers life as a thrilling yet frightening roller coaster ride, acknowledging that others might prefer life to be more like a sedate ride on the merry go round. Three people in the same family have different attitudes toward the same events. Is it possible that the way we see things can help us persevere?

This 1989 film from Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment is directed by Ron Howard and written by Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel from a story by Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, and Ron Howard. It is produced by Brian Grazer and stars Steve Martin, Mary Steenburgen, Helen Shaw, Tom Hulce, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton, Keanu Reeves, Jason Robards, and Dianne Wiest.

Teaser Question: How does attitude affect your ability to persevere?

Going Deeper: A Roman philosopher, Epictetus, once said, “Men are not so much affected by events as by the view they

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take of them”. Do you agree? Disagree? Why? Defend your opinion with examples from your own life.

Making Choices: You and our best friend organize and lead a camping trip for some very important people. From the beginning the trip is a disaster. Your friend seems unfazed. You are furious. You think your friend is not realistic. Your friend thinks you are too intense. Should you present the situation to your guests as a problem or an opportunity? What can you do to “adjust” your attitude in difficult situations? Is your attitude likely to have any affect on the outcome of events?

“Ability determines what you do. Motivation determines why you do it. Attitude determines how well you do it.” —Lou Holtz

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I . . . I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” —Robert Frost

Theme: Believing In DreamsFilm: School of Rock(PG-13) 1:51

Dewey has been thrown out of his band and told that he is an utter failure in life. Standing before his students, Dewey tells them the depressing news that failure is all they should ever expect. “The Man,” he claims, will never let them succeed, so they might as well not try at all. His students don’t know what to make of him.

This 2003 film from Paramount Pictures is directed by Richard Linklater, written by Mike White, and produced by Scott Rudin. It stars Jack Black, Joan Cusack, Mike White, and Sarah Silverman.

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Teaser Question: Do you agree with him? Why? Why not?

Going Deeper: How do friends help you persevere? How are they at times not so very helpful? How do you know when working harder will help you succeed or when, no matter how hard you work, you will still not be able to reach your goal?

Making Choices: You have a friend who is good in a sport, but not extraordinary. Your friend dreams of one day becoming a professional athlete. You know that only a small percentage of people ever make it to the professional level. What would you advise your friend to do: A: Press on towards the dream? B: Make an alternate plan as a backup?C: Give up on the dream?

“Keep away from people who belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” —Mark Twain

“You can be anything you want to be, if only you believe with sufficient conviction and act in accordance with your faith; for whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” —Napoleon Hill

Moving students to Reflection & Action Many of these activities are created as original exercises for this Film Clips curriculum. Others have been adapted from existing resources, including the superb National Middle School Association guide, Treasure Chest: A Teacher Advisory Source Book, edited by Cheryl Hoversten, Nancy Doda and John Lounsbury. We heartily commend this and similar resources from the NMSA and related education organizations.

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Food for Thought! 13 Ways to utilize quotes and maxims taken from

or related to the film clips:

1. Build higher order thinking skills by encouraging students to analyze quotes and how they may relate to the associated film clips, their own lives, or a topic they are discovering in class.

2. Use quotes as journal starters and essay prompts. 3. Use quotes as tools to strengthen student writing. Quotes are especially effective in supporting a line of thought expressed by the writer.

4. Improve students test skills. Quotes found in Film Clips are character-based and comparative in nature which is common among state writing tests, the SAT, and many analytical writing prompts.

5. Use quotes to connect concepts across multiple curricula.

6. Students often like to use Film Clips quotes as homework discussion starters with their parents or guardians.

7. Encourage students to share with the class their own quote (one they have heard or read before, or have heard passed down as family favorite sayings) and reflect upon its meaning and context.

8. Students, teams, or collaborative pairs can develop their own personal “Code of Character” or “team motto” based on one of the quotes.

9. Language arts teachers may wish to have students share their own maxims for life or a favorite quote they have heard or read. Scribe that saying on the board just as the students wrote it in the assignment, and have the class interpret the quote for what it means to them.

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10. This can then lead to a grammatical analysis of the quote where the students can edit the student’s rendition of the quote for spelling, punctuation, tense and part of speech.

11. History and social studies teachers often like to have the students research or discover who the author of the quote is, where they came from, when the quote may have been said, and look for any special context or history behind the quote.

12. Use a classroom “Quote of the Week” that provides a theme and a daily assignment, possibly taken from one of the suggestions above, each day of the week.

13. As students learn and analyze more quotes, they provide great material to use for extra credit questions and assignments. This is an excellent way to keep the quotes fresh and in the mind of the students.

Idea Starters!1. Have students tally all their challenges within a two day span. Chart and discuss as a class the impact these had in the past or could have in he future.

2. Create a 1 week long “Help Journal” of times you have helped others.

3. Write a note of appreciation to someone who helped you achieve success or overcome a fear.

4. Celebrate a Classmate activity: Have your students write one nice thing about someone in class who is not necessarily their best friend. Do this three days in a row (or once weekly for three weeks), each time having them write about someone different. Each time read out what was written.

5. Have students identify areas in which they have failed once or numerous times and still worked to come back.

6. Role play different scenarios from each movie, where

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applicable. Students can demonstrate the right way and wrong way to handle various situations dealing with courage, loyalty, perseverance or any other character challenge.

7. Have your students list 30 ways that they may be loyal to themselves or others. Compare lists.

8. Have students compare & contrast two of the different film clips in this episode.

9. Have each student identify a time they showed courage and what led them to this act. Ask them to describe how that made them feel?

10. Encourage your students to ask their parents what fears they had as a child or young adult that they have since overcome.

Courage

Keeping a Journal As a homework assignment or an in-class activity, have your students write two entries in their journal under the heading of “Courage” answering the following question:

Of all the examples of courage demonstrated in the clips, which was your favorite? Why?

Write about a time in your life when you demonstrated courage. Tell of a time when you wished you had courage.

Activity 1: Fear Charades Performance Objective: To build a sense of camaraderie by sharing fears and discovering ways to overcome them.

Materials Needed: Paper and pens/pencils.

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Teachers Instructions: Ask students to write down on a sheet of paper the thing of which they are most afraid (for example, “spiders” or “dark rooms”). They should then fold the paper and put it in their pocket.

When all are finished writing, ask them to go around the room and find someone who shares their fear, BUT WITHOUT SPEAKING OR SHOWING THEIR PAPER. They must act out their fear and see if they can guess one another’s answer, as in the game of Charades. When they have guessed correctly, they can confirm this by showing their folded papers to each other.

Organize groups of people who share similar fears. Encourage them to talk amongst themselves and share ideas on how best to overcome their fear.

Ask the members of each group to act out for the other groups BOTH their common fear AND their proposed way of overcoming that fear. Members of the other groups have to try to guess the charade.

Write on the board the various fears and the proposed solutions, so that the entire class can discuss them.

Activity 2: Profiles of Courage Divide the class into six or seven groups of students.

Supply each group with a newspaper (with all the sections, not simply the front page).

Each group divides the newspaper among themselves.Ask them to search for as many examples of courage as they can find in either stories or photographs and then cut out these stories and photos. Encourage your students to look beyond the front page and think about other, less obvious examples of courage.

After a specified amount of time, have the various groups share their findings with one another and discuss the different

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ways in which people display courage.

For added enjoyment; you can make a contest out of the exercise, seeing which group can find the greatest number of examples in stories and photos. Activity 3: Courageous Critters Performance Objective: To explore the meaning of courage by thinking about animals that can symbolize it.

Materials Needed: Sheets of paper, markers or crayons.

Teachers Instructions: Each student should take a sheet of paper and draw a picture of an animal that symbolizes courage. Encourage free expression of drawing/coloring. Artistic ability is not what is important here, but rather the power of imagination.

When everyone is finished with their pictures, invite them to show their pictures to the rest of the class and tell why they chose that particular animal.

Ask the whole class to debate and finally agree on which one animal they would like to have as their “courage class mascot.” Is it one of the animals already pictured, or did the conversations lead them to come up with a new animal? The students’ pictures can be put on the wall in the hallways to create a “gallery of courage” for other classes to see.

Activity 4: Role Play Performance Objective: To express opinions on a topic through written, oral or dramatic expression.

Materials Needed: Paper, pencil, props for skits.

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Teachers Instructions: Divide the class into groups of five students.

Instruct the groups to come up with a situation contrasting cowardice and courage and develop a short role play or “skit” to present this situation.

Each group presents their skit to the class.

After all the role plays have been performed, lead the class in a discussion of the ideas contained in the skits.

Assessment of the Activities Evaluate all group presentations using a rubric. Suggested points include:

Cooperation/teamwork – 20 Quality of ideas – 40 Organization/accuracy – 20 Oral presentation – 20

Optional Teaching Strategies Have students write a short reflection paper telling about a time when they had to face their fears and overcome them.

Give a random number to each student in the class (for example, 1 to 20 if there are twenty students in the class). Then call out each number in turn and ask that student to go to the board and write down one phobia/one thing that people might be afraid of. They cannot repeat something already written down. When everyone is done, students talk about which of the phobias/fears are the most scary. For younger students, ask them to bring in a favorite stuffed animal from home and talk about how and why it helps make them feel more brave.

Multiple Intelligences Addressed: Verbal-Linguistic Visual-Spatial Bodily-Kinesthetic Logical-Mathematical Intrapersonal Interpersonal

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Loyalty Keeping a Journal As a homework assignment or in a class activity, the students will write three entries in their journal under the heading of Loyalty answering the following questions:

Of all the examples of loyalty demonstrated in the clips, which were your favorites? Why?

Tell of a time when you showed loyalty in your life.

Tell of a time when you were not loyal. What were the consequences?

Activity 1: Telling Secrets Performance Objective: To consider how different situations influence our understanding of what it means to be loyal. Materials Needed: None. Teachers Instructions: Divide the class into small groups of three or four, and ask them to discuss the following situations.

In which situations would you keep a friend’s secret?

In which situations would you feel the need to tell the secret in order to help your friend?

Situation 1: A friend shoplifts/steals from a store.

Situation 2: A friend cheats on a test.

Situation 3: A friend has found some money in school that does not belong to her/him and wants keep it.

Situation 4: A friend has thought about committing suicide and tells you.

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Situation 5: A friend is pregnant and is thinking about having an abortion.

After the groups have taken several minutes to discuss their thoughts with one another, ask them to report their thoughts to the rest of the class. Where there are differences of thought about whether to tell or keep a friend’s secret encourage students to talk about why they made their choices. Activity 2: What is a Friend? Performance Objective: To define what a friend is or does, and to consider the ways in which we do or do not fulfill that definition. Materials Needed: Paper and pens/pencils. Teachers Instructions: Ask each student to take a sheet of paper and draw two lines from top to bottom, creating three separate and equal columns.

In column 1, have students write down as many words as they can think of, one below the other, that complete this sentence, “A friend is/does...”

Ask your students to look at each word listed in column one and answer the question, “Does this word describe me?” In response, they should write either “Yes,” “No,” or “Sometimes,” in column 2.

In column 3, ask students to look at each word in column 1 and think of one person they know who does display that characteristic of friendship.

Ask students to pair up with one another and share what they wrote down. Are their answers similar or different?

After a period of time, ask students to come together and read out their words in column 1, while you write them down on

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the board. Are there many words that were found on several students’ sheets? Ask them how hard or easy it is to be or friend.

Activity 3: Loyalty Mural Performance Objective: To encourage students to think about all the various aspects of loyalty. Materials Needed: A large sheet of poster board or newsprint, colored markers. Teachers Instructions: Write on the top of the sheet of poster board or newsprint the words, “Loyalty is...”

Invite each student to take some colored chalk and express their idea of what loyalty is. They can write anywhere on the sheet, graffiti-style.

Students can return to the sheet and write down another answer, but everyone must contribute at least once.

Lead a class discussion on the things that were written down and then post the mural somewhere in the halls where other classes can see it. Activity 4: Role Play Performance Objective: To express opinions on a topic through written, oral or dramatic expression. Materials Needed: Paper, pencil, props for skits. Teachers Instructions: Divide the class into groups of five students.

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Instruct the groups to come up with a situation where someone displays loyalty to another person or to a group, and then develop a short role play or “skit” to explore this example of loyalty.

Have each group present their skit to the whole class.

After all the role plays have been performed, the teacher leads the whole class in a discussion on the ideas contained in the skits regarding loyalty. Assessment of the Activities: The teacher will evaluate all group presentations using a rubric. Suggested points include: Cooperation/teamwork – 20 Quality of ideas – 40 Organization/accuracy – 20 Oral presentation – 20 Optional Teaching Strategies Have students write individual papers about a time when someone proved to be a loyal friend by displaying “tough love.” In other words, when someone said or did something that was hard to hear or receive, but was really necessary.

Have students work together to create an audio/visual presentation showing examples of loyalty.

Have students re-enact the scene of one of the clips, but with a different ending.

Multiple Intelligences Addressed: Verbal-Linguistic Visual-Spatial Bodily-Kinesthetic Intrapersonal Interpersonal

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Perseverance Keeping a Journal As a homework assignment or class activity, ask your students to write three entries in their journal under the heading of “Perseverance” answering the following statements:

Of all the examples of perseverance demonstrated in the clips, which was your favorite? Why?

Write about a time when you had to persevere against the odds.

Write about a time when you knew it was time to give up and what you did afterward. Activity 1: Steps to Take Performance Objective: To consider the things we need to do in order to reach our goals in life.

Materials Needed: Sheets of paper with steps drawn on them, separate sheets of paper, pens or pencils.

Teachers Instructions: Give each student a sheet of paper with steps drawn on it.

Have students write on the top step a big goal or dream (for example, “be an astronaut,” “be in a band,” “write a book,” “play professional baseball”).

Ask your students to think about what it would take to achieve that particular goal. On a SEPARATE sheet of paper, students can write down the various things that would need to be done.

Have your students should read through the things they wrote and write them down as steps to be taken on the “steps sheet,” reaching up to the top step, which is the goal.

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Split students into pairs to share with one another their “steps sheet,” talking about the goal and the various steps that would need to be taken to get there.

Ask the students (still in pairs) to write on the bottom of the “steps sheet” which classes or extracurricular activities they are doing now that are helpful in working toward the final goal (for example Math and Science for “be an astronaut,” or English for “write a book”). Students then talk with their partners about what they wrote.

Upon finishing, the “steps sheets” can be put on the wall in the classroom or hall. Activity 2: Batting .300 Performance Objective: To re-examine our definitions of success.

Materials Needed: Sheets of paper with a large “Home Plate” drawn on each one, separate sheets, pens/pencils.

Teachers Instructions: Have your students write on a blank sheet of paper their definition of success.

Organize the students in groups of four or five and ask them to share their definitions with one another. What are common elements to their definitions?

While they are in groups, ask them how failure fits into their definitions of success. To be successful, does one need to never fail?

After they have had some time for discussion, ask the class as a whole to identify one of the greatest baseball players of all time. The names they say can be written on the board up front. Then, tell them the reality that the greatest players, the greatest hitters in the game, are those who reach .300 or a

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little higher. This means, on the average, they made a base hit 300 times out of a thousand, or 3 times out of 10. More to the point, this means that the greatest professional baseball players FAIL TO GET A BASE HIT 7 TIMES OUT OF 10!

Hand out the sheets with “Home Plate” on them and ask the students to rewrite their definition of success, accounting for the reality that we fail at something far more often than we succeed. Then, ask your students to share their new definitions. Activity 3: Interviewing the Persistent Performance Objective: To learn from others what it means in real life to persevere in the face of obstacles. Materials Needed: Preparation time, pen and paper, video or audio recorder (optional).

Teachers Instructions: This project should be introduced about one week before it is due.

Ask each student to consider someone that they admire and conduct a brief interview in which they ask the person to talk about the most difficult thing he or she ever had to do and what it took to accomplish it. The person interviewed can be a parent, relative, or anyone the student knows. The interview can be taped, if desired, or simply take the form of a personal conversation. Students need to write down the highlights of what was shared in that interview.

The following week, devote a class session to having students share with the rest of the class what they learned in their interview. Are there common elements to all the different stories? If so, what are they?

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Activity 4: Role Play Performance Objective: To express opinions on a topic through written, oral, or dramatic expression.

Materials Needed: Paper, pencil, props for skits.

Teachers Instructions: The teacher divides the class into groups of 5 students.

Instruct the groups to come up with a situation where someone displays perseverance, and then develop a short role-play or “skit” to present the situation. Have each group present its skit to the whole class.

Assessment of the Activities: The teacher will evaluate all group presentations using a rubric. Suggested points include: Cooperation/teamwork – 20 Quality of ideas – 40 Organization/accuracy – 20 Oral presentation – 20 Optional Teaching Strategies: Have your students conduct research, then write an essay on a famous individual who had to persevere in order to accomplish something great. Examples include President Abraham Lincoln, inventor Thomas Edison, astronaut John Glenn etc.

Have your students write an essay describing situations where it is good to know when to quit, when not to persist in doing something.

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Ask your students draw nine dots on a page, as seen here.

. . . . . . . . .

Ask your students to find a way to connect all nine dots using four straight lines without lifting their pens from the paper. The exercise is very difficult, but possible.

After some time has passed, ask the students to try thinking in nontraditional ways to achieve their goal.

In the end, the only way to accomplish the deed is to work outside the box. Starting at the top right dot, draw a straight line diagonally down to the bottom left dot.

Then, the second line moves right across the box and through and past the bottom right dot.

The third line starts where the second line ended outside the box and goes diagonally across the box through and past the middle right dot and the middle top dot.

The fourth line begins where the third line ended outside the box and goes straight down attaching the left hand column of dots. Thus, an arrow-like set of lines has been created.

Ask your students why it is necessary at times not just to persist, but also to think “outside the box” in order to succeed? Multiple Intelligences Addressed:Verbal-Linguistic Visual-Spatial Intrapersonal Interpersonal Logical-Mathematical

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Fitting Clips to Educational Standards:In recent years, assessment of the academic progress of students has been standardized through the creation of a set of measurable and obtainable goals or standards. Listed here are sample standards that we believe are fulfilled by utilizing the film clips, teaser questions, and various exercises listed in this guide.

Language Arts Standards (Elementary)Topic: Listening/Speaking

Standard: Recalls, interprets, and summarizes information presented orally.Standard: Uses oral language for different purposes: to inform, to persuade, and to entertain.Standard: Responds to literal, inferential, and evaluative questions on orally presented material. Standard: Acquires new vocabulary in each content area and uses it correctly.Standard: Participates in discussions related to curricular learning in all subject areas.Standard: Determines the meaning of a word based on how it is used in an orally presented sentence.

Topic: WritingStandard: Uses a writing process that involves pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing (can involve peer editing), proofreading, and publishing.

Topic: LiteratureStandard: Experiences traditional and contemporary literature through a variety of media.

Social Studies Standards (Elementary)Topic: Information Processing

Standard: Gathers information through reading, listening, observing and surveying.Standard: Locates and utilizes information from a

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variety of sources, e.g., books, newspapers, atlases, glossaries, photographs, videos, computer software, others.Standard: Selects and discusses the main idea from a reading passage or listening activity.Standard: Distinguishes between fiction and non fiction stories.Standard: Analyzes information from two or more sources for agreements, contradictions, facts, and opinions.

Topic: Problem SolvingStandard: Identifies and states a problem related to topic under study.

Standard: Chooses a solution to a problem after supplying the evidence.Standard: Shows respect toward others.

Fine Arts Standards (Elementary)Topic: Artistic Skills and Knowledge: Creating, Performing, Producing

Standard: Identifies and applies dramatic elements of plot, setting, character, and dialogue.Standard: Identifies implicit and explicit main ideas, details, sequences of events, and cause-effect relationships in dramatic presentations.Standard: Describes and demonstrates the role and responsibility of the audience.Standard: Demonstrates an awareness that drama comes from all cultures throughout time and compares and contrasts cultures through drama activities.

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Language Arts Standards (Middle & High)Topic: Listening/Speaking

Standard: Follows oral directions and asks questions for clarification.Standard: Listens and responds to various language patterns and literary forms including regional dialects.Standard: Responds to literal, inferential, and critical questions.Standard: Evaluates messages and effects of mass media (print, radio, cinema, television, internet)Topic: WritingStandard: Uses a writing process that involves pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing (can involve peer editing), proofreading, and publishing.Standard: Writes paragraphs that include unifying ideas and supporting details (may include topic sentence and clincher sentence).Standard: Produces paragraphs and compositions for a variety of purposes (exposition, description, narration, and persuasion).Standard: Experiments with organization, style, purpose, and audience.Standard: Uses available electronic communication technologies in writing.

Social Studies Standards (Middle & High)Topic: Cultural Geography

Standard: Identifies various ethnic groups in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, and describes their impact on the development of the regions (e.g., linguistic patterns and cultural contributions).Standard: Assesses cultural expression of art, music, and literature.Standard: Explains how social institutions (religion, government, and economics) influence the attitudes and behaviors of people.

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Topic: Cultural GeographyStandard: Categorizes important social and cultural developments of the Americas, Europe, and Oceania.

Topic: Problem SolvingStandard: Identifies and defines a problem.Standard: Formulates possible alternatives/solutions to a given problem.Standard: Collects evidence using appropriate, reliable data.Standard: Chooses a reasonable solution from among the various alternatives.Standard: Identifies areas for further study.Standard: Follows established rules.Standard: Shows respect toward others.Standard: Works with a group, following set rules of procedure to complete an assigned task.Standard: Formulates and defends position on issues.Standard: Identifies and uses alternative methods of conflict resolution.

Standard: Participates in planning for effective civic actions and demonstrates effective civic actions.Standard: Recognizes the rights of others to present different viewpoints.

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Fine Arts Standards (Middle & High)Topic: Artistic Skills and Knowledge: Creating, Performing, Producing

Standard: Demonstrates social discipline and appropriate group contribution. Standard: Uses imagination to form and express thought, feeling, and character.

Character-Related StandardsStandard: Retells stories that illustrate positive character traits and will explain how the people in the stories show the qualities of honesty, patriotism, loyalty, courtesy, respect, truth, pride, self-control, moderation, and accomplishment.Standard: Gives examples of how the historical figures under study demonstrate the positive citizenship traits of honesty, dependability, liberty, trustworthiness, honor, civility, good sportsmanship, patience, and compassion.Standard: Demonstrates an understanding of good citizenship.

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Special Thanks to:

Georgia Department of EducationNorth Carolina Department of Public Instruction

National Middle School AssociationAmerican School Counselor Association

Character Education PartnershipCenter for Media LiteracyCenter for Civic EducationDirectors Guild of America

Screen Actors Guild of AmericaWriters Guild of America

American Federation of MusiciansOf the United States and Canada

Buena Vista PicturesDimension Films

DreamworksLions Gate Films

LucasfilmMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer Films

Miramax FilmsNew Line Cinema

Paramount PicturesPixar Animation

Touchstone StudiosTwentieth Century Fox

United ArtistsUniversal Pictures

Walden MediaWalt Disney Pictures

Warner Bros. The Weinstein Company

Visit us online atwww.FilmClipsOnline.com

Film ClipsSPIRIT OF AMERICA

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California 93035

Phone: (805) 984-5907Fax: (805) 984-2397

E-mail: info@filmclipsonline.com

Study Guide design by Scott C. Gold • ScottCGold@gmail.com