L2L Activity Guide

LEARN TO LEAD

ACTIVITY GUIDE

CIVIL AIR PATROL CADET PROGRAMS

TEAM LEADERSHIP P ROBLE MS

MOVIE LEARNING GUIDES

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDES

LEARN TO LEAD ACTIVITY GUIDE

Do you learn best by reading? By listening to a lecture? By watching someone at work? If

you’re like most people, you prefer to learn by doing. That is the idea behind the Learn to Lead

Activity Guide. Inside this guide, you will find:!

• Hands-on, experiential learning opportunities

• Case studies, games, movies, and puzzles that test cadets’ ability to solve

problems and communicate in a team environment

• Recipe-like lesson plans that identify the objective of each activity, explain how to

execute the activity, and outline the main teaching points

• Lesson plans are easy to understand yet detailed enough for a cadet officer or NCO

to lead, under senior member guidance

The Activity Guide includes the following:

• 24 team leadership problems — Geared to cadets in Phase I of the Cadet Program, each

team leadership problem lesson plan is activity- focused and addresses one of the following

themes: icebreakers, teamwork fundamentals, problem solving, communication skills,

conflict resolution, or leadership styles. Each lesson plan includes step-by-step instructions on

how to lead the activity, plus discussion questions for a debriefing phase in which cadets

summarize the lessons learned.

• 6 movie learning guides — Through an arrangement with TeachWithMovies.com, the Guide

includes six movie learning guides that relate to one or more leadership traits of Learn to Lead:

character, core values, communication skills, or problem solving. Each guide includes

discussion questions for a debriefing phase in which cadets summarize the lessons learned.

These copyrighted lesson plans are used with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, the

premier site on the Internet showing teachers and parents how to use feature length films to

supplement curriculum, foster social-emotional learning, and teach ethics. CAP encourages

its members to subscribe to their database of over 300 movie learning guides. References to

“The Six Pillars of Character” are from CharacterCounts.org.

• 6 group discussion guides — Each group discussion lesson plan addresses one of the major

sections of the "Learn to Lead" textbook, explaining an abstract concept through the guided

discussion method. There are two lessons per chapter.

Preface

CONTENTS

Part 1

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS 3

ICEBREAKERS

Common Candy 4

Time for the Shoe 5

A Star is Born 6

Not True 7

TEAMWORK FUNDAMENTALS

Oh, Snap 8

Puzzle Me This 9

The Essay 10

Spider Web 11

PROBLEM SOLVING

Mind Games 12

The Ring 13

Equal Distribution 14

One Thing is Like Another 15

COMMUNICATION SKILLS

The Game 16

I Know You 17

My Community 18

It’s All in the Cards 19

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Suits Me 20

Bending the Rules 21

It’s Me, Not You 22

Not Me 23

LEADERSHIP STYLES

Land Mines 24

Leadership From a Hat 25

Which Way Did I Go? 26

Monte Carlo 27

Part 2

MOVIE LEARNING GUIDES 29

Gettysburg 30

Apollo 13 41

The Longest Day 46

Mr. Holland’s Opus 50

Fail Safe 56

The Right Stuff 66

Part 3

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDES 73

Character Counts 74

Air Force Traditions 76

Self-Management 78

Teamwork 82

The Role of the Leader 85

Great Man Theory 89

LEARN TO LEAD ACTIVITY GUIDE

Published by Civil Air Patrol

Maxwell Air Force Base, AL

Developed by

Rob Smith

Part 1

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEMS

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

1. COMMON CANDY

Theme: Icebreakers!!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: One large bag of peanut M&Ms or any colored candy.

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

One of the best ways to get to know your fellow teammates is to find out what you have in

common. Distribute one M&M to every person. State, “Don’t eat the candy just yet. Instead, I

need everyone to group together by the color of their candy.”

Once the groups are assembled, state, “Your task is to learn something about the others in

your group that you all have in common.” Allow 2-3 minutes for discussion, and then state,

“OK, it’s time to share.” Ask each group to tell you what they have in common. Let the groups

eat their candy, if they desire.

Distribute another piece of candy to every person. Arrange the groups by candy color again.

State, “This time, find out something about the others in your group that you all have in

common, but it can’t be anything related to CAP.” Allow 3-4 minutes for discussion, and then

state, “OK, it’s time to share.” Ask each group to tell you what they have in common. Let the

groups eat their candy, if they desire.

Distribute another piece of candy to every person. Arrange the groups by candy color again.

State, “This time, find out what hobbies the others in your group enjoy other than anything

CAP related.” Allow 3-4 minutes for discussion, and then state, “OK, it’s time to share.” Ask

each group to tell you what they have in common. Let the groups eat their candy, if they

desire.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

2. TIME FOR THE SHOE

Theme: Icebreakers!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: None

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

A good way to break the ice with a group is to place everyone in the same situation and have

them try to solve the matter together.

Instruct everyone to take off one shoe and to line them up against a wall. Then have everyone

sit back down. State that this is a silent exercise. Then instruct one person at a time to go up

to the line of shoes and pick a shoe that is not theirs and try to match it with the owner. After

everyone has the opportunity to try to correctly match the shoes, ask the group if they were

successful. If not, repeat until all shoes match. {Watch for non-verbal clues that the students

give throughout}.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

3. A STAR IS BORN

Theme: Icebreakers!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Roll of toilet paper

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

A great way to see some smiles is to use toilet paper in a unique way! This activity gets

everyone involved.

Have everyone stand in a circle facing each other. Toss the toilet paper roll to someone and

state that the group needs to unroll the toilet paper to everyone else without tearing. Any

tears, and the process starts over.

Once the group has successfully made a circle with the toilet paper, instruct them to make a

five pointed star without tearing. Any tears, and the process starts over. Allow the group to

communicate verbally, but once someone has made a suggestion or instruction, he or she

must remain silent until everyone else has made a suggestion or instruction.

Continue until the group successfully makes a star without tearing or 15 minutes have

elapsed, whichever comes first.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

4. NOT TRUE

Theme: Icebreakers!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Deck of cards

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Is it easy to tell when someone is lying, especially since you don’t really know the person?

This activity explores how easy it may be to deceive others while getting to know them.

Thoroughly shuffle a deck of cards and allow everyone to select one card. Instruct the group

members not to reveal their cards to others. Everyone is to think of three facts about

themselves.

Instruct those with a face card (ace, king, queen or jack) to think of two facts about

themselves that are true, and one that is false.

Instruct those with a joker, if any, to come up with three facts about themselves that are all

false.

All other cards are to have three true facts about themselves.

Instruct everyone to share their facts and to keep track of who they think has a face card or

joker.

Compare notes to see if the group correctly guessed those with face cards or jokers.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

5. OH, SNAP

Theme: Teamwork Fundamentals!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Pack of paper plates, tape, snaps (little, white-wrapped fireworks that

make snapping noise when thrown on ground or stepped on), open flat area like a gym or

parking lot, stopwatch (optional)

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Being responsible for others is part of being a team. This exercise helps to model this

attribute.

Find an open, flat area (about the size of a volleyball court; hard surface works best). Mark

the boundaries; using lines on the gym floor or parking lot lines are fine.

Tape snaps to the top of 1/4 of the paper plates. Place them randomly within the established

boundaries upside down so the Snaps do not show. Place the rest of the plates in the same

fashion within the established boundary. Plates should be spaced so participants can easily

step from one to another.

Have the group break into teams of 4 or 5. State to the teams that the plates represent

stepping stones. Participants must step from one plate to another in order to cross from one

side of the playing area to the other while remaining within the boundaries. The plates with

the taped snaps are “mined.”

When a participant steps on a “mined” plate they are “injured” and a team member must

come to their aid. That rescuer must find a way to carry their “injured” team member. If both

step on another “mine,” they both must start over.

The stopwatch will help if a team wants to know how long it takes to accomplish the task.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

6. PUZZLE ME THIS

Theme: Teamwork Fundamentals!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: A puzzle from a dollar store (try to find one with about 100 pieces).

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Leaders must be flexible. They must be able to delegate responsibility to others and even to

place others in command if they become incapacitated. This exercise helps to model these

attributes.

Prepare the puzzle box ahead of time by removing the corner pieces (you keep these with you

during the activity), and by removing any end pieces (separate these into four plastic

baggies). Leave the rest of the puzzle pieces in the box.

Instruct the group that it will be putting together the puzzle and give it the box. Allow them to

begin and keep track of who leads. Pick someone who is not leading and hand him or her one

of the baggies containing some of the edge pieces. State that this person is now the leader.

After a few minutes, pick out another person who has not led. Give this person another baggie

of edge pieces and declare that person the leader. Continue this cycle until all baggies have

been given out and the puzzle is completed (minus the corner pieces, of course). Show the

group that you had the corner pieces all along and that this activity was not really about

solving the puzzle. Ask the group, “What do you think this activity was about?”

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

7. THE ESSAY

Theme: Teamwork Fundamentals !

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Paper, pen or pencil

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

It’s true that together everyone accomplishes more (TEAM). This activity will visually show

this truism.

State that the purpose of this activity is to show that the acronym TEAM means “together

everyone accomplishes more.” Ask everyone to think of a leader whom they admire and to

write in one sentence why this person is a good leader.

Divide the group into four equal teams. Have each team combine their sentences to form one

paragraph about leadership.

After about 10 minutes, bring the group back together. Gather each paragraph and tape them

to the wall or whiteboard so that they make a completed essay. Title the essay, “Our Group’s

View on What Makes for a Good Leader.” Ask someone to read the completed essay to the

group.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

8. SPIDER WEB

Theme: Teamwork Fundamentals!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: A ball of yarn

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

It’s amazing how quickly a team can get into a mess and how long it takes to get out of it!

This activity visually illustrates this point.

Have everyone stand in a circle and face each other. State that it’s amazing how quickly a

team can get into a mess and how long it can take to get out of it. Throw the ball of yarn to a

person in the circle, allowing the yarn to unravel. State that this person needs to hold on to the

end of the string, then throw the yarn to someone else who is not near them. Repeat until

everyone is hanging onto the yarn and a tangled web is in the middle.

Instruct everyone to hold onto the yarn and to work together to unravel the web. Stop after 15

minutes or when the group completes the activity, whichever comes first.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

9. MIND GAMES

Theme: Problem Solving!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: A scrap piece of paper for each team.

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Sometimes, the mind can lead us to reach wrong conclusions. These activities help to reveal

that our minds are not always reliable.

Mind Game A: Here’s a classic “Who did it?” puzzle that challenges a team’s problem-solving

skills. Divide the group into equal teams of four or five. State that each team has been called

to solve a mystery. Each team will have 10 minutes to discuss the situation together and try

to solve the mystery. Once each group is satisfied with its answer, a member of the group

writes it down and each group waits for everyone to finish. {Call time at 10 minutes or when

everyone is done, whichever comes first}.

State the following: Three of these statements are untrue, so “Who did it?”

Mr. Red: "Mr. Blue did it."

Mr. Blue: "Mr. Red did it."

Mr. Green: "Mr. Blue's telling the truth."

Mr. Yellow: "Mr. Green's not lying."

How many of you guessed Mr. Red? {Correct answer: Mr. Blue}

Mind Game B: Here’s another mental problem that shows our reasoning skills may need some

attention. No need to divide into teams; everyone can participate, but they can’t talk out loud

or shout the answer. State the following:

We’re going to do a quick math problem. I’m going to ask you to do the math in your head, so

do not write during this step of the exercise. Add in your head the following: 1,000 + 60. Now

add 2,000. Add 30 more. Add 1,000. Now add 10 and write down your answer. How many of

you said, 5,000? Anyone get a different number? {Correct answer: 4,100}

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

10. THE RING

Theme: Problem Solving!!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Paper strips cut 1” x 11”, tape or stapler, pen or pencil, scissors

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Sometimes the easiest solution is the one that needs some thought. This exercise helps the

students to see that their first solutions might not necessarily be the right ones.

Give every student a strip of paper and instruct them to write “CAP” a number of times on

one side and “Cadet” a number of times on the other. Instruct the students that they will have

five minutes to make a ring with their paper and that the largest ring made with a single strip

wins. Students are allowed to connect the ring only once.

Start the activity. Stop at the end of five minutes. Most students will take the easiest route

and create a simple ring:

State to the students that they need to be more creative if they want to

get a bigger ring. Follow the same rules as before and allow the

students to make another attempt. Start the activity. Stop at the end of

five minutes. {Watch and praise “creative” solutions.”}

You should create a Möbius Strip (attach the ends of the paper after creating a half-twist):

Show the students your ring after they have shown you theirs. Cut your

paper down the middle of the entire ring and show the students the

results. Your ring will be bigger.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

11. EQUAL DISTRIBUTION

Theme: Problem Solving!!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Tape measure for each team

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

It’s amazing how things that appear so different are actually more alike than we think. This

activity reveals some commonality on very different things that most probably have not

considered.

Divide the group into four equal teams. State that the purpose of this activity is to show how

things that are different have some similarities most people probably would not have

considered.

Ask the group what they think the foot and arm have in common; what the chin and palm

have in common, what our ear and nose have in common, and what our fingers can tell us

about our height. {Allow some time for discussion}

Share with the group that our bodies are typically symmetrical. Instruct each members of

each team to measure with their hands the space from the middle of their chins to the end of

their jawbones and compare the length to the height of their palm. Instruct each team to

measure with their hand the length of the nose and compare it to the height of their ear.

Instruct members of each team to measure their foot with the tape measure and compare it

to their forearm. Finally use a tape measure to measure the distance from fingertip to

fingertip of outstretched arms (stand with arms stretched to form a T), and compare it to the

person’s height.

Most of these measurements will be about equal to their comparisons. State to the group that

if some measurements are not quite equal, it’s OK – we’re all unique. Mention that the

purpose of this activity is to think that even dissimilar things may have common elements.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

12. ONE THING IS LIKE ANOTHER

Theme: Problem Solving!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Gather up 12 small objects from around the house. These can be anything

from a player piece from Monopoly to a golf ball, kitchen mitt, TV remote, etc.

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

We often look at objects for what they do. This activity helps us to look at objects in creative

ways.

Divide the group into four equal or nearly equal teams, depending on group size. Give each

team three objects. State that we often look at objects for what they do and that this activity

will help us to look at objects in creative ways.

Instruct the teams that they need to find three or more ways that their objects are common to

each other. Give each team five minutes.

After five minutes, have each team share their findings. Now pick up all of the objects and

divide the group into two nearly equal teams. Give each group six items and repeat the

activity.

After five minutes, have each team share its findings. Now combine the teams into one group

and ask them to do the same for all 12 items. See how many common things they can come

up within their five-minute time limit.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

13. THE GAME

Theme: Communication Skills!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: None

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

“The Game” shows that clear communication is not always accomplished, even if the

message is simple. This activity relies on indirect communication and will almost certainly

cause the message to become corrupted.

Arrange the team in a single line. {You can vary this activity by creating more than one line.}

There is no talking other than the person giving the message (the person receiving the

message can’t talk, as well). There is no writing the message down or using any recording

devices.

The leader starts by whispering a simple message to the first person in line. That person then

whispers the message to the next in line. This continues through the last person, who is called

upon to recite the message. The leader then compares the original and final messages.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

14. I KNOW YOU

Theme: Communication Skills!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Pen or pencil, one index card and one paperclip per person

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Sometimes the best communication isn’t spoken. This activity shows participants positive

things others think about them.

State, “Today we are going to communicate things that should be said more often, but

typically aren’t.” Pass out an index card and paper clip to every person and instruct everyone

to help each other clip the index card to the back of each other’s collar.

Instruct the students to go around the room and write on everyone else’s card something

positive about that person. No need to write a sentence (a word or two will do), but

emphasize that it must be positive. Allow 10-15 minutes for everyone to write, and be sure

that everyone is fully included.

Have everyone sit down and allow them to read their cards.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied to outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

15. MY COMMUNITY

Theme: Communication Skills!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: PowerPoint (optional), camera (optional)

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Note: Advanced preparation is required. A week before this activity, have the group break

into teams of four or five. Instruct the teams that they need to work together to create a

presentation about the community.

This presentation highlights CAP in the community by showcasing anything that makes the

community unique, like a local aerospace-related venue, an interview with a military veteran,

or a local industry.

Also state that the presentation must include at least one reference to something in the

community that has the squadron charter number (street numbers, mile markers, a series of

numbers, etc.).

The group needs to plan to give a 5-10 minute presentation next week. They can use pictures,

PowerPoint or any other tool to give their presentation.

No points are awarded for this activity. The goal is for the students to get involved in the

community and to use their communication skills in the presentations. Everyone on the team

must say something during the presentation.

At the appointed time, have each team give their presentation.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

16. IT’S ALL IN THE CARDS

Theme: Communication Skills!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Deck of cards (minus the jokers)

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Teams need to learn to communicate without words. This exercise helps teams to learn

communication with body language.

Arrange the group in a large circle facing each other. Thoroughly shuffle the deck of cards

and have every participant pick a card. Instruct everyone that they cannot show their card to

anyone else and that they cannot speak during the exercise.

Explain that everyone must use nonverbal communication (no speaking or writing) and try to

group together by suit (clubs, hearts, spades and diamonds). They cannot show their card to

anyone. Start the activity and end when successful or after 10 minutes, whichever comes

first.

If unsuccessful, have everyone re-form in one large circle and let them know that they can

show their card to only two people and try again. Start the activity and end when successful

or ten minutes, whichever comes first.

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

17. SUITS ME

Theme: Conflict Resolution!!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Deck of cards

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Sometimes, a group may get entrenched in a set pattern of problem solving and not think of

new ways to handle a matter. This activity helps the group to realize their focus may need to

be expanded to be successful.

Have the group break into teams of four or five. Thoroughly shuffle a deck of cards and

equally distribute the cards to each team. {Keep any left-over cards if you can’t do an equal

distribution.}

The team that creates the largest suit of cards (hearts, spades, clubs or diamonds) wins.

Jokers are wild.

Start the activity. Stop when everyone has completed their cards. Count who has the largest

suit but declare that they did not create the largest suit.

Allow teams five minutes to strategize on how best to create the largest suit. After the five-

minute preparation time, instruct the teams that only the two people holding the jokers are

allowed to talk to the other teams.

Start the activity. {Watch how they resolve the conflict of dealing with only the jokers.} Stop

after five minutes and count who has the largest suit but declare that they still did not create

the largest suit.

Allow teams five minutes to strategize on how best to create the largest suit. After the five-

minute preparation time, instruct the teams that only the two people holding the jokers are

allowed to talk to the other teams.

Start the activity. {Watch how they resolve the conflict of dealing with the other teams.}

Stop after five minutes and count who has the largest suit. Declare a winner.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

18. BENDING THE RULES

Theme: Conflict Resolution!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: A box of paper clips for every 5 students

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

This activity combines creative thinking with conflict resolution to produce unexpected

outcomes.

Break up the group into teams of five. {A smaller team of four may be used for one or more

teams, if necessary.} Give each team a box of paper clips. Instruct each team that they have

five minutes for every person on the team to make any object they wish with the box of paper

clips. After five minutes, stop the exercise and ask the teams to quickly show what they

made.

Now instruct the teams that they have five minutes to create anything they want as a group,

but they must incorporate all of the individuals’ creations. After five minutes, stop the

exercise and ask the teams to quickly show their creations.

If you have more than two teams, now instruct the teams that they must further negotiate

with another group to combine the two groups’ work products to create something new. After

five minutes, stop the exercise and ask the teams to quickly show what they made.

{You can keep combining as necessary as time and group size allow.}

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

19. IT’S ME, NOT YOU

Theme: Conflict Resolution!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Deck of cards (minus the jokers)

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Sometimes groups don’t like newcomers and they form cliques. This exercise reveals that

cliques can develop, and it shows how to resolve the conflicts that such cliques may bring.

Thoroughly shuffle the deck of cards and allow every participant to select one. Have

everyone holding a red card to go to one side of the room and everyone holding a black card

to go to the opposite side. Anyone holding a face card (ace, king, queen or jack) meets in the

middle of the room.

Instruct the students not to reveal their cards to anyone until instructed to do so. Ask

someone holding a two card from both ends to pick someone from the middle to join their

side. The face card person shows the two card person his or her card. If the color is the same,

then the person stays. Otherwise, the person goes back to the middle.

Now ask someone holding a three card from both ends to pick someone from the middle to

join their side. The face card person shows the three card person his or her card. If the color is

the same, then the person stays. Otherwise, the person goes back to the middle.

Continue with someone holding a four card, five card, etc., until all face cards are with their

corresponding group.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

20. NOT ME

Theme: Conflict Resolution!!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: One large bag of peanut M&Ms or any similar candy, one piece of paper

and pen/pencil per team.

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

A leader needs to motivate his team to accomplish the mission, but sometimes a team

member doesn’t cooperate or doesn’t believe in the mission. Leaders must learn how to deal

with these situations.

Hand out one piece of candy to everyone. Call up everyone who has a green piece of candy

and tell them, “Do not follow anything that someone with a red piece of candy asks. You are

not to say why.”

Call up everyone with yellow candies and tell them, “You have a secret mission: It’s vital that

anyone with green candy follows the leader’s directions. You must try to convince the green

candies to participate. You are not allowed to state your secret mission to anyone.”

Call up everyone with red candies and tell them, “Congratulations. You have been selected to

lead a team to victory. Your assignment is to assemble a team. You must have at least one of

every color available on your team. Once your team is assembled, you are to lead your team

outside {or to another area of the building if weather does not permit}. Once outside, lead

your team to draw a star on a piece of paper. Everyone must draw one line of the star. Only

completed stars will count. You will have 10 minutes, starting now.”

Bring the teams back after 10 minutes and ask each team to show their star design.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

21. LAND MINES

Theme: Leadership Styles!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: One blindfold for each team {uniform ties, handkerchiefs, bandanas or

anything that can be used as a blindfold}. Arrange the room in advance by placing desks,

chairs or other objects in an area about 10’ by 10’.

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

A leader’s first task is to accomplish the mission. He or she needs to communicate with his or

her team on how best to accomplish the mission. Divide the group into teams of 4 or 5. Have

each team select a leader and a follower. The others will serve as judges.

The leader stands on the outside of the 10’ by 10’ area with the blindfolded follower. The

judges can enter the 10’ by 10’ area. The judges are to say “boom” anytime the blindfolded

follower touches any object and are to safely escort the blindfolded follower back to the

leader to start over.

The object of the game is for the leader to safely get his or her blindfolded follower to the

opposite side of the 10’ by 10’ area without hitting a land mine.

{Variations: You can have other teams going through the land mine from other directions

simultaneously, or you can have more than one blindfolded follower.}

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

22. LEADERSHIP FROM A HAT

Theme: Leadership Styles!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: A hat, scrap pieces of paper

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Many of us can name a few attributes of a good leader, but it is sometimes more difficult to

come up with examples of personal leadership that model these specific attributes. This

activity shows that our personal leadership examples are actually more common than some

people realize.

Have everyone think about a leader whom they admire. Instruct everyone to write down two

attributes, or qualities, that make this person a good leader. Place everyone’s answers in a

hat.

Share with the group that setting an example is a key principle of leadership and that this

activity will highlight how we have shown ourselves to be leaders.

Starting with the highest-ranking cadet and working backward to the newest cadet, have

each person pull out a piece of paper at random, state what’s on the paper, and give a

personal example of how they have performed similarly. {If someone gets stuck, allow them

to express how a leader might respond}.

For example, let’s say that your piece of paper says “Good listener, good communicator.” You

might be able to tell how you served on a ground team as the radio operator and why it was

important to be both a good listener and a good communicator.

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

23. WHICH WAY DID I GO?

Theme: Leadership Styles!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: A compass

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Without leaders, little would get done efficiently. Everyone would go about their duties, often

in every direction. This activity highlights this effect and how to resolve the inefficiencies.

Pick a cadet at random and let them be the leader. Bring the leader to you and tell this person

out loud, so that others will hear, to remain by your side.

While the cadet leader is silent, ask the group to close their eyes. While their eyes are closed,

ask everyone to spin around slowly until you say stop. Stop the group after a minute and state

that with their eyes still closed, try to guess which way is North and to point in that direction.

Have them open their eyes. {Everyone should be pointing in different directions.}

Ask the group to close its eyes. While their eyes are closed, ask everyone to spin around

slowly until you say stop. Whisper to your cadet leader to walk quietly to the other side of the

room and to remain silent. After the cadet leader is in place, announce to everyone to stop

and with their eyes still closed, try to point in the direction of the cadet leader. Have everyone

open their eyes. {Most will be pointing toward you and not the cadet leader.}

Walk over to the cadet leader. Ask the group to close their eyes. While their eyes are closed,

ask everyone to spin around slowly until you say stop. Whisper to your cadet leader to walk

quietly to a different part of the room and to say “I’m over here” when you raise your hand.

After the cadet leader is in place, announce to everyone to stop and, with their eyes still

closed, try to point in the direction of the cadet leader. After a few seconds, raise your hand

so that the cadet leader says, “I’m over here.” Have everyone open their eyes. {Most will

quickly change their random pointing towards the cadet leader.}

Discussion Questions:

What did we just do?

What did you learn?

What were some leadership concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these leadership concepts be applied outside this activity?

TEAM LEADERSHIP PROBLEM

24. MONTE CARLO

Theme: Leadership Styles!

Estimated Time: 25-30 minutes!

Resources Required: Dice (one die for each person), matches (four for every person). You

can ask everyone to bring these from home if you can’t supply them.

Activity Description and Step-by-Step Instructions:

Monte Carlo simulations use random numbers as inputs to show the probability of an

outcome. More importantly, leaders can use such simulations to help solve problems.

Divide the group into about two equal teams. Arrange the teams to form a production line and

state that the objective of the activity is to maximize production.

Each person should have one die and four matches. State that each person is a workstation in

the production line and their job is to process their product (the matches). The die determines

how many pieces the worker can process per turn. In theory, each person should be able to

process an average moving 3.5 pieces per turn (1+2+3+4+5+6)/6 sides).

Let each team also know that the team is really a company that only gets a profit for

everything that is sold, so the team must be aware to reduce inventory, if possible.

Let everyone role their die and pass to the next person in their assembly line the number of

matches that the die indicates. For example, if you rolled a two, then pass two matches to the

next person. If the die shows six, for example, and you only have four matches, then you can

only pass the four that you have.

Roll the dice again and repeat the process. Allow three more iterations and stop the process.

Ask if there is anyone with no matches. Ask if there is anyone with more than 10 matches.

Let the teams complete this process until one side has no matches left to pass. Ask the last

person in each team to count their matches. These are the products that are sold, so the

highest number wins.

Let the teams strategize on how to improve their process flow and allow them to rearrange

their production line accordingly. Repeat the process until one team has no more matches to

pass or when 30 total minutes are up, whichever comes first.

{Variation: If time allows, let each team complete the second round and consider how to

retool their production line again for a third round.}

Discussion Questions:

What were some methods used that worked or did not work?

What were some ways to make the team work more efficiently?

What were some concepts learned from this exercise?

How can these concepts be applied outside this activity?

TeachWithMovies.com

MOVIE LEARNING GUIDES

Part 2

TeachWithMovies.com MOVIE LEARNING GUIDE

1. GETTYSBURG

Connection to the Curriculum: Leadership traits (problem solving, communication,

teamwork)

Subjects: U.S./1861-1865 & Pennsylvania

Social-Emotional Learning: courage in war; leadership

Ethical Emphasis: trustworthiness; citizenship.

Age: 10+; Rated PG for language and epic battle scenes; Drama; 1993; 261 minutes; Color;

Available from Amazon.com.

Selected Awards: None.

Featured Actors: Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Stephen Lang, Richard Jordan, Andrew Prine,

Cooper Huckabee, Patrick Gorman.

Director: Ronald F. Maxwell.

INTRODUCTION

Description: The Union victory at Gettysburg is considered by many historians to be the

turning point of the Civil War. This film is a re-creation of the battle. The movie makers

attempted to portray events as they actually occurred. The film is based on the historical

novel, The Killer Angels, by Michael Shaara.

Benefits of the Movie: Almost everything in this film conforms to the historical record,

including Colonel Chamberlain's bayonet charge, Longstreet's objections to Lee's tactics,

Lee's statement accepting blame for the defeat, etc. Good readers ages thirteen and up

should be encouraged to read books on this important battle or the historical novel, The Killer

Angels, before or after they see this film.

Possible Problems: Minor. There is some profanity in the movie. The worst problem is that

some of the beards look fake.

How to Use "Gettysburg" in a Classroom Setting: This movie is four hours and twenty

minutes long! Teachers can show short excerpts, for example: Chamberlain's speech to the

mutinous soldiers, Buford's waking nightmare of how the battle could go badly, the scene at

the campfire of the Southern officers and the English observer, the 20th Maine's defense of

the Union's left flank, the charge of Pickett's division, the meeting with the runaway slave,

etc. In the alternative, the entire movie can be shown in chunks through the course of the unit

devoted to study of the Civil War. After each chunk there can be a lecture and discussion or

assignments such as essays, research projects, or journal entries. "Gettysburg" is particularly

appropriate to chunk because of its length and because: (1) it refers to so many subjects

which are important to a study of this period in U.S. history; (2) the music is so powerful that

it will pull the students right back into the film when you start it again after the lapse of a few

days; and (3) the shifts back and forth between the Confederate and Union sides are very clear.

If you are only going to use a few excerpts from the movie be sure to include Chamberlain's

speech to the mutinous soldiers of the Second Main Regiment. Almost every sentence can be

the basis for essays, research or class discussion. Here are some suggested activities based

on this speech: "There were a thousand of us then. There are less than 300 of us now."

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

It was the summer of 1863. The South's Army of Northern Virginia had been largely

victorious. But the Confederacy was having increasing difficulties supplying its troops with

food, clothing, guns and ammunition. The Union Army continued to grow in strength and its

advantage in men and materiel continued to improve. The rebel commander, Robert E. Lee,

believed that he had two choices: either to retire to Richmond, the capital of the

Confederacy, and try to withstand a siege, a tactic that he knew would ultimately be

unsuccessful, or to invade Pennsylvania. Lee chose invasion hoping that a brilliant victory in

the North would force the Union to the bargaining table or encourage England to enter the war

on the side of the South. At least he would be able to feed his troops from the rich

Pennsylvania countryside. The pressure in Pennsylvania might cause the federal government

to pull troops away from Vicksburg, which was then under siege by General Grant. (It did

not.) By bringing the summer's campaign into the North, Lee would give some respite to the

war ravaged Virginia countryside and disrupt the Union Army's plans to again march on

Richmond.

At Gettysburg, the Union fielded 83,300 men and sustained 23,000 casualties. The

Confederacy fielded 75,100 men and sustained 28,100 casualties. The Federal Army of the

Potomac entered the battle under a new and untested commander, General George Gordon

Meade.

Some historians disagree with the view that the Battle of Gettysburg was the "The High

Water Mark of the Confederacy." They point out that Lee left the field with his army intact

and that the South was able to sustain the fight for another 21 months. In any case, combined

with Grant's capture of Vicksburg later that month, Gettysburg gave the Union hope of

victory. As the film makes clear, Lee made a terrible mistake in having Pickett's division

charge uphill into entrenched Union lines.

The film gives the impression that Union soldiers fought primarily to free the slaves. While

this was true for many, especially soldiers from the New England states, the majority of Union

soldiers would not have risked their lives to eradicate slavery. They were fighting to keep

their country together.

This was not simply patriotism. If states could secede from the Union, the country would

eventually dissolve into several competing small countries. The dissolution of the United

States would have shown that democracies could not hold together and were not stable. The

cause of democracy in America and in the world would have been set back hundreds of years.

It was to prevent this process of division that the North went to war. (As blacks were

permitted to enlist in the Union Army and died fighting for the Union, and as the North and

President Lincoln searched for a rationale for the horrific loss of life caused by the war, the

abolition of slavery came to be more and more important.)

The Gettysburg Address was given by President Lincoln on November 19, 1863, at the

dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. It is a key document of American history

and shows how, by that time, Lincoln was combining the twin goals of saving the Union and

"a new birth of freedom" (abolition of slavery):

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation,

conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are

engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived, and so

dedicated, can long endure. We are met here on a great battle field of that war. We have come to

dedicate a portion of it, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation

might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense we

cannot dedicate -- we cannot consecrate -- we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living

and dead, who struggled, here, have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.

The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they

did here. It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they have,

thus far, so nobly carried on. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining

before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they

gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have

died in vain; that this nation, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the

people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. (This Version from the Hay

Draft.)

This film has been criticized because it fails to explain the motivation of the Southerners in

fighting the war. Some of the reasons were: the strong force of regionalism in American

society at the time, the oppression of Southerners by Northern banks and industries, and

resentment at the North trying to impose its will on the South.

These are some of the reasons why the Southern troops who survived the Union's withering

fire at Gettysburg would fight on despite the loss of half their numbers.

Robert E. Lee was worshipped by his soldiers and by Southerners generally. He was respected

by Northerners for his prowess as a general. But there is another less positive view of General

Lee. Lee had been a brilliant officer in the Union Army. He disliked slavery and did not agree

with secession. Just before the war, when secession was imminent, President Lincoln offered

Lee the command of the Union Armies. But because of his allegiance to his native state of

Virginia, Lee joined the rebellion.

Robert E. Lee

An argument can be made that Lee forsook his country for a retrograde regionalism and an

unworkable political theory holding that a state had a right to secede from the Union. This

theory, in practice, would have done immense harm to the cause of democracy throughout

the world by demonstrating that one of the world's first and most stable modern democracies

could not hold itself together. In addition, the Confederacy that Lee fought to establish was

dedicated to the barbaric, corrupt and utterly sinful institution of slavery. If Lee had remained

loyal to the Union, the rebellion would have been over in a matter of months. The argument

continues that many hundreds of thousands of American boys, Northern and Southern, died

horrible deaths because of Lee's decision to side with the Confederacy.

There were prominent Southerners who remained loyal to the Union at great personal cost.

Two examples are Thomas Hart Benton, Senator from Missouri, and Sam Houston, Governor

of Texas. They sacrificed long and illustrious political careers because they refused to join the

cause of disunion.

Benton said, "I also am a Southern man but vote nationally on national issues ... I am Southern

by my birth --- Southern in my convictions, interests and connections, and I shall abide the

fate of the South in everything in which she has right on her side." (Benton and Houston are

each the subject of articles in “Profiles in Courage” by John F. Kennedy. The quotation is at

page 98 of the Inaugural Edition, 1961.) Lee may have been a brilliant general, but was he a

statesman? This is an excellent discussion topic.

Chamberlain's Charge

We highly recommend a trip to The Gettysburg National Military Park. Because so many men

died there, because the battlefield is full of memorials, and because the Battle of Gettysburg

saw the high water mark of the rebellion, a visit to Gettysburg is an emotional experience.

There are memorial stones to every significant event of the battle. Look for the stone marker

showing the point from which the men of Chamberlain's 20th Maine, low on ammunition,

fixed their bayonets and charged down the hill to protect the Union left flank. March up the

route of Pickett's Charge, from Virginia's statue of Robert E. Lee to Cemetery Hill. Cross "the

Angle" from which the Union soldiers riddled the Southerners with rifle fire and then

retreated. Walk the small field behind "the Angle" at which the high water mark was

reached, and where, in hand to hand combat, Union soldiers completed the destruction of

Pickett's division. Put a flower on the memorial which marks the spot where General

Armistead fell, that tortured soul who loved his friend Hancock.

There is a special energy, a special poignancy, about this place that impresses almost

everyone who goes there.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Chamberlain, when he is talking to the men who refused to fight because their

enlistments had expired, tells them that the Union Army is different than other armies that

the world had known before. What was his point? Was he correct? Was the Confederate

Army any different?

Suggested Response: Chamberlain meant that the army was fighting for an ideal, not for

conquest. Chamberlain was historically incorrect, although not by much. We can think of

several armies that fought for their ideals before the Civil War. First, the Continental Army

that served under George Washington and won the American Revolution.

Second, the armies that protected France from invasion by foreign nations during the French

Revolution. They were fighting to prevent the reinstatement of the monarchy and for the

ideals of the French Revolution.

Third, the armies of former slaves that fought the French (Napoleon was Emperor of France

at the time) for control of Haiti. There may have been others. However, Chamberlain's

general point was well taken. Armies that fought for ideals were relatively new at that point

in history. The Confederate army was fighting for ideals as well, for example, the right of a

state to secede against people from the outside who wanted to impose their values, or for

slavery. These ideals have not stood the judgment of time.

2. What do you think would have happened if the Union had lost the Civil War?

Suggested Response: There is no one correct response. The share cropper system which

replaced slavery involved less investment and responsibility by the landowners. Many

historians argue that it was actually better for the landowners economically than was slavery.

Most historians believe that slavery would have withered away on its own in the face of the

mechanization of agriculture. Nor was slavery suited to an industrial society. A good

discussion will mention these points.

3. Was the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point in the Civil War?

Suggested Response: There is no one correct response. Many historians believe that it was

because the tremendous loss of Southern soldiers could not be made up. The South had no

reserves and its manpower was exhausted. It also showed the North that its soldiers could win

a battle against Robert E. Lee. On the other hand, the war lasted for almost another two

years. The Battle of Gettysburg was fought in July of 1863 and Lee did not surrender until

April of 1865. A good discussion will mention these points.

4. Why were the Confederate soldiers fighting the War?

Suggested Response:: The Confederate soldiers saw the war as the second American

Revolution. They were fighting for political freedom (states’ rights) and to rid their section of

intruders from the North. Some were also fighting to uphold slavery, but most Confederate

soldiers didn't own slaves. Robert E. Lee himself was against slavery.

5. Why were the Union soldiers fighting the War?

Suggested Response: The Union soldiers were fighting, primarily, to save the Union and the

cause of democracy in the world. The U.S. was the leading, if not the only, democratic state

in the world at the time. If the U.S. could not hold itself together, then the cause of

democracy would have been set back for generations. Some Union soldiers, but a minority,

were fighting to free the slaves. As black soldiers were allowed to fight and showed their

valor more Union soldiers supported an end to slavery.

6. Was Robert E. Lee a statesman? Should a general ignore the political and moral

consequences of the wars that he fights?

Suggested Response: One answer (other views are widely held) is: Leaving aside Lincoln's

and the North's primary reason to oppose secession, i.e., that it would destroy the Union and

do immeasurable harm to the cause of democracy in the world, the reason that Lee's decision

(and that of every man who joined the Confederacy) was morally indefensible was that at the

heart of the very concept of the Confederacy was slavery, a massive and horrid crime. Lee's

decision was even worse than most because he acknowledged that slavery was wrong.

7. Had Lee stayed in the Union Army, how long do you think the Civil War would have

lasted?

Suggested Response: Not very long. All the Union lacked, until General Grant took over, was a

good leader for its armies. It had the equipment and brave soldiers.

8. Had Lee simply sat out the War, how long do you think the South could have held out?

Suggested Response: There is no one correct response. However, there were several very

good Confederate generals. Lee was probably not essential for the South.

9. General Meade was criticized for not following up on the victory and trying to crush

Lee's army. This "failure" especially angered President Lincoln. However, most of General

Meade's officers agreed with him that the battle had been won and an attack on Lee's army

would risk turning victory into defeat. What do you think?

Suggested Response: A few of the possible arguments: For attack: The Army of Northern

Virginia had lost 1/3rd of its men and must have been demoralized; Lee's army was far from

its supply lines; Against attack: as things stood, the Army of the Potomac had won a great

victory, a counterattack would risk all that; in the war to that point, attacking had proved very

risky, the advantage was with the defenders; Lee's army was wounded but not smashed nor

was its morale destroyed; the Union Army had been fighting for three days and needed to

regroup.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Leadership

1. Give some examples of leadership shown in this film.

2. Why did Colonel Chamberlain tell his brother to distribute the soldiers of the Second

Maine Regiment who had decided to fight among the companies in the regiment?

Suggested Response: His purpose was to make sure that the mutinous soldiers bonded with

the other men in the regiment and that they didn't get together and hatch more plans for

mutiny.

3. Was General Pickett branded a coward because he didn't lead his troops from the front

like General Armistead (who was one of the brigade commanders in Pickett's division)? Was

this a failure of leadership?

Suggested Response: It was not a failure of leadership. In the Civil War, division commanders

were responsible for coordinating troop movements and it was perfectly acceptable for them

to lead from the rear. Pickett was not faulted by experienced military observers for his role in

the battle.

Courage in War

4. In the Civil War, defensive technology (such as repeating rifles) gave defenders a great

advantage. Can you explain why tens of thousands of soldiers on each side, in battle after

battle, had the commitment and the courage to march in regular order against the withering

fire of the defenders while those around them fell with hideous and usually fatal wounds?

5. Most of the Union soldiers took the division of their country personally and were willing

to risk their lives to stop it. Many Union soldiers were willing to risk their lives to rid their

country of slavery. Create a definition of patriotism that explains what these men did.

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

Discussion questions relating to ethical issues will facilitate the use of this film to teach

ethical principles and critical viewing. Additional questions are set out below.

Trustworthiness

(Be honest; don't deceive, cheat or steal; be reliable — do what you say you'll do; Have the

courage to do the right thing; build a good reputation; be loyal — stand by your family, friends

and country)

Citizenship

(Do your share to make your school and community better; cooperate; stay informed; vote;

be a good neighbor; obey laws and rules; respect authority; protect the environment)

1. Patriotism is love of one's own country. However, a civil war fractures the concept of

country. People on each side believe that their opponents have betrayed a principle that is

vital to the essential nature of the nation and that, as a result, they have become traitors.

What principles did each side of the Civil War espouse?

Suggested Response: On the Union side, the concept was the indivisibility of the Union and

the importance to the cause of democracy of demonstrating that one of the first democratic

countries the world had ever known could keep itself together. A minority also wanted to free

the slaves. On the Confederate side there was a belief in the right of individual states to leave

the federal government, an allegiance to their state and section of the country which they

believed had been invaded, and for many a desire to defend slavery.

2. Why did the soldiers of the Union and Confederate armies willingly march to their

deaths in the many battles of the Civil War? The history of every country is replete with men

and women who have served their country at great risk and who have died as a result. These

are not only soldiers but also political leaders (who are often exposed to the risk of

assassination) and other controversial people such as civil rights workers (Medgar Evers,

Martin Luther King). What did patriotism mean for them?

Suggested Response: The word "patriot" comes down to us from the Greek word meaning "of

one's fathers." Patriotism is a sense of loyalty to your community, a realization that who you

are and what you have become depends upon that community and that therefore your loyalty

to the community and its values is, in reality, a loyalty to your integrated self.

Patriotism includes more than being a soldier willing to die in war. There are patriotic people

who will not kill for their country. Some of these people make a greater contribution than

many thousands of soldiers combined. Here is one example: James Lawson is now a retired

Methodist minister. He is black. During the Korean War, he refused service in the Army as a

conscientious objector and served time in jail as a result. After he got out of jail, Reverend

Lawson went to India and studied Gandhian non-violence in an ashram. In 1954, while he was

still at the ashram, he heard a news report about the Montgomery Alabama bus boycott (see

Learning Guide to "The Long Walk Home"). Reverend Lawson then headed home and made

contact with Dr. Martin Luther King, the leader of the boycott. Reverend Lawson became the

most important theoretician for non-violence for the U.S. Civil Rights Movement and the

conduit for the transfer of knowledge about non-violent civil disobedience from India to the

U.S. Reverend Lawson saved countless lives and helped with the peaceful resolution of a

serious moral contradiction in U.S. society. You can see pictures of Reverend Lawson training

college students to conduct the first lunch counter sit-ins in a documentary called A Force

More Powerful. Reverend Lawson was patriotic, but he was not willing to take another life or

participate in a military establishment that would.

3. How can people act in a patriotic way if their country has decided to go to war but they

think that it was a bad decision? This has been a question for many people in the U.S. during

the last three substantial wars that the country has fought: Vietnam and both Gulf Wars.

Suggested Response: Patriotism is a value that can be easily manipulated by unscrupulous

politicians and government officials. See All Quiet on the Western Front. The answer requires

a look at the role of the majority and the role of the minority in a democracy. In the U.S., war

is declared by the majority acting through the Congress, the people's elected representatives.

In many other democratic countries, war is declared by parliament, also the people's elected

representatives. Once Congress or parliament decides to go to war, no patriotic person in the

society can oppose the war effort and, in fact, they should support it unless they are

conscientious objectors. However, that doesn't mean that citizens lose the right, in fact it is

an obligation, to speak out against policies of their government with which they disagree. This

is especially true with respect to policies that relate to life and death issues such as war.

Protesting a war probably does undermine to some extent the morale of the troops risking

their lives on the battlefield. (Politicians who are unscrupulous or who don't understand the

proper role of dissent in a democracy will claim that this means there should be no dissent

during time of war.) But there is a larger and more important principle at work, that is, the

necessity of free speech and public debate on issues of importance. For example, most would

now agree that the Vietnam war was unwinnable, that it was bad policy, and that the lives

sacrificed in that war were wasted. The people who demonstrated against the Vietnam war

were right and it was important that they spoke their minds. The anti-war protests were a

major impetus behind the U.S. getting out of that war. (However, those who were opposed to

the Vietnam war who vented their frustration on the troops coming home were wrong. The

troops were not at fault. Any fault lay with the majority and the government.) So, for those

who oppose a war, patriotism involves supporting the war effort but denouncing the war at

the same time.

Being patriotic and supporting the war effort in some extreme cases is not the principled thing

to do. Some people realize that their values differ so substantially from those of their

countrymen that they cannot support the war effort at all. Since war involves life and death, it

makes a strong call on the loyalties, as does opposition to war. The situation of each person is

different and must be judged on its own. However, two extremes can set some parameters.

Some people who cannot support a war effort but who are drafted into the military decline to

serve and take the punishment provided for by law. Reverend Lawson (see response to

preceding question) did this. While the action is not patriotic, it is principled and satisfies any

ethical or moral test. When these people have served their time they return to society and

can be as patriotic and valuable, or more so, than many soldiers. Again, Reverend Lawson and

his contribution to the Civil Rights Movement is a good example. Another principled, but

unpatriotic, action is to leave the country and resign from being a citizen. During the Vietnam

war, some young men went to Canada or other countries to avoid the draft. These people

have sacrificed their association with the country. Whether they are readmitted to citizenship

depends upon the mercy of the majority acting through its government. Several years after

the Vietnam war was over, President Jimmy Carter proposed a program to forgive young men

who fled to other countries to avoid the draft and to allow them to return home.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to web sites which may be linked in the Guide and selected film reviews listed on

the Movie Review Query Engine, the following resources were consulted in the preparation of

this Learning Guide:

• Gettysburg: The Final Fury by Bruce Catton, Doubleday & Company, Inc., Garden City,

N.Y., 1974, and

• Profiles in Courage, John F. Kennedy, Harper & Row, New York, Inaugural Ed., 1961.

Guide with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

TeachWithMovies.com MOVIE LEARNING GUIDE

2. APOLLO 13

Connection to the Curriculum: Leadership Traits (teamwork, accountability)

Subjects: U.S./1945 - 1991; space exploration

Social-Emotional Learning: teamwork; male role model

Moral-Ethical Emphasis: trustworthiness; responsibility.

Age: 8+; MPAA Rating -- PG (for language and emotional intensity); Drama; 1995; 140

minutes; Color; available from Amazon.com.

Selected Awards: 1995 Academy Awards: Best Film Editing, Best Sound; 1996 Directors Guild

of America Awards: Best Director (Howard); 1995 Screen Actors Guild Awards: Best

Supporting Actor (Harris); 1995 Academy Awards Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting

Actor (Harris), Best Supporting Actress (Quinlan), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art

Direction/Set Decoration, Best Score.

Featured Actors: Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, Ed Harris, Kathline

Quinlan, Bret Cullen.

Director: Ron Howard.

INTRODUCTION

Description: This film is a realistic dramatization of NASA's Apollo 13 mission. Because of

mechanical problems, Apollo 13 failed to reach the moon and was almost lost. The movie

builds great suspense and is deeply absorbing.

Benefits of the Movie: "Apollo 13" shows men solving problems with intelligence, skill,

teamwork and bravery. The movie shows the process of preparing for space travel in the

1970s. It raises issues of loyalty to individuals on the team against the need for loyalty to the

team as a whole. The role that Ken Mattingly played in saving the mission, even when bad

luck prevented him from being on the spacecraft, shows that even if you cannot be on the

first team, you can still perform an essential role, save the day and become a hero. Each of

the astronauts, in his own way, is a positive male role model.

Possible Problems: Minor. The party scene at the very beginning of the film contains a short

objectionable exchange between the Swigert character and a young woman. He is trying to

pick her up by comparing docking a spacecraft to sexual intercourse. Younger children will

not understand this exchange. When older children see the film, distract them by talking

about something else during this scene or fast forward the film beyond it. It would be a shame

to disqualify this otherwise wonderful movie for 10 seconds of dialogue.

Mild profanity is used by the astronauts and NASA personnel in extraordinarily tense

situations. Alcohol use and smoking are shown.

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

In 1961 President Kennedy committed the United States to a program to put a man on the

moon by 1970. His purpose was to provide a clear goal in the American effort to surpass the

Soviet space program. The Apollo program landed six space ships on the moon, beginning

with Apollo 11 on July 16, 1969. Three of the missions, Apollo 14, 16 and 17, were extended

stays on the surface of the moon in which the astronauts used a two-man Lunar Roving

Vehicle to cross the Moon's surface.

During the busiest years of the Apollo program, NASA had 36,000 permanent employees,

376,700 contract employees, and a yearly operating budget of $5.2 billion. The U.S. spent 25

billion dollars on the Apollo program. No other country has landed a man on the moon. In

1972, most of its goals having been accomplished, the Apollo program was abandoned so that

NASA could concentrate on the space shuttle.

Apollo 13, launched on April 11, 1970, was crewed by James A. Lovell, Jr., John L. Swigert, Jr.

and Fred Wallace Haise, Jr. As the space ship was preparing to begin lunar landing operations,

an explosion occurred in the Command and Service Module (CSM). The ship lost oxygen.

Electrical power and other systems were damaged. The abort systems intended to permit an

emergency return to earth were knocked out.

To preserve power, the crew retreated to the Lunar Module and deactivated the systems in

the CSM. The Lunar Module had no heat shield and therefore could not be used for reentry

into the earth's atmosphere. After several harrowing experiences, including almost freezing to

death and being nearly asphyxiated by carbon dioxide, enough power was found to use the

CSM for reentry.

The explosion was later traced to a liquid oxygen tank. A wire connecting a fan used to stir

liquid oxygen was defective. Its insulation burned, triggering the explosion. None of the

astronauts were at fault.

An ampere ("amp" for short) is a unit used to measure the flow of electrical current, i.e., the

number of electrons passing a certain point each second. The batteries in the CSM had been

damaged in the explosion and were generating only a small portion of their usual power.

Using a flight simulator, Ken Mattingly and the NASA engineers measured the number of

amps that each of the re-entry procedures required and found a way to steer the spacecraft

through re-entry with the limited amount of power left in the CSM's batteries.

Apollo was a Greek God, the son of Zeus and Leto. Second in power only to Zeus, he gave life

and light through the power of the sun. He was the God of masculine beauty, patron of the

arts, god of music, poetry and the healing arts. He was the purifier of those stained by crime.

The Romans adopted Apollo, worshiping him as the god of healing and of the sun.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What would have happened if anyone on board the spacecraft or anyone at NASA had

given up?

Suggested Response: Death for the astronauts and a failure of even greater proportions than

the failure that occurred.

2. Should the people at NASA have been deterred by the failure of Apollo 13?

Suggested Response: Daniel S. Goldin, former administrator of NASA, said that one should

never be deterred by failure but that if you learned from your failures they would be the

building blocks for later success. (From his commencement address to the 2001 graduating

class of the Engineering School, University of California, Berkeley.)

3. Why didn't the television networks cover the launch of Apollo 13?

4. Would you want to be an astronaut? If so, why? If not, why not? Would the tedium of all

the hours of training be worth it?

5. Do you think it's important to explore space using manned spacecraft?

6. With all of the problems in the world such as poverty and disease, should we have spent

billions of dollars trying to send someone to the moon? Shouldn't we have spent the money

here on Earth to give people better lives?

7. Describe the historical background behind NASA's program to explore the moon and its

importance to the United States in the 1960s. What did this have to do with the Cold War?

8. What does this film tell you about what engineers do?

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Male Role Model

1. For one of the astronauts on the spacecraft and one of the major characters at NASA

describe what you admired most about the characters portrayed in this film. Would you

consider them to be male role models?

Suggested Response: There is no single correct response to this question.

2. Which of the men portrayed in this film acted with the most courage?

Suggested Response: There is no single correct response to this question.

Teamwork

3. What would have happened had any member of the crew not worked as a loyal member

of the team?

Suggested Response: They would have all died.

4. Which of the persons portrayed in this film demonstrated the most loyalty to the team?

Suggested Response: Ken Mattingly.

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

Trustworthiness

(Be honest; don't deceive, cheat or steal; be reliable — do what you say you'll do; have the

courage to do the right thing; build a good reputation; be loyal — stand by your family, friends

and country)

1. Was Lovell right in agreeing to remove Ken Mattingly from the team?

Suggested Response: Reasonable minds could differ on this point, as it is a close call because

the chances of Mattingly getting measles was slight. However, the film takes the position

that Lovell made the right decision. He could not sacrifice the potential success of the

mission and risk wasting all of the effort and money put into the mission, out of loyalty to one

member.

Responsibility

(Do what you are supposed to do; persevere: keep on trying!; always do your best; use self-

control; be self-disciplined; think before you act -- consider the consequences; be accountable

for your choices)

2. What would have happened had anyone at NASA or on board the spacecraft not done

their best?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to Web sites which may be linked in the Guide and selected film reviews listed on

the Movie Review Query Engine, the following resources were consulted in the preparation of

this Learning Guide: Past Imperfect, Mark C. Carnes, Ed., Henry Holt and Company, New

York, 1995.

Guide with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

TeachWithMovies.com MOVIE LEARNING GUIDE

3. THE LONGEST DAY

Connection to the Curriculum: Leadership Traits (courage, communication)

Subjects: U.S./1941 - 1945; World/WW II

Social-Emotional Learning: courage in war

Moral-Ethical Emphasis: trustworthiness

Age: 10+; No MPAA Rating; Drama/Documentary; 1962; 179 minutes; B & W; Available from

Amazon.com.

Selected Awards: 1962 Academy Awards: Best Black & White Cinematography, Best Special

Effects; 1963 Golden Globe Awards: Best Black & White Cinematography; 1962 National

Board of Review Awards: Ten Best Films of the Year; 1962 Academy Awards Nominations:

Best Picture, Best Art Direction/Set Decoration (B&W), Best Film Editing.

Featured Actors: John Wayne, Richard Burton, Red Buttons, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda,

Robert Ryan, Paul Anka, Mel Ferrer, Edmond O'Brien, Fabian, Sean Connery, Roddy

McDowall, Arletty, Curt Jurgens, Rod Steiger, Jean-Louis Barrault, Peter Lawford, Robert

Wagner, Sal Mineo, Leo Genn, Richard Beymer, Jeffrey Hunter.

Director: Ken Annakin.

INTRODUCTION

Description: This movie is a fairly accurate description of D-Day. It shows the landings from

the point of view of the American, French, British and German participants. The film is based

on the book by Cornelius Ryan.

Benefits of the Movie: "The Longest Day" is a valuable introduction to the Normandy

Invasion, showing its scope, the confusion on the German side, and the gritty fighting and

lucky breaks that permitted the Allies to prevail. Although this film does not fully describe the

pain, mutilation, and death involved in war, we recommend it rather than films such as Saving

Private Ryan. We believe that children ages 15 and below do not need to see the horrors of

war in gory detail. There is a substantial risk of causing them emotional harm. There is no

harm in having children wait to see such scenes until they are older.

Possible Problems: Minor. This is a war movie with lots of death. There is no gore and, in fact,

the full horror of war is not shown. The movie was made in 1962 at the height of the

Cold War, when the U.S. valued its West German ally. It gives a very sympathetic view of the

German army, ignoring its complicity in many of the atrocities of the Nazi regime and the

murder by SS Troops of Allied soldiers taken prisoner during the invasion. The film's failure to

show the full horror of war and its failure to accurately depict the viciousness of the German

military during WW II should be explained to children who see this film.

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

In 1942, General Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, had warned Germany to "beware

the fury of an aroused democracy." On D-Day, June 6, 1944, the Allies mounted the largest

amphibious assault in history and made good on Eisenhower's warning. The invasion force

consisted of more than 5,000 ships, 1,200 warships and 13,000 airplanes. Some 90,000 U.S.,

British, Canadian, and Free French troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, while about

20,000 more came by parachute or glider. The invasion had been in preparation for a year.

Casualties turned out to be less than expected except at Omaha Beach, where strong German

resistance and difficult seas resulted in about 2,000 U.S. casualties. By June 11, 1944, the

Allied forces had linked up and made a solid front, ensuring that they would not be thrown

back into the sea.

The success of the Normandy invasion was crucial to the Allies. By the same token, defeating

the invasion was vitally important to the Axis. Hitler is reported to have said "the destruction

of the enemy's landing is the sole decisive factor in the whole conduct of the war and hence

in its final results." But the Germans couldn't stop the invasion. In 1943, they were fighting the

Americans and British in Italy and the Mediterranean as well as the Russians in the East. The

Atlantic coastline from Holland to France was 6,000 kilometers. It could not be watched in

all places. In short, the Germans were overextended.

The Allies, backed by the tremendous productive power of the U.S. and the men of the

American and British armies, were not to be denied. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin wrote:

Three weeks after D-day, one million men had been put ashore, along with an astonishing

supply of 171,532 vehicles and 566,000 tons of supplies. "As far as you could see in every

direction the ocean was infested with ships," Ernie Pyle [the great WW II war correspondent]

observed, but when you walked along the beach, a grimmer picture emerged. "The wreckage

was vast and startling." Men were floating in the water, lying on the beach; nearly nine

thousand were dead. "There were trucks tipped half over and swamped ... tanks that had only

just made the beach before being knocked out ... jeeps that had burned to a dull gray ... boats

stacked on top of each other. On the beach lay expended sufficient men and mechanism for a

small war. They were gone forever now." (No Ordinary Time by Doris Kearns Goodwin, 1994,

Simon & Schuster, New York, page 511, quoting from Pyle, Brave Men pp. 358, & 367 - 69.)

Mr. Pyle was amazed that the Allies could afford these losses, but he realized that behind the

men, the vehicles and the ships, were still more in preparation to overwhelm Germany.

Overall, the movie is quite accurate. The German High Command was extremely confused

during the early hours of the invasion. Hitler indeed refused to commit Panzer reserves to the

battle until the beachhead was already established. There are, however, some scenes in

which poetic license takes the day. For example, in reality, the landings were more difficult

than shown in the movie. Soldiers were dropped off in water over their heads and had to use

life jackets to keep afloat until they reached the shore, where they collapsed with exhaustion.

The Pegasus bridge had not been rigged for demolition. The German defenses on Omaha

beach were not blown up and frontally assaulted as shown in the film. This was the original

plan but the bulldozers and tanks which were to carry out the assault didn't make it to the

beach. Junior officers and NCOs took charge of the situation, infiltrated their men behind the

enemy fortifications, and took them from the rear.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. If the invasion of Normandy had failed, and if the Germans had been able to halt the

Allied offensives on the Eastern Front (Russia) and in the South (Italy), what weapon would

have been used on Germany?

Suggested Response: The U.S. would probably have used the atomic bomb, which was

originally intended to be dropped on Germany. During the Second World War, the U.S. judged

that Germany was a greater threat than Japan. For that reason the U.S. threw most of its

resources and manpower into the war in Europe. As a result, Germany collapsed and was

conquered before Japan, several months before the atomic bomb was ready. This fact saved

Germany from being the first country to suffer from an attack in which nuclear weapons were

used.

2. Why was it important for the Allies to win World War II?

3. What was Joseph Stalin's position with respect to the Normandy invasion? Did he want

it to go forward or did he want it delayed?

Suggested Response: Stalin repeatedly pressured England and the U.S. to mount the invasion

so that the Germans would have to divert men, supplies and equipment from the Eastern

Front.

4. Evaluate the film from the point of view of casting, performances, directing, and

cinematography. Did anything bother you about the way in which the events in the film were

presented? Would you have done it differently? Why? Similarly, what works best in the film?

Explain why.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Courage in War

1. Would you have participated in the invasion of Normandy had you been a soldier in WW

II?

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

Trustworthiness

(Be honest; don't deceive, cheat or steal; be reliable — do what you say you'll do; have the

courage to do the right thing; build a good reputation; be loyal — stand by your family, friends

and country)

1. Where would we be without the sacrifices of the men who served in the armed forces

during World War II?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to web sites which may be linked in the Guide and selected film reviews listed on

the Movie Review Query Engine, the following resources were consulted in the preparation of

this Learning Guide: Past Imperfect, Mark C. Carnes, Ed., Henry Holt and Company, New

York, 1995. and Guts & Glory: Great American War Movies, Lawrence H. Suid, 1978,

Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.

Contributors: Thanks to Michael Turyn, Ph.D., Watertown, Massachusetts for suggestions on

discussion questions.

Guide with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

TeachWithMovies.com MOVIE LEARNING GUIDE

4. MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS

Connection to the Curriculum: Leadership Traits (mentoring, future-picture)

Subjects: music/classical; U.S. 1945 - 1991

Social-Emotional Learning: education; male role model; parenting; father/son; mother/son;

marriage; disabilities

Moral-Ethical Emphasis: responsibility; citizenship; caring; respect.

Age: 10+; MPAA Rating -- PG for mild language; Drama; 1995; 143 minutes; Color; Available

from Amazon.com.

Selected Awards: 1996 Academy Awards Nominations: Best Actor (Dreyfus); 1996 Golden

Globe Awards Nominations: Best Actor (Dreyfus); Best Screenplay.

Featured Actors: Richard Dreyfus, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, William H.

Macy, Alicia Witt, Terrence Dashon Howard, Damon Whitaker, Jean Louisa Kelly, Alexandra

Boyd, Nicholas John Renner, Joseph Anderson, Anthony Natale (II).

Director: Stephen Herek.

INTRODUCTION

Description: This is the heartwarming tale of the career and family life, the triumphs and

tragedies, of a music teacher.

Benefits of the Movie: "Mr. Holland's Opus" shows a musician who discovers his true

vocation as a school teacher. Mr. Holland fails in some ways, but in the long run he faces the

opportunities, challenges and tragedies of his life with love and commitment. The film shows

his false starts and ultimate triumphs as a teacher, husband, and father. This film is a "tear

jerker" in the best sense: love, success, rejection, and understanding tug at our heartstrings.

Possible Problems: Minor. Mild profanity is used two or three times in the film. The film

implies that once a school board decides to cut a music program, there is nothing that

students, teachers or parents can do except give a rousing send-off to their now dismissed

music teacher. This is not quite true.

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, lack of funds caused public schools across the United

States to reduce spending on arts and music education. Many parents, students, and

educators felt that this was shortsighted. Arts education has many positive effects: teaching

discipline and teamwork and giving children an opportunity to excel. However, these are not

the most important reasons for arts education.

The arts are fundamental to children's' education because art is fundamental to human

nature. So I don't see the arts as an instrument primarily to teach something else. The primary

reason why we need strong arts programs in the schools is because human beings are artists.

One way we grapple with ideas is through the arts.

George Gershwin (1889-1937) was one of the great songwriters of the 20th century. He

composed primarily for the Broadway musical theater but Gershwin also wrote significant

classical pieces. As a songwriter, Gershwin was unparalleled in the lyricism and beauty of his

music, as shown by the songs performed in the film. In the classical realm, Gershwin's works

combined jazz with classical forms and include such favorites as "Rhapsody in Blue" (a symphony),

"Porgy and Bess" (an opera), "Concerto in F" and "An American in Paris" (also a symphony).

Ira Gershwin, George's older brother, wrote the words to most of George's songs. In a reversal

of the usual relationship between songwriters and their lyricists, Ira wrote the words after

George had written the music.

Sign language arose from gestures of a community of deaf people in Paris, France, in the

eighteenth century. They were observed by Abbe Charles Michel de L'Epee who established

the first free school for the deaf in 1755. From the signing that he observed, and using his own

creativity, L'Epee fashioned a system of hand signs by which concepts could be

communicated. L'Epee's system was brought to the United States in 1816 by Thomas

Gallaudet who founded the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Conn. American Sign

Language (ASL) developed from an amalgamation of the French system and various systems

then already in use in the United States. ASL is now used by more than 500,000 deaf people

in the United States and Canada.

ASL has its own grammatical structure that is different from English. Users of ASL can also

used especially when hearing people are part of the conversation. It's easier for hearing

people to learn sign language using English syntax rather than the grammatical structure of

ASL.

In the film, Mr. Holland's son uses not only sign language but he also speaks a little. This is

called "total communication" in which all available means of communication are used,

including sign language, gesturing, finger spelling, speech reading, speech, hearing aids,

reading, writing, and pictures.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What was Mr. Holland's opus? How is that term used in the title to this film?

Suggested Response: The word "opus" in this film had two meanings. It was the composition

that Mr. Holland had been working on for years and it was, in addition, his whole life as a

teacher and the children that he taught and inspired.

2. Public schools in the United States are subject to periodic and, in some areas, chronic

financial crises. This grew worse for most school districts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. If

you were on the school board and there was simply not enough money to run the schools,

which programs would you cut and in what order would you cut them? Explain your reasons.

3. What does it say about our priorities that one of the richest nations in the world cannot

afford arts and music education in the schools?

4. Mr. Holland started teaching in the early 1960s and was laid off in the early 1990s.

During the 30 years that he taught school, the United States went through many changes.

Some of these changes are portrayed in film clips interspersed throughout the film. Can you

name some of these events and briefly describe what they did to the fabric of American

society?

Did they appear to have any effect on Mr. Holland? What were the filmmakers trying to tell

us by interspersing the footage showing upheavals in American life among the other events in

the film?

5. What is the reason for music education? Is it because music education trains children so

that they can succeed in other areas or is it because as human beings, we all need to be able

to express ourselves artistically?

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Education

1. Many educators and parents believe that music should be part of the regular curriculum

for all students in public schools and that individual music lessons should also be available

from elementary school through high school to those students who want them. Do you agree

or disagree?

2. What did the principal mean when she told Mr. Holland that a good teacher not only

gives students facts, but provides them with a compass?

3. Do you think that most students can be introduced to classical music through popular

music?

4. Is there anything that could have been done to keep Mr. Holland's job and the orchestra

program?

Parenting: Father/Son, Mother/Son

5. Did you think that Mr. Holland was a good father throughout most of the film? Give your

reasons.

6. When Cole was a teenager Mr. Holland realized that he had been too distant from his

son. Describe how Mr. Holland corrected for this in the film. The film doesn't show us

everything that happened in Mr. Holland's life and obviously the concert and the song was

only part of what he did in his effort to establish, however late, a good relationship with his

son. What else should Mr. Holland have done to rectify his relationship with Cole?

Suggested Response: Some examples: spend time with Cole doing activities that they both

enjoyed, or at least that the Cole enjoyed; take an interest in Cole's activities.

7. How could Mr. Holland be a good teacher but not a terribly good parent?

8. Cole grew up relatively unscathed by his father's problems in dealing with Cole's

deafness. Why do you think that happened and what role did the quality of the relationship

between Cole and his mother play in Cole's ability to weather the lack of parenting, at times,

from his father?

Male Role Model

9. Would you consider Mr. Holland to be a male role model? Describe his strengths and

weaknesses as a human being.

Marriage

10. How did Cole's deafness put a strain on his parents' marriage? How did Mr. and Mrs.

Holland each react to this stress?

11. The film shows Mr. Holland's wife doing nothing when she discovered that her husband

had a crush on Rowena. Was this the best way for her to handle it? Explain your answer.

12. Does the fact that Mr. Holland had a crush on Rowena for a while mean that he didn't

love his wife and that they had a bad marriage?

13. For Rowena, going away and following her muse was clearly the best thing to do. She

suggested, in her effort to get Mr. Holland to leave with her, that he could write his music in

New York City. Why wasn't going away and writing music the best thing for Mr. Holland?

Disabilities

14. Compare how Mrs. Holland responded to her son's deafness with the manner in which his

father responded.

15. Mr. Holland obviously felt separated from his son because of the child's deafness. What

did he and his son miss as a result?

16. Why did the filmmakers include the scene in which Mr. Holland was describing

Beethoven's deafness to one of his classes? What were they trying to tell us?

17. Remember the situation in which Mr. Holland and his wife had received advice from a

doctor that they should not try to use gestures to communicate with Cole? Did that strategy

work? Have you ever been in a situation in which a doctor or another professional gave you

advice that did not work? What did you do?

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

Discussion questions relating to ethical issues will facilitate the use of this film to teach

ethical principles and critical viewing. Additional questions are set out below.

Respect

(Do your share to make your school and community better; cooperate; stay informed; vote;

be a good neighbor; obey laws and rules; respect authority; protect the environment)

1. The film shows Mr. Holland at times failing to live up to this ethical principle in his

dealings with his family. Can you describe these incidents, what he did wrong, and whether

he ultimately rectified the situation?

Responsibility

(Do what you are supposed to do; persevere: keep on trying!; always do your best; use self-

control; be self-disciplined; think before you act — consider the consequences; be

accountable for your choices.)

2. Did Mr. Holland stay in teaching after the first few difficult months because he liked it or

because he had a family to support? What was his reaction to his initial difficulties in

teaching and what reward did it eventually bring him?

3. Do you think Mr. Holland should have gone to New York with Rowena so that he could

write music? Justify your answer and describe which of the attributes of responsibility could

have caused the character to make the choice that he made.

4. Did Mr. Holland act appropriately when he told Rowena that she had a great talent and

that she should develop it?

5. Should Mr. Holland have told Rowena's parents that she was leaving home without their

permission instead of helping her by giving her the address of his friends?

6. Mr. Holland's description of his difficulties in learning to appreciate John Coltrane's music

is a metaphor for at least one other series of events in the film. Can you describe what it is?

Caring

(Be kind, compassionate and show you care; express gratitude; forgive others; help people in need)

7. Did Mr. Holland approach his teaching with a view to the ethical principle of "caring?"

Please give examples from the film.

8. Did Mr. Holland, at least initially, fail to obey the ethical principle of caring in his family

life? Justify your answer.

Citizenship

(Do your share to make your school and community better; cooperate; stay informed; vote;

be a good neighbor; obey laws and rules; respect authority; protect the environment)

9. What made Mr. Holland a particularly good teacher? How do his actions demonstrate the

ethical principle of citizenship?

Guide with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

TeachWithMovies.com MOVIE LEARNING GUIDE

5. FAIL SAFE

Connection to the Curriculum: Leadership Traits (traditions, leadership)

Subjects: U.S./1945 - 1991; World/Cold War

Social-Emotional Learning: leadership

Moral-Ethical Emphasis: responsibility, caring.

Age: 14+; No MPAA Rating; 1964, Drama; 112 minutes; B & W; Available from Amazon.com.

Selected Awards: None.

Featured Actors: Dan O'Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Ed Binns, Fritz Weaver,

Henry Fonda, Larry Hagman, William Hansen, Russell Hardie, Russell Collins, Sorrell Booke.

Director: Sidney Lumet.

INTRODUCTION

Description: It's the middle of the Cold War. Armed to the teeth with nuclear weapons, the

U.S. and the U.S.S.R. (Russia) stand toe to toe, ready to destroy each other, and the world, on

a moments' notice. The countries rely upon the logic of Mutual Assured Destruction to

prevent war. One day, due to a mechanical failure, a group of U.S. war planes, armed with

hydrogen bombs, flies off toward the Soviet Union. It's target is Moscow. It doesn't respond to

orders to return. WHAT DO WE DO NOW?!!!

The President of the United States is called upon to make quick and important decisions. How

can he assure the Soviet Premier that this is not the start of an all out nuclear attack? If the

bombers cannot be stopped, how does he propose to convince the Soviet Union not to launch

an attack that will destroy the United States? Or, as some advise, should he simply order an

all out first strike and start WW III with a big advantage?

The movie is based on a bestselling novel of the same name by Harvey Wheeler and Eugene

Burdick.

Benefits of the Movie: "Fail-Safe" serves as a reminder that, while nuclear tensions have

diminished, there are still thousands of nuclear weapons in arsenals around the world. See

Estimates by the Natural Resources Defense Council. Additionally, several nations who do not

already have nuclear weapons are trying to build them. The chances of an unintended launch

of a missile or of a nuclear accident remain all too real.

The film also contributes to the contemporary debate over defense systems designed to

destroy incoming missiles. See National Missile Defense Debate by the Carnegie Endowment

for Peace. The movie will help inspire children to discuss the wisdom of possessing large

stockpiles of nuclear weapons, as well as investigate what is being done to safeguard them.

One only has to examine the destruction wrought by atomic weapons at the conclusion of

World War II and note the incredible advances in their destructive capability to realize that

everyone is at risk if there is an accidental explosion of a nuclear weapon.

Possible Problems: Moderate. A woman makes a pass at Professor Groeteschele, the villain

of the film. He slaps her. The film begins with a dream sequence showing the agony of a bull

being killed in a bullfight. While this sequence adds a layer of meaning to the film, it is not

essential. Children who are sensitive and who are empathic towards animals should be

warned, and perhaps they should skip the first 60 seconds of the film (until the end of the

dream sequence). One of the characters, under extreme provocation, commits suicide. There

is mild profanity in the movie. The words "damn" and "hell" are used several times.

The dramatic tension in "Fail-Safe" builds slowly through the first 25 minutes. It may be

necessary to remind children during this time that the drama will become intense as the film

unfolds its gripping tale.

Some critics claim that the fears of accidental nuclear war are exaggerated and that the fail-

safe system shown in the movie is much different than those actually employed by the United

States. See compendium of critiques and defenses of the film at StrategyPage.com. The

points of the critics are important and should be discussed with children who see the film. The

debate over whether the film is inaccurate, and whether that even matters, is an excellent

way to lead children to the benefits of this film. See Discussion Question #2.

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

World War II ended with the explosion of atomic bombs over Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As the

Eastern and Western blocs settled into a cold war, more countries acquired the bomb.

Nuclear weapons also became more lethal. Hydrogen bombs, developed in the early 1950s,

are far more powerful than their atomic counterparts. In the topsy-turvy world of nuclear

policy, the development of the hydrogen bomb was presented as an attempt to ensure peace

and security:

Statement by President Harry S. Truman on the Hydrogen Bomb -- January 31 1950:

It is part of my responsibility as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to see to it that our

country is able to defend itself against any possible aggressor. Accordingly, I have directed the

Atomic Energy Commission to continue its work on all forms of atomic weapons, including the so

called hydrogen or super bomb. Like all other work in the field of atomic weapons, it is being and

will be carried forward on a basis consistent with the overall objectives of our program for peace

and security. This we shall continue to do until a satisfactory plan for international control of

atomic energy is achieved. We shall also continue to examine all those factors that affect our

program for peace and ... security. (Nuclearfiles.org)

Under the doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction (with the ironic acronym "MAD") nuclear

war became a suicide pact. There would be no winner and both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.

(Russia) would be destroyed. Albert Einstein is reputed to have remarked that he did not

pretend to augur the details of World War III, but he was certain that World War IV would

likely be fought with sticks and rocks.

Nonetheless, at times, both the United States and the Soviet Union adopted policies of

brinkmanship, where nuclear threats were tossed around in an effort to force the opposing

side to back down over an issue in contention. The American Heritage Dictionary (Houghton

Mifflin Company, 2000) defines brinkmanship as "[t]he practice, especially in international

politics, of seeking advantage by creating the impression that one is willing and able to push a

highly dangerous situation to the limit rather than concede."

One example of brinkmanship was the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's attempts to force

the British and French to terminate their invasion of Egypt's Suez Canal with threats of

nuclear war. Another example was America's not so veiled threats to the People's Republic of

China to cease shelling the tiny Taiwanese islands of Quemoy and Matsu.

The nerve jarring Cuban Missile Crisis of October of 1962 was the ultimate exercise in

brinkmanship and changed superpower perspectives on nuclear weapons. Policy makers

began to appreciate that these weapons were not just big bombs. They were truly instruments

of terror - for those who wielded them as well as for those who would be bombed. Numerous

nuclear accidents and miscalculations only heightened superpower concern over the subject.

The superpowers signed a series of treaties to reduce the tension. One provided for direct

communication between the superpower leaders to avoid misunderstandings. Test ban

treaties (land, undersea, etc.) were crafted to forestall threatening tests. The countries of the

world banded together to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, an attempt to limit the

spread of nuclear weapons. Countries without nuclear weapons agreed not to construct them

in exchange for peaceful nuclear technology from the nuclear powers.

Both superpowers worked hard to reduce the number of weapons among established

countries in a pair of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). But the development of

Multiple Independent Reentry Vehicles (MIRVs), which enabled several warheads to be

placed on a single missile, complicated efforts at superpower cooperation. The United States

Senate refused to ratify SALT II.

After President Ronald Reagan threatened to construct a space-based defense system

(Strategic Defense Initiative), the Soviets began to realize that their nuclear capability could

not only be weakened, but completely invalidated by this new generation of weapons. Reagan

and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev then signed a series of agreements that actually

reduced (not limited) the spread of weapons. This was an important step in the conclusion of

the Cold War.

Even as the Soviet Union made the transition to the Russian Federation, cooperation

continued with a set of Strategic Arms Reduction Treaties (START). Now, cooperation

appears to be waning with America's decision to construct a National Missile Defense system

(NMD). Though America insists that the weapon would only be used for defensive purposes,

NMD undermines the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which banned such weapons as

attempts to "win" a nuclear conflict. The NMD might also invalidate the Outer Space Treaty

of 1967 which was designed to keep the upper atmosphere nuclear free. Furthermore, Russia

views claims that NMD is purely "defensive" with the same skepticism that the U.S. viewed

the "defensive" Soviet missiles in Cuba in the early 1960s. Russia has since used worldwide

suspicion of NMD to forge closer ties with its traditional rivals Europe and China, as together

they pressure the U.S. not to go forward with NMD.

The National Missile Defense system is intended to be a defense against an outside attack by

a rouge state or terrorist group. Some in the scientific community are skeptical about its

feasibility and cost. Early tests have proved problematic and the program is still in its nascent

phase.

Even with NMD, the United States proposes to maintain a large arsenal of nuclear weapons.

The rationale for this is outlined in the United States Defense Department Nuclear Posture

Review. The National Academy of Sciences provides a counterpoint, calling for deep cuts in

the number of missiles the United States deploys: Arms Control Association article on The

Future of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy. The situation is not static. The United States is now

proposing to develop a new generation of nuclear weapons designed to penetrate underground

nuclear, chemical and biological facilities such as those developed by rogue states.

SCREENPLAY EXCERPTS

SCREENPLAY EXCERPT # 1

Congressman Raskob: Well, I'll tell you the truth, these machines scare the hell out of me. I

don't like the idea that every time I take off my hat something up there knows I'm losing my

hair. You want to be damn sure that thing doesn't get any ideas of its own.

Mr. Knapp: I see what you mean, Mr. Raskob, but that's the chance you take with these systems.

Congressman Raskob: Who says we have to take that chance. Who voted who the power to

do it this particular way. I'm the only one around here got elected by anybody. Nobody gave

me that power.

Mr. Knapp: It's in the nature of technology. Machines are developed to meet situations.

Congressman Raskob:: . . . and they take over and start creating situations.

Mr. Knapp: Not necessarily.

Congressman Raskob: But there's always a chance. You said so yourself.

General Bogan: We have checks on everything. There are checks and counterchecks.

Congressman Raskob: Now, who checks the checker? Where's the end of the line, General?

Who's got the responsibility?

General Bogan: The President.

Congressman Raskob: He can't know everything that's going on. How can he? It's too

complicated. And if you want to know, that's what really bothers me. The only thing that

everyone can agree on is that no one's responsible.

SCREENPLAY EXCERPT # 2

Mr. Knapp: The more complex an electronic system gets, the more accident prone it is.

Sooner or later it breaks down.

Secretary Swenson: What breaks down?

Mr. Knapp: A transistor blows. A condenser burns out. Sometimes they just get tired, like

people.

Professor Groeteschele: Mr. Knapp overlooks one factor. The machines are supervised by

humans. Even if a machine fails, a human being can always correct the mistake.

Mr. Knapp: I wish you were right. The fact is that the machines work so fast. They are so

intricate. The mistakes they make are so subtle. That very often a human being just can't

know whether a machine is lying or telling the truth.

SCREENPLAY EXCERPT # 3

Professor Groeteschele: Every minute we wait works against us. Now, Mr. Secretary, now is

when must send in a first strike.

Secretary Swenson: We don't go in for sneak attacks. We had that done to us at Pearl Harbor.

Professor Groeteschele: And the Japanese were right to do it! From their point of view we

were their mortal enemy. As long as we existed we were a deadly threat to them. Their only

mistake was that they failed finish us at the start. And they paid for that mistake at

Hiroshima.

A General: You're talking about a different kind of war.

Professor Groeteschele: Exactly. This time we can finish what we start. And if we act now,

right now, our casualties will be minimal.

General Black: Do you know what you're saying?

Professor Groeteschele: Do you believe that Communism is not our mortal enemy?

General Black: You're justifying murder.

Professor Groeteschele: Yes, to keep from being murdered.

General Black: In the name of what? To preserve what? Even if we do survive are we better

than what we say they are? What gives us the right to live then? What makes us worth

surviving, Groeteschele? That we are ruthless and struck first?

Professor Groeteschele: Yes! Those that can survive are the only ones worth surviving!

General Black: Fighting for your life isn't the same as murder.

Professor Groeteschele: Where do you draw the line once you know what the enemy is? How

long would the Nazis have kept it up, General, if every Jew they came after had met them

with a gun in his hand! But I learned from them, General Black, oh, I learned!

General Black: You learned so well that now there's no difference between you and what you

want to kill!

SCREENPLAY EXCERPT # 4

Soviet Premier: And yet this was nobody's fault.

The President: I don't agree!

Soviet Premier: No human being did wrong. No one is to be blamed.

The President: We're to blame, both of us. We let our machines get out of hand. Two great

cities may be destroyed. Millions of innocent people killed. What do we say to them, Mr.

Chairman, "Accidents will happen?" I won't accept that!

Soviet Premier: All I know that as long as we have weapons ...

The President: All I know is that men are responsible. We're responsible for what happens to

us. Today we had a taste of the future. Do we learn from it or do we go on the way we have?

What do we do Mr. Chairman? What do we say to the dead?

Soviet Premier: I think if we are men we must say that this will not happen again. But do you

think it possible, with all that stands between us.

The President: We put it there, Mr. Chairman, and we're not helpless. What we put between

us we can remove.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (these questions relate to the screenplay excerpts above)

1. Do you agree with General Black or with Professor Groeteschele? Tell us why.

Suggested Response: This hypothetical is based upon real events that occurred during the

Cuban Missile Crisis of October, 1962. At that time General Curtis LeMay, Chief of Staff of

the U.S. Air Force, thought that nuclear war with the Soviet Union was inevitable and wanted

it to occur before the U.S. lost its 18-to-1 edge in nuclear missiles. He saw the Cuban Missile

Crisis as a golden opportunity for this war. (Defense Secretary Robert McNamara interviewed

in "The Fog of War") President Kennedy was horrified that anyone would contemplate this

idea and managed to resolve the crisis without a nuclear war.

2. Assume that the fail-safe plan used by the U.S. was in several ways the opposite of the

plan described in the movie. No bomber could approach the Soviet Union without an explicit

order and, once the plane was over target, no bombs could be dropped without another

specific order. If no order was given or if communications were lost, the planes were to return

to base. Some claim that these assumptions are correct and render the story told by this

movie irrelevant. Do you agree that if the fail-safe system actually used was better than the

one described in the movie, that the movie loses its relevance? Support your position.

3. In the real world in the event of an accidental nuclear strike, would the Soviets have

been placated by the American offer to bomb New York?

4. Read Screenplay Excerpt #3. Do you agree with General Black that Professor

Groeteschele has become as bad or worse than his enemy or do you agree with Professor

Groeteschele that, in the play, the U.S. should have started a nuclear war? Tell us why.

5. Read Screenplay Excerpts #1, 2 and #4. Are we responsible for the distrust and our

weapons systems, or are we innocent because the machines are too complex and too fast?

6. List three defects in the fail-safe system shown in this film. For each defect give the

counterargument showing why that feature should have worked or was, in fact, necessary.

7. Can nuclear weapons ever be made safe from accidental detonation? In your answer,

deal with the issues raised by the list of nuclear accidents contained in Selected Accidents

Involving Nuclear Weapons 1950-1993 by Greenpeace [or a similar list developed from other

sources.]

8. Should we eliminate nuclear weapons if we cannot be sure there will be no accidental

detonations?

9. Does the film "Fail-Safe" make you more or less convinced that we need a National

Missile Defense system?

10. What are your impressions of Professor Groeteschele? Do you agree or disagree with

him? Is he a Cold War relic or do voices such as his have relevance today?

11. Does the breakup of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War mean that an

accidental nuclear detonation is less likely to happen?

12. What is the significance of the dream sequence and of the reference to "the matador"

at the beginning and end of the film?

13. Was it a wise policy for the pilots to be ordered to ignore verbal changes of their orders?

If not, what other alternative was there?

14. If you had been one of the fighter pilots and had been given an order that clearly meant

that you would die on a long shot mission, what would you have done?

15. Could a similar situation occur today with another major power (Russia, China) or a

rogue state (North Korea, Iran)?

16. Do terrorists present a greater nuclear threat than the risk of a nuclear war caused by

accident? If so, do the issues raised in the movie "Fail-Safe" still matter?

17. What would have happened had the situation described in the movie occurred before a

direct communications link had been installed between the President and the Soviet Premier?

18. What steps did the Americans and Soviets take to make the world safer after the early

1960s?

19. What might have happened had Secretary Swenson and the President followed the

suggestions of Professor Groeteschele?

20. Some, such as Political Science Professor John Mearshimer (see Senate Armed Services

Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, March 31, 1998) credit nuclear weapons with deterring

Soviet aggression and preventing World War III. Defend or attack his position.

21. How might Americans have reacted if it was a Soviet plane that slipped through fail-

safe procedures and attacked Washington, D.C. or New York? Would we have accepted a

Soviet/American "deal" to destroy Moscow as an act of penance?

22. Was there any rational basis for Colonel Cascio's fear that the whole thing was all a

Soviet hoax? Did he act correctly?

Questions Testing Attentiveness & Comprehension

23. In the film, why do the American bombers continue to fly past their fail-safe points?

24. Why didn't the pilot listen to the President, his superior officers, or even his wife?

25. In the movie, what orders are given to the Air Force fighter planes? What happens to

them?

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Leadership

1. Evaluate the leadership qualities of the character of the President.

2. What will most likely happen to the President in the aftermath of the crisis? Would this

man, as described in the film, really care?

3. What did General Black (the Air Force bomber pilot on the mission over New York) do?

Why did he do these things?

MORAL-ETHICAL EMPHASIS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (CHARACTER COUNTS)

Discussion questions relating to ethical issues will facilitate the use of this film to teach

ethical principles and critical viewing. Additional questions are set out below.

1. Was ethics involved in the decision of the President shown in this film?

2. Who were the stakeholders in the decisions that the American President and the Soviet

Premier had to make in this film?

Responsibility

(Do what you are supposed to do; persevere: keep on trying!; always do your best; use self-

control; be self-disciplined; think before you act -- consider the consequences; be accountable

for your choices)

3. How does this pillar of character apply to the actions of the people in this film?

4. In the movie, the Russians jammed communications which would have recalled Group

Six to base. Does this absolve the American's of responsibility?

Caring

(Be kind; be compassionate and show you care; express gratitude; forgive others; help people

in need)

5. Should the Soviet Premier have insisted upon the destruction of New York City?

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to web sites which may be linked in the Guide and selected film reviews listed on

the Movie Review Query Engine, the following resources were consulted in the preparation of

this Learning Guide:

—The Limits of Safety: Organizations, Accidents and Nuclear Weapons by Scott D. Sagan;

—Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Emergent Threats in an Evolving Security Environment edited

by Brian Alexander;

—The Tragedy of Great Power Politics by John Mearshimer;

—Arms and Influence by Thomas C. Schelling;

—Deadly Arsenals: Tracking Weapons of Mass Destruction by Joseph Cirincione, Jon

Wolfsthal, Miriam Rajkumar and Jessica Tuchman Mathews;

—Weapons of Mass Destruction: The No-Nonsense Guide to Nuclear, Chemical and

Biological Weapons Today by Robert Hutchinson;

—Contemporary Nuclear Debates edited by Alexander T.J. Lennon;

—The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: A Debate Renewed, Second Edition by Scott D. Sagan and

Kenneth N. Waltz; and

"Suez Crisis." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2003. Encyclopedia Britannica Premium Service. 24

Sep, 2003

Credits: This Learning Guide written by Dr. John A. Tures, Assistant Professor of Political

Science, La Grange College, La Grange, Georgia and James Frieden, TWM.

Guide with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

TeachWithMovies.com MOVIE LEARNING GUIDE

6. THE RIGHT STUFF

Connection to the Curriculum: Leadership Traits (character, teamwork)

Subjects: U.S./1945 - 1991; Aviation; Space Exploration

Social-Emotional Learning: friendship; teamwork; courage

Moral-Ethical Emphasis: responsibility.

Age: 12+; MPAA Rating -- PG; Drama; 1983; 193 minutes; Color; Available from Amazon.com.

Selected Awards: 1983 Academy Awards: Best Film Editing, Best Sound, Best Original Score;

1983 Academy Awards Nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Sheppard), Best

Art Direction/Set Direction, Best Cinematography; 1984 Golden Globe Awards; Nominations:

Best Picture.

Featured Actors: Ed Harris, Dennis Quaid, Sam Shepard, Scott Glen, Fred Ward, Barbara Hershey.

Director: Philip Kaufman.

INTRODUCTION

Description: This movie shows the recruitment, training, and space flights of the first U.S.

astronauts. Although the specific dialogue and some minor events have been fictionalized,

events of any interest are accurately recounted in the film. The movie is based on Tom

Wolfe's excellent non-fiction book of the same name.

Benefits of the Movie: "The Right Stuff" describes the efforts of the United States, from 1958

through 1963, to put a pilot into space. The first steps were taken shortly after WW-II with

tests of supersonic rocket planes, such as the X-1, the X-15 and the X-20 by the Air Force

(USAF). However, success was achieved through the manned flight program of the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The film introduces us to Chuck Yeager, the

legendary U.S. test pilot. (Yeager was the man who had "the right stuff.") The movie shows

the selection, training and flights of the first U.S. astronauts and how they discovered their

own tremendous popularity. It shows how they used that popularity to force NASA and its

engineers to install manual controls in the spacecraft rather than relying on computers to

automatically conduct the missions. (This victory saved the lives of several astronauts who

had to fly their spaceships when the automatic systems or various pieces of equipment failed.

See e.g. Apollo 13.) The film shows how the mantle of "the right stuff" shifted from the USAF

test pilots to the Mercury Astronauts. On the way, we are shown the terror that Sputnik and

the Soviet superiority in space caused the American people, the initial failures and difficulties

of the American space program, and the strong camaraderie that developed among the

original seven astronauts despite their intensely competitive natures. Almost everything in

the movie is accurate.

Possible Problems: Moderate. There is a substantial amount of profanity in this movie. All of

the astronauts are married. In the middle of the movie, after the seven astronauts have been

selected, there is a scene in a bar in which some of the astronauts are looking to pick up

young women. The young women are looking for the astronauts. The young women want to

be able to say that they slept with all seven. This is followed by an argument among the

astronauts in which Glenn is demanding that the others stop their after-hours recreation for

fear of compromising the program. In this argument there are some obscene references.

There is another scene in which Gordo Cooper (an Air Force pilot) is given a vial and ordered

by a nurse to go into a men's room and come out with a sperm sample. He enters a booth

next to another astronaut, apparently Glenn (a Marine pilot), who has been assigned the

same task. The exterior of the two booths are shown with each man humming his services'

song. This scene has nothing to do with sex but everything to do with the competitive spirit of

the astronauts and their commitment to their branch of the armed forces.

HELPFUL BACKGROUND

Soviet Dominance of Early Space Exploration

In 1957 the USSR launched Sputnik 1, becoming the first nation to send a space satellite into

orbit around the earth. The United States had been working towards space exploration before

this time, but was shocked by the sudden ascendancy of Russian technology.

The Soviet Union led the way in the early era of space exploration. Sputnik, launched in

October, 1957, was an aluminum sphere 23 inches in diameter weighing 184 lbs. The next

month, the Soviets launched Sputnik II, weighing 1,121 lbs and carrying a live dog. The first

U.S. space satellite, Explorer I, weighed only 30 lbs and was not launched until January 31, 1958.

Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet Cosmonaut, was the first man in space. He made a one orbit flight in

April, 1961. The Soviets had the first multiple orbit flight, the first multi-person flight, the first

space walk, and the first transfer of crews between docked spacecraft. The Soviets had a

space station in orbit from 1971 until 2001. Their last, the Space Station Mir, remained

serviceable through the collapse of the Soviet Union and into the era of cooperation between

the U.S. and Russian space programs.

There have been four U.S. manned space programs, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and the Shuttle.

This movie details the selection and training of the seven Mercury Astronauts. Alan Shepherd

made the first U.S. spaceflight, a suborbital flight in May, 1961. John Glenn made the first U.S.

orbital flight in February, 1962. All of the Mercury flights involved single astronauts. Gemini

was a program in which two astronauts were on board the spaceship. Apollo was the effort to

place a man on the moon which met with success in July, 1969 when Neil Armstrong and

Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed on the surface of the moon. After more than a decade, the U.S.

beat the Russians to the moon and eventually surpassed the Soviets in the space race.

After Sputnik, the U.S. government poured money, not only into NASA and space science, but

also into general scientific research of all kinds. The added investment allowed U.S. scientists

to gain ascendancy in many fields of study.

Chuck Yeager and the Mystique of the Test Pilot

Chuck Yeager was the best and most famous U.S. test pilot. In World War II he flew 64

missions over Europe and shot down 13 German aircraft. Before the sound barrier was broken,

no one knew whether an airplane could be controlled once it passed the speed of sound. On

October 14, 1947 Yeager was the first test pilot to break the sound barrier and survive. In 1953

he piloted the X-1 experimental rocket plane to a speed of 1,650 miles per hour, a world

record. He flew almost every kind of plane in the military and flew as fast as Mach 3.2.

Although Yeager was the greatest test pilot of his time and an inspiration to all other pilots,

he was passed over for the U.S. Mercury Astronaut Program. NASA wanted only college

trained astronauts and Yeager had only a high school diploma. He continued his career in the

Air Force, commanding the Aerospace Research Pilot School and, in 1968, the Fourth Tactical

Fighter Wing. Yeager retired from the Air Force as a Brigadier General in 1975 but continued

as a consultant, testing planes at one dollar per year. He finally stopped flying for the military

in October of 2002 at the age of 79. After his formal retirement from the military he made

commercials for products on television and wrote his autobiography.

Pilots who tested jet fighters underwent incredible risks and had very little control over their

survival. They were required to "push the envelope" on the plane's capabilities. If they strayed

over the edge they would probably die. Survival was a matter of luck. Yeager was their hero.

They developed a saying that those who survived, like Yeager, "had the right stuff."

The German Engineers

At the end of WW II German engineers who had previously worked for the Nazis were

recruited by both the Soviet Union and the United States. The lead engineer recruited by the

U.S. was Werner Von Braun (1912-1977) who had been in charge of developing the V-2 rocket

used to bombard England during World War II. After helping put the first U.S. satellite into

orbit in 1958, Von Braun was instrumental in the development of the Saturn Rocket used in

the Apollo Moon landing program. He also pioneered the concept of the Space Shuttle. Von

Braun was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1955. His contributions to the United States were

immense and he received many honors from the United States Government. However, it

should be noted that under current international law, Von Braun would probably have been

considered a war criminal for making weapons that could only inflict random death and

destruction to a civilian population. Note that many of the Allied tactics in World War II, such

as the firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo, might not be tolerated today. For a telling parody of

the policy of using engineers who had formerly served the Nazis, listen to the lyrics of the

song entitled Werner von Braun by comedian and math professor Tom Lehrer. For the official

view, see the NASA biography of Von Braun.

The Astronauts’ Struggle to be Treated as Test Pilots

In the early days of the U.S. manned space flight program, there was an engineering/political

struggle between the seven Mercury astronauts, who had been pilots, and NASA engineers,

led by Von Braun and other recruits from the German rocket programs, over whether or not

the spaceships would have manual controls. The engineers wanted to rely on computers and

deny the astronauts the ability to steer the spacecraft in emergency situations. The

astronauts thought this made them no better than monkeys. They feared being called "spam

in a can" and ridiculed by the community of test pilots. They were very uncomfortable having

no control over the space capsules.

The astronauts used their unexpected personal popularity as the "champions" of the

American people and the threat of going to the press to prevail in this dispute. This movie

recounts part of that struggle. Experience proved that the astronauts were correct; several

situations occurred in succeeding years in which spacecraft computers were damaged or

failed and in which the astronauts survived only because they were able to manually steer

their space capsules back to earth. See Apollo 13.

The Astronauts as Champions

Tom Wolfe, in his book The Right Stuff, contends that the astronauts became a modern

equivalent of the "champions" of early human warfare. The Soviet success in putting

satellites into orbit had shattered the assumption that the U.S. had superior technology that

would protect it from Russian armaments. By 1959, not only did the Russians have the atomic

bomb, but it looked as if they would soon control space and be able to deliver those bombs

from this new high ground. It was frequently said and fervently believed that if the Russians

won the "space race" the United States was doomed.

Additional Background

The movie shows the wives of the astronauts talking about Jacqueline Kennedy. During the

early 1960s, the First Lady became a role model for many American women, particularly

young women.

Almost everything in this film is accurate, as reported in the book on which it is based. This

includes: the culture of the fighter jock who had "the right stuff;" the astronauts' fears of

being "spam in a can" and that their role as astronauts would tarnish the fighter jock image

that they desired; the struggle between the astronauts and the engineers (many of whom

were imports from Nazi Germany) over: (i) whether the astronauts would be passengers or

pilots during the space flights; (ii) whether the vehicle would be called a capsule or a

spaceship; (iii) to what extent the astronauts would be able to control the spaceship; (iv)

whether the spaceship would have a window; the character study of Yeager and his impact

on pilots all over the country; the high death rates suffered by test pilots; the psychological

effects on the wives of test pilots caused by the risks to their husbands; the hangout at

Edwards Air Force Base; the incident in which Yeager injured himself and could not shut the

door of his test airplane without the assistance of a broom handle; the transfer of "the right

stuff" from the test pilots at Edwards AFB to the astronauts; the hysteria in the U.S. over the

Soviet Union's ability to put satellites and men into space; the adoration of the astronauts by

the American public and politicians; the incident when Annie Glenn refused to see Vice-

President Johnson and was supported by her husband (although it was only the threat of

support from the other astronauts, not anything that they had to do, that made NASA back

down); the tests at the clinic, including the electrode in the thumb muscle, the incident with

the breath test, and the barium enema given two floors away from the bathroom requiring an

embarrassing trip in a public elevator; the request for a semen sample (though not the

bathroom incident); the disagreement among the astronauts about how they should conduct

their personal lives; the results of the individual flights including the fact that the astronauts

used the manual controls that they insisted upon to save their lives on several occasions.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. How could the astronauts be members of a team and yet compete to be chosen to fly in

space?

Suggested Response: The answer is that there were certain areas in which they would

compete and certain areas in which they would cooperate. They would compete, for

example, in getting the best results on a test. They would cooperate in trying to make the

space capsule safer and in trying to force the engineers to put controls in the capsules.

2. Why was the ascendancy of the Russian Space Program so upsetting to U.S. citizens?

Suggested Response: Before 1958 the U.S. had thought that its technology was the best in the

world. It also thought that its modified capitalist system was so efficient that the communists

could not match the U.S. in technology. The early successes of the Soviet space program

showed that the Russians were far ahead of the U.S. in space technology and rocket launching

capability. It also called into question the superiority of the modified capitalist system.

3. Werner von Braun and the other German engineers who had worked on the Nazi rocket

programs escaped prosecution as war criminals and were given positions of authority in the

U.S. space program. What does this tell us about prosecutions for war crimes?

Suggested Response: Prosecutions for war crimes are intensely political because winners are

very seldom prosecuted and if someone on the losing side has something valuable to

contribute to the winner (like Von Braun and the other German engineers), they will often

escape prosecution.

4. Should the U.S. have given immunity against prosecution for war crimes to Von Braun

and the other German engineers who worked on the V-1 and V-2 projects and should it have

recruited them to work on the U.S. rocket program?

Suggested Response: There is no one correct response to this question. Here are some of the

concepts that should be raised in a discussion on this question: (a) There is a great risk in

allowing people who have no moral compass to become powerful. (b) People who participate

in war crimes and crimes against humanity should be punished. What about justice for the

citizens of London who died as a result of the V-1 and V-2 rockets? The treatment given to

Von Braun and the other V-1 and V-2 engineers calls into question the efforts of the

International Community to prosecute as war criminals people who participate in genocide

(Kosovo, Rwanda, Darfur). Those who have committed crimes against humanity can argue,

as did Von Braun, that they were just technocrats following orders and really didn't agree with

the policies of the government they were serving. This undercuts the principle of justice that

people who participate in crimes should be prosecuted for their crimes. (c) The former Nazi

engineers were essential to the U.S. space effort. Without them, it would have been even

more difficult, perhaps impossible, for the U.S. to catch up to the Russians. The Soviet system

was brutal and caused the death of millions under Stalin. It was important to resist that

system. The U.S. had the power and indeed the responsibility to its own citizens to forgive

Von Braun and the other V-1 and V-2 engineers of their war crimes. -- For a spirited

discussion, apply the arguments raised by this response to U.S. CIA agents and soldiers

serving at Guantanamo who tortured terrorists.

5. At the end of the movie when Gordo Cooper is asked "Who was the best pilot you ever

saw?," why couldn't he talk about Yeager? He tried and it was on the tip of his tongue. But it

never came out. What does this tell you about the mentality of test pilots?

Suggested Response: It is very difficult for people who are so competitive to acknowledge

that someone else is better than they are.

SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Friendship and Teamwork

1. Give some examples of the teamwork among the astronauts shown in this film.

2. Give some examples of friendship among the astronauts shown in this film.

Courage

3. Is it courageous or foolhardy to be a test pilot?

Suggested Response: The difference between courage and foolishness lies in the context in

which the action is taken. Being a test pilot despite the great risk is courageous if there is a

reasonable chance of success and the flight or test program is important enough to die for.

Otherwise, it's recklessness.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

In addition to web sites which may be linked in the Guide and selected film reviews listed on

the Movie Review Query Engine, the following resources were consulted in the preparation of

this Learning Guide:

• The Right Stuff, Tom Wolfe, 1979, Farrar, Straus, Giroux, New York

• article "Yeager Retires with A Big Bang", by Wendy Thermos, Los Angeles Times, Sunday,

October 23, 2002, pg. B-4.

Guide with permission of TeachWithMovies.com, Inc.

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDES

Part 3

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

1. CHARACTER COUNTS

Overview Statement: What is leadership? The answer is more than simply reciting a standard

definition. Leadership begins with character – your personal character.

Connection to the Curriculum: Ties in with the theme of chapter one. Leadership always

begins with character.

Estimated Time: 50 minutes

Resources Required: Whiteboard (or chalkboard, butcher paper or easel pad)

Key Terms

Leadership: “The art and science of influencing and directing people to accomplish the

assigned mission.” U.S. Air Force, AFDD 1-1, Leadership & Force Development, 2006

Character: “The set of qualities that make somebody or something distinctive, especially

somebody's qualities of mind and feeling.” Encarta Dictionary

INTRODUCTION

Attention: What is leadership? {Write responses on the board.}

Motivation: While you gave good responses, the answer is more than simply reciting a

standard definition. Leadership begins with character – your personal character. Today we

will be discussing how leadership begins with character.

Overview: We will first define the terms “leadership” and “character.” We will then discuss

the character qualities that great leaders need.

Your role during the discussion is to be an active participant. You are free to share your views

with each other. Please be involved and considerate of one another. My role will be to take

notes on what you say, and I will occasionally ask a question or two. There are no right or

wrong answers to the questions. I am simply interested in what you have to say.

MAIN POINT 1: DEFINE THE TERMS “LEADERSHIP” AND “CHARACTER”

Let’s begin our discussion by looking at the definitions of leadership that you gave at the

beginning of this discussion. {Review responses from the board.} The Air Force has defined

leadership as “the art and science of influencing and directing people to accomplish the

assigned mission.”

Lead-Off Question: How do our initial definitions compare or contrast with the Air Force’s

definition?

Follow-Up Question: Do you think the Air Force’s definition is adequate? Defend your view.

Now let’s take a look at the word “character.” Encarta defines character as “the set of

qualities that make somebody or something distinctive, especially somebody's qualities of

mind and feeling.”

Lead-Off Question: Do you agree or disagree that character is a set of qualities that makes

someone distinct? Defend your view.

Follow-Up Question: How would you define “character” in your own words?

Transition: I believe that you have a good grasp of the two key terms of leadership and

character. Let’s spend some time discussing how these terms might be related.

MAIN POINT 2: DISCUSS THE QUALITIES OF CHARACTER THAT GREAT LEADERS NEED

Think for a minute about a leader whom you admire. Picture this person in your mind and try

to identify one or two qualities that you admire about this person. OK, let’s write these

qualities on the board. {Write responses on the board.}

Lead-Off Question: How do these qualities enhance a person’s leadership abilities?

Follow-Up Question: How could these qualities diminish a person’s leadership abilities?

Follow-Up Question: Does leadership begin with character? Defend your view.

CONCLUSION

Summary: After listening to your responses, it’s clear that you comprehend that leadership

begins with character.

Remotivation: The first step in your leadership journey is learning how to lead yourself. This

includes learning how to contribute to a team, how to wear the uniform, how to drill, and how

to follow the guidance of the leaders above you. Put simply, a good leader leads by example.

Closure: How a leader acts is infinitely more important than how he thinks or what he or she

says.

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

2. AIR FORCE TRADITIONS

Overview Statement: Most organizations have a set of traditions that members follow. The

key to supporting these traditions is to identify the reasons for them.

Connection to the Curriculum: Ties in with the theme of chapter one concerning Air Force

traditions.

Estimated Time: 50 minutes

Resources Required: Whiteboard (or chalkboard, butcher paper or easel pad)

Key Term:

Tradition: “A long-established action or pattern of behavior in a community or group of

people.” Encarta Dictionary

INTRODUCTION

Attention: Why do people stand before reciting the Pledge of Allegiance? {Write answers on

the board.}

Motivation: Most organizations have traditions. Members are asked to support these

traditions, so it is important to identify what the traditions are and, more importantly, the

reasons for them. Today we will be exploring CAP’s role in upholding some of the traditions of

the United States Air Force.

Overview: We will define some of the Air Force traditions that CAP follows. We will then

describe some of the reasons why following these Air Force traditions enhances CAP.

Your role during the discussion is to be an active participant. Fell free to share your views

with each other. Please be involved and considerate of one another. My role will be to take

notes on what you say, and I will occasionally ask a question or two. There are no right or

wrong answers. I am simply interested in what you have to say.

MAIN POINT 1: DEFINE SOME AIR FORCE TRADITIONS THAT CAP FOLLOWS

Cadets follow Air Force traditions as part of their leadership training. This includes rendering

military customs and courtesies, wearing the uniform, and participating in drill and

ceremonies. Air Force traditions inspire cadets to take their leadership training seriously.

Lead-Off Question: Define “customs and courtesies.”

Follow-Up Question: Describe some of the ways that the CAP uniform is commonly worn

improperly.

Follow-Up Question: Define “drill and ceremonies.”

Transition: I believe that we touched on some of the important Air Force traditions that CAP

follows: rendering military customs and courtesies, wearing the uniform, and participating in

drill and ceremonies. Now it’s time to discuss why following these Air Force traditions

enhances CAP.

MAIN POINT 2: DESCRIBE WHY FOLLOWING AIR FORCE TRADITIONS ENHANCES CAP

Just as we wrote on the board why people stand when reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, we

need to ask why following Air Force traditions enhance CAP.

Lead-Off Question: How does our core value of respect relate to our practice of rendering Air

Force customs and courtesies?

Follow-Up Question: How important is it to wear the CAP uniform properly, and why is

“attention to detail” related?

Follow-Up Question: If CAP were not the auxiliary of the United States Air Force, would we

still perform drill and ceremonies? Defend your answer.

Follow-Up Question: Describe in your own words how following Air Force traditions enhances

CAP.

CLOSING

Summary: I think that you all did a great job in discussing the importance of Air Force

traditions in our organization and comprehending how following these traditions enhances

CAP.

Remotivation: Air Force traditions can be valuable teaching tools. Cadets can learn through

these traditions to strengthen their self-discipline, personal responsibility and self-respect.

Moreover, they illustrate team spirit and excellence in a positive way.

Closure: By adopting some of the Air Force traditions as our own, CAP illustrates in a positive

way how cadets differ from ordinary youth.

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

3. SELF-MANAGEMENT

Overview Statement: CAP cadets are leaders in training. One of the first steps to becoming a

leader is taking personal responsibility for one’s self.

Connection to the Curriculum: Ties in with the theme of chapter two, concerning personal

leadership.

Estimated Time: 75 minutes

Resources Required: Whiteboard (or chalkboard, butcher paper or easel pad), Learn to Lead –

Module One textbook, and a stack of small sticky notes

Key Terms:

Cadet: “A young man or woman who is training.” Encarta Dictionary

CAP Cadet: “Leaders in training.” Learn to Lead, Module One

Self-Management: “The process of directing and controlling your actions so that you can

achieve your goals in life.” Learn to Lead, Module One

INTRODUCTION

Attention: Is everyone a leader?

{Write two columns on the board, labeled “Yes” and “No.” When asking the attention

question, write down the total number of responses in the appropriate column.}

Motivation: Based on our responses, it seems that there is some debate about the question:

“Is everyone a leader?” Our discussion today will help us see that both answers are correct.

Overview: Another term for personal leadership is self-management. But what does “self-

management” really mean? This discussion uses our Learn to Lead textbook to better

understand the concept. We will define the term and discuss its critical attributes, including

personal goal-setting, ethical decision-making, efficient time management, and healthy stress

management. We will conclude by discussing how CAP cadets begin their leadership journey

through self-management.

Your role during the discussion is to be an active participant. You are free to share your views

with each other. Please be involved in the discussion and considerate of one another. My role

will be to take notes on what you say, and I will occasionally ask a question or two. There are

no right or wrong answers. I am simply interested in what you have to say.

MAIN POINT 1: COMPREHEND THE CONCEPT OF SELF-MANAGEMENT

A. Definitions

The word “cadet” is defined as someone in training. CAP takes this definition one step further

and states that CAP cadets are “leaders in training.”

Our leadership textbook describes how CAP cadets can begin their personal leadership

journey through self-management. Self-management is defined as “the process of directing

and controlling your actions so that you can achieve your goals in life.”

Question: Do you agree or disagree with these definitions? Defend your answer.

B. Attributes

According to our leadership textbook, there are four main attributes, or characteristics, of

self- management. {Draw four boxes on the board with the following labels:}

Personal Goal-Setting

Ethical Decision-Making

Efficient Time

Management

Healthy Stress

Management

Open your leadership textbook to chapter two to help guide our understanding of the

attributes of self-management: personal goal-setting, ethical decision-making, efficient time

management, and healthy stress management.

Let’s start by discussing personal goal-setting.

Question: Do you agree or disagree that a goal is simply a dream with a deadline? Defend

your answer.

Question: Define in your own words the meaning of “future picture.”

Question: Why are setting personal goals important?

Good leaders follow a decision-making process. Let’s move to the attribute of ethical

decision- making.

Question: How do we begin the decision-making process?

Question: Do good decisions always lead to good outcomes? Defend your answer.

Question: Do bad decisions always lead to bad outcomes? Defend your answer.

Goals are the starting point of effective time management. Let’s spend a few moments

discussing effective time management.

Question: How does procrastination affect time management?

Let’s do a quick exercise that illustrates effective time management:

{Divide the class into two equal or nearly equal teams. Give each team 16 small sticky notes.

State that the objective is for each team is to write down the entire alphabet on every sticky

note within two minutes. Everyone must write, and the fastest team wins. Give each team

five minutes to come up with a strategy, and state that no one is allowed to start writing until

you give the signal to start. Start the exercise and stop at exactly two minutes. “Quality

check” the work of both teams and count the number of accurately-completed sticky notes.

Write the totals for both teams on the board.}

Question: Why was your team’s strategy effective/ineffective?

{Keep the same teams and go through the exercise again. This time, ask the teams to spend

their five-minute strategy time deciding how they can improve their time management. Same

rules apply as before. Start the exercise and stop at exactly two minutes. “Quality check” the

work of both teams and count the number of accurately-completed sticky notes. Write the

totals for both teams on the board.}

Question: How did your strategy differ from before?

Question: What lessons can we learn from this exercise about effective time management?

We will have a short break momentarily. But first, let’s complete our discussion of self-

management attributes by discussing healthy stress management. Stress is the body’s

response to change. A leader manages and controls the stress in his life.

Question: How can stress be good for a leader?

Question: How can someone limit and control stress?

Transition: Through role play and discussion, we have addressed the definitions and attributes

of self-management. Let’s discuss how self-management affects our leadership.

MAIN POINT 2: COMPREHEND HOW SELF-MANAGEMENT AFFECTS LEADERSHIP

We have completed the first segment of our leadership discussion by looking at the

definitions and attributes of self-management. Now we need to conclude our discussion by

looking at how self-management affects leadership.

For every issue, there needs to be a decision. The person who makes the decision is called the

leader.

Question: How is everyone a leader?

If you aspire to become a respected leader, you must take responsibility for your actions.

Other leaders will help you develop your potential, but there is no escaping the fact that you

are in charge of you.

Question: How does self-management positively affect leadership? {Write responses on the

board.}

Question: How does self-management negatively affect leadership? {Write responses on the

board.}

CLOSING

Summary: {Re-summarize the statements written on the board.} Understanding the concept

of self-management is critical to beginning your leadership journey. I think you did a great job

in defining the key terms, identifying the key attributes, and comprehending how we begin

our journey through personal leadership.

Remotivation: If you have good self-management skills, you take ownership of the goals you

set for yourself, the decisions you make, how you use your time, and how you control stress in

your life.

Closure: It’s true. Leaders take responsibility for their actions.

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

4. TEAMWORK

Overview Statement: Being able to lead yourself is only a small part of leadership. As a

leader, you also must learn how to work with others.

Connection to the Curriculum: Ties in with the theme of chapter two, concerning teamwork.

Estimated Time: 50 minutes

Resources Required: Whiteboard (or chalkboard, butcher paper or easel pad)

Key Terms:

Teamwork: “A cooperative effort by a group.” Encarta Dictionary

Synergy: “The result is greater than the sum of their individual effects.” Encarta Dictionary

INTRODUCTION

Attention: How many of you have heard that “there is no I in team?” My response is that

there is an “m” and “e.”

Motivation: The reality is that teams are collections of individuals who are committed to

working together toward common goals. The “no I in team” points out that a group of

individuals doesn’t necessarily make a team successful. Our discussion today will highlight

the characteristics of teams and your role in leading them.

Overview: We will first look at the characteristics of good teams. We will then conclude with

a discussion on leading teams.

Your role during the discussion is to be an active participant. You are free to share your views

with each other. Please be involved and be considerate. My role will be to take notes on what

you say; occasionally I’ll ask a question or two. There are no right or wrong answers. I am

simply interested in what you have to say.

MAIN POINT 1: DESCRIBE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TEAMS

Let’s begin by looking at the “m-e” in teams. Because a team is comprised of individuals,

everyone on the team is unique and bring to the unit special talents and personality. Great

teams use individuals’ special skills to their advantage. One person’s strength helps overcome

another person’s weakness.

Question: Give an example of how one person’s strength has helped a team to succeed.

Great teams produce synergy. That is, by working together, the team achieves more than

each person could individually. A good way to remember synergy is to think of the jets that

are capable of accelerating in a vertical climb; their engines are giving more thrust than the

effects of weight and gravity, allowing for the acceleration. Great teams often look to each

other to solve problems together, rather than waiting for a leader to emerge. Another thing

that makes for a great team is the feeling of team spirit. Team spirit builds trust, and

suddenly team members no longer fear making compromises as they work together.

Question: Give an example of a great team. Why do you consider this team great?

{Write the following on the board.}

Self-Discipline

Selflessness

Enthusiasm

Loyalty

Now we know what a team is. But what does it take to become part of a team? On the board

we see four characteristics of good team members. They are the personal traits anyone will

need if they hope to be welcomed onto a team.

Lead-Off Question: Why is self-discipline important to a team? {Write answers on the

board.}

Follow-Up Question: Why is selflessness important to a team? {Write answers on the board.}

Follow-Up Question: Define enthusiasm in your own words and describe why it is important to

a team. {Write answers on the board.}

Follow-Up Question: Define loyalty in your own words and describe why it is important to a

team. {Write answers on the board.}

Follow-Up Question: Is any one trait more important than the others? Defend your view?

Transition: I think that we have a firm grasp on team characteristics. Knowing what great

teams are is a first step in knowing how to lead them. Let’s talk a bit about a leader’s role in

maintaining and strengthening great teams.

MAIN POINT 2: DEFINE YOUR ROLE IN LEADING TEAMS

Leaders take responsibility for themselves. Leading others begins with self management.

Once a new leader proves his or her abilities in personal leadership, he or she is signaling to

others that he or she is ready to accept greater challenges. The next steps for emerging

leaders are to be mentored and to develop your communication skills.

Lead-Off Question: How can mentors help junior cadets to lead?

Follow-Up Question: Can someone be a leader who was not mentored? Defend your view.

Follow-Up Question: What does your ability to communicate have to do with self

management and teamwork?

Follow-Up Question: Do you believe that a leader is useless if he or she cannot communicate

well? Defend your view.

CLOSING

Summary: From your discussion, it sounds like communication and mentoring are important

tools for an emerging leader to have in order to lead great teams. Your personal leadership

and self-management also are important. And knowing the characteristics of great teams will

help you to be a better leader.

Remotivation: You know that one of the best ways to solve problems is by communicating

and focusing on the success of the team. You should seek mentors to help formulate and

strengthen your personal leadership view.

Closure: Here’s a motto to carry with you throughout life: “Lead by example.”

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

5. THE ROLE OF THE LEADER

Overview Statement: Leadership is both an art and a science. As an art, leadership gives

leaders freedom to express themselves. As a science, leadership demands that leaders think

before they act.

Connection to the Curriculum: Ties in with the theme of chapter three, concerning the role of

a leader.

Estimated Time: 50 minutes

Resources Required: Whiteboard (or chalkboard, butcher paper or easel pad)

Key Terms:

Culture: “The attitudes, customs, and values of a civilization.” Learn to Lead, Module One

INTRODUCTION

Attention: {Draw two columns on the board. Label one “managing” and the other “leading.”}

What is the difference between managing and leading? {Write responses on the board.}

Motivation: There seems to be consensus and disagreement on the differences. A good start

is to think about the differences in this way: You manage things and you lead people. Today

we will be discussing how to lead people better.

Overview: First let’s define what makes a leader and discover if leaders are made, not born.

We will conclude our discussion by describing the roles of a leader – especially cadet leaders.

Your role during the discussion is to be an active participant. Feel free to share your views

with each other. Please be involved and be considerate. My role will be to take notes on what

you say, and I will occasionally ask a question or two. There are no right or wrong answers. I

merely want to hear what you have to say.

MAIN POINT 1: DEFINE WHAT MAKES A LEADER

Our Learn to Lead textbook uses the Air Force’s definition to describe leadership. Because

leadership is partly an art, subject to different interpretations, and because it is still a young

academic subject, there is no universally-agreed-upon definition for “leadership.” Most

experts include in their definition of “leadership” three components: the leader, the

follower(s), and the goal. {Write “leader, follower(s), goal” on the board.}

Lead-Off Question: Other than the Air Force definition, what are some other ways to define

leadership?

Follow-Up Question: How does culture affect our definitions of leadership?

Leadership is built through experience, education and training. In other words, leaders are

made, not born. While a leader “influences and directs” people, another assumption is that

leaders should take a positive approach.

Lead-Off Question: Does leadership equal command? Defend your view.

Follow-Up Question: Can an evil person lead? Defend your view. {Note: This question may

cause some to focus only upon the evil and not consider the person. Be sure to point out that

recent theorists believe that leadership is taking place only when an honorable person pursues

goals that broadly serve a public good.}

Follow-Up Question: What role do ethics play in leadership? Defend your view.

Transition: Although we could spend more time defining what makes a leader, I’m confident

that you know that leadership is built through experience, education and training. You also

know that leaders lead people. Now it’s time to describe the roles of a leader in more detail.

MAIN POINT 2: DESCRIBE THE ROLES OF A LEADER

To appreciate how challenging a leader’s work is, consider all of the different roles that

leaders play. One moment the leader must be a visionary, the next a communicator, the next

a teacher. Strong leaders are always in demand precisely because it is difficult to find people

who can perform well in so many different capacities. Let’s look at the five critical roles of a

leader. {Write the following on the board.}

Visionary

Motivator

Communicator

Expert

Teacher

{For the next series of questions, write the student responses for each lead-off question in the

top blocks and the responses for the follow-up question in the bottom blocks.}

A. Visionary. Visionary leaders are creative thinkers and risk takers who point their teams

toward spectacular possibilities. Think of a leader whom you would describe as a visionary.

Lead-Off Question: Describe the traits of a visionary leader.

Follow-Up Question: How can cadets become visionary leaders?

B. Motivator. Leaders must be motivators. Behind every successful team is a leader who

knows how to motivate people. Think of a leader whom you would describe as a good

motivator.

Lead-Off Question: Describe the traits of a motivational leader.

Follow-Up Question: How can cadets become motivational leaders?

C. Communicator. The ability to communicate well pays off. As leaders succeed in

sharing meaning, their teams begin to understand them and become more comfortable

working together. Think of a leader whom you would describe as a great communicator.

Lead-Off Question: Describe the traits of a leader who communicates well.

Follow-Up Question: How can cadets become better communicators?

D. Expert. Possessing expert knowledge helps a leader establish his credibility and win

respect. If you are to lead a team, you’ll need some technical expertise. After all, how can a

leader expect to answer questions, solve problems and inspire people if he knows next to

nothing about what the team does? Think of a leader whom you consider an expert in his

field.

Lead-Off Question: Describe the traits of a leader who is an expert.

Follow-Up Question: How can cadets become leaders who are experts?

E. Teacher. Good leaders know how to ignite a spark within their people, to bring out their

best. In many ways, good leadership is good teaching. Teachers help people to see the world

in a new way. So do leaders. Think of a leader who is a good teacher.

Lead-Off Question: Describe the traits of a leader who is also a good teacher.

Follow-Up Question: How can cadets become better teachers?

CLOSING

Summary: By discovering the critical roles of a leader and defining what makes a leader, we

are well on our way to becoming great leaders, too!

Remotivation: Based on this brief survey of the roles leader play, it is clear that if you wish to

lead, you need to be a well-rounded person. Leaders communicate, teach, and inspire –

sometimes all at once. A leader who is skilled in only one facet of leadership will struggle

because the team needs the total package from you.

Closure: Remember, you manage things and you lead people.

GROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE

6. GREAT MAN THEORY

Overview Statement: The Great Man Theory professes that to study leadership, one should

focus on the life stories of successful people. But is this theory sound?

Connection to the Curriculum: Ties in with the theme of chapter three, concerning the Great

Man Theory.

Estimated Time: 75 minutes

Resources Required: whiteboard (or chalkboard, butcher paper or easel pad)

Key Terms:

Canon: “A list of works considered to represent the very best in the world.” Learn to Lead,

Module One

History: “Philosophy teaching by examples.” Thucydides, as quoted in Learn to Lead, Module One

INTRODUCTION

Attention: There are a lot of leaders that we would consider great. But who are the greatest of

the great? How do we identify the truly great men and women of the world?

Motivation: The Great Man Theory states that only those who shape history through their

actions truly deserve to be called leaders. Today, we will discuss this theory, including its

merits and its shortcomings.

Overview: We will first define the Great Man Theory and what makes men and women great.

Next, we will examine the disadvantages, or drawbacks, of this theory.

Your role during the discussion is to participate actively, so you are free to share your views

with each other. Please be involved, and please be considerate of each other. My role will be

to take notes on what you say, and I will occasionally ask a question or two. There are no

right or wrong answers. I am simply interested in what you have to say.

MAIN POINT 1: COMPREHEND THE GREAT MAN THEORY

A. Definitions

The Great Man Theory teaches that there are certain individuals whose accomplishments

belong to a canon of western civilization. A canon is a list of historical and literary works

considered to represent the very best in the world.

The Great Man Theory advocates that biography and history be the means to learning about

leadership. According to the Greek historian Thucydides, history is philosophy teaching by

examples. In other words, we learn about effective leadership from examples provided to us

by history’s best leaders.

Question: Do you agree or disagree with these definitions? Defend your answer.

B. Attributes

To learn what leadership is, students of the Great Man Theory study the lives of great men

and women. According to the theory, whatever skills made them specially equipped to lead

were awarded at birth. Their lives set the standard for leadership, the theory teaches. Think of

someone who has literally shaped history. Share your responses. {Write them on the board.}

Question: How did this great person shape history?

Question: What do you know about your great person’s life story? How does their life story

shape their leadership that, in turn, shaped history?

Question: How did this great person’s environment and upbringing lead to their greatness?

Question: If the Great Man Theory is true, how do we define a successful person?

Transition: Just as a professional pilot is assumed to recognize common aircraft on sight,

leaders are presumed to be acquainted with the biographies of the great men and women. I

think that you comprehend the Great Man Theory. Now we need to describe its merits and

drawbacks.

MAIN POINT 2: DESCRIBE THE DRAWBACKS OF THE GREAT MAN THEORY

According to the Great Man Theory of leadership, if you are a genuine leader, you’ll know it.

Education and experience did not grant these great men and women leadership skill; rather,

their ability to lead came from birthright, superior genes or some other factor set at birth. The

lives of successful men and women can teach us much about leadership. And certain people

do seem to be blessed with natural talents. But those are generalizations. If leaders are born,

as the Great Man Theory professes, then how can we explain a great person’s failures?

Question: Do failures lead someone to become an even a greater leader? Defend your view.

Question: How does the Great Man Theory determine who is a successful leader? {Hint: It

really can’t!}

Question: How can our views of a superhero describe the Great Man Theory?

Question: Describe how leadership built from experience, education and training cancels out

the Great Man Theory.

CLOSING

Summary: Because the Great Man Theory offers no criteria or scorecard for greatness, it is

difficult to test its claim that leaders are born. The theory awards enormous clout to the great

men and women of history.

I believe that you have a firm grasp of the Great Man Theory and its pitfalls.

Remotivation: It is true that anyone who intends to lead ought to know something about the

great men and women of history and learn from their examples. But we also have discovered

that these great men and women of history are only human after all.

Closure: You can be a great person of history, too!

Are leaders born or are they made? This activity guide develops leadership skills

in cadets through team leadership problems, discussions about how leadership is

portrayed in movies, and group discussions about leadership concepts found in

Learn to Lead, Module 1: Personal Leadership.

LEARN TO LEAD is a four-volume textbook:

Module 1 Personal Leadership

Module 2 Team Leadership

Module 3 Indirect Leadership

Module 4 Strategic Perspectives

TODAY’S CADETS: TOMORROW’S AEROSPACE LEADERS