Theme: No One Stands Alone Film: Spartacus (PG-13) 2:15
In 73 BCE, a Thracian slave leads a revolt at a gladiatorial school run by Lentulus Batiatus. The uprising soon spreads across the Italian Peninsula involving thousand of slaves. The plan is to acquire sufficient funds to acquire ships from Silesian pirates who could then transport them to other lands from Brandisium in the south.
This 1960 film produced by Bryna Productions is directed by Stanley Kubrick, is written by Dalton Trumbo and Howard Fast. It stars Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier.
Teaser Question: When is standing up and taking responsibility the only option?
Going Deeper: Has there ever been a time that you took the blame for someone else? Explain.
“We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” - J.K. Rowling
“All for one and one for all, united we stand divided we fall.” ― Alexandre Dumas
Theme: Everybody Pitches In Film: Coach Carter (PG-13) 2:37
Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him. Cruz quits the team, but later decides he wants back on. His requirement is greater than he can handle alone.
This 2005 film by Paramount Pictures is directed by Thomas Carter, written by Mark Schwahn and John Gatins. It stars Samuel L. Jones, Rick Gonzalez, and Channing Tatum.
Teaser Question: Have you ever helped a friend in need?
Going Deeper: Talk about a time when you thought the teacher/coach was being unreasonable, but you later realized it was for your own good.
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much." --Helen Keller
"Individual commitment to a group effort--that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work." --Vince Lombardi
Theme: Standing Up For What is Right Film: Glory 3:00
Robert Gould Shaw leads the U.S. Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices from both his own Union Army, and the Confederates. When the Army says they will receive less pay than the white men, Gould Shaw must make a decision.
This 1989 film produced by TriStar Films is directed by Edward Zwick, written by Kevin Jarre and Lincoln Kirstein. It stars Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes, and Morgan Freeman.
Teaser Question: How should the amount of money someone earns be decided?
Going Deeper: Is there a situation where you sacrificed something you wanted or needed because someone else couldn't have the same?
"The best teamwork comes from men who are working independently toward one goal in unison." --James Cash Penney
“Nothing great was ever accomplished without making sacrifices.” Anonymous
Theme: Who Do You Play For? Film: When the Game Stands Tall (PG) 1:00
The journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur, who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport.
This 2014 film by Sony Pictures is directed by Thomas Carter, written by Scott Marshall Smith, it stars Jim Caviezel, Alexander Ludwig, Michael Chiklis.
Teaser Question: Who motivates you to do your best?
Going Deeper: What can cause you to become unmotivated or stop you from doing your best?
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” - Steve Prefontaine
“There are still many causes worth sacrificing for, so much history yet to be made.” - Anonymous
Keeping a Journal: 1. Which clip did you like the best and why? 2. Describe a time when you stood up for someone because you believed they were right? or When some one stood up with you because they believed in you. 3. How do holidays like Labor Day celebrate solidarity in our country? 4. Describe a moment in your life when you were proud of your feelings of solidarity.
Activity 1: Solid Chain Performance Objective: Students will acquire attitudes, knowledge and interpersonal skills to help them understand and respect themselves and others.
Materials: - 2 in wide strips of colored construction paper (1 per student) - markers - stapler & staples
Teacher Instructions: 1. Give each student a strip of colored paper cut into 2 inch wide strips, and long enough that you can make a paper chain. 2. Instruct students that they will come up with one thing they truly think they are good at. 3. Have students stand up, read their statement, and then start the chain or add to the chain. 4. The goal would be to eventually connect your chain to other advisories, hopefully eventually connecting all the teams together. 5. The message would be it takes all of the things we are really good at to create the best building we can make together.
Activity 2: To Have or To Have Not - A Solidarity Game *Performance Activity: To work together with a group towards a common goal.
This group activity is a variation on the classic decision-making exercise, “The Prisoner’s Dilemma.” The purpose is to help young people reflect on the unequal conditions among the nations of the world, and the choices individuals and groups make that influence those conditions. Materials: -Poster paper 1 per team of approximately 4. -Markers -small paper bag with a small object of various amounts in each bag- 1 bag per group -Red & Green construction paper cut into playing card size - 1 of each color per group
Teacher Instructions: 1. Divide the group into teams of about four each. 2. Give each team one sheet of poster paper and markers, and allow a few minutes for members to come up with a name and a flag for their “nation.” 3. Have each nation briefly explain its name and flag to the large group. 4. Give each team/nation a paper bag containing an even number of some small object (poker chips, pencils, paper clips, etc.). You could use something edible like M&Ms, but be sure they are wrapped if you intend to use them later as a snack! The amounts in the bags should vary, from only a few at the low end to a hundred or more at the high end (you might have to stuff some of the bags to make them all look and feel about the same). Don’t tell the participants that the bags are unequal – let them discover it for themselves. The contents in each bag should be seen only by the team that receives it, and not discussed with others. 5. Give one red card and one green card to each team and explain how they work (see below). 6. Select two teams to play against each other first. Play is simple: Each team decides amongst its members whether to display a red or green card. Each gives their card (without revealing their choice) to the moderator. After both teams have chosen, the moderator reveals the results. If both teams have chosen GREEN, they divide equally the contents of their two paper bags. If one team chooses GREEN and the other chooses RED, the team that chose RED gets the contents of both bags and the team that chose GREEN gets nothing. If both teams choose RED, then both have to give up their bags. The contents of those bags then become part of the potential prize for the next two teams, and so on. To Have and Have Not – A Solidarity Game If a team loses everything, they are eliminated from further play. Continue play until either one team has won everything or until the last two teams have chosen to share everything (or until the moderator thinks play has gone on long enough). 6. Then facilitate a group discussion. Here are some possible discussion questions: 1) How did you feel when you first discovered the contents of your paper bag? Did you think you had a lot or a little? Once you began to discover what other teams had in their bags, did you change your mind about the value of yours? 2) When it was your team’s turn to play, why did you choose the card you picked? If you had it to do over again, would you choose the same? Why or why not? 3) If you lost everything, how did that feel? Were you angry? If so, at whom was your anger directed? (Your opponent? Yourself?) 4) If you won everything, how did that feel? Were you relieved? Did you feel guilty? Do you think you deserved those results or were you just lucky? If you had it to do over again, would you choose differently? 5) If you and your opponent both chose green, and you shared the winnings, were you satisfied? Why or why not? 6) Were your decisions about how to play the game influenced by what was in your bag? Did a small amount make you more inclined to take a risk? Did a large amount make you want to protect what you had? 7) How is this game like the reality of the nations of the world? What are some of the choices that “haves” make that hurt “have nots?” What are some lessons from the game that could benefit both groups?
Activity 3: Human Knot Performance Objective: To work together to solve a common problem
Materials: -Space large enough to accommodate all of your students
Teacher Instructions: 1. With the group standing in a circle, each person grabs a hand across from them. 2. When all hands are connected, the circle should resemble one big mess of hands that teams must work their way out of without letting go.
This activity builds problem solving as a team, and relies on communication in a sensible, concise manner.