All of our Lesson Plans are designed for
DEEP LEARNING
The activities in our lesson plans will challenge students to move closer to mastery in the following skills:
Leadership
Cooperation with Others
Creativity
Critical thinking
Emotional Intelligence
Problem Solving
Judgment and Decision Making
Each of our Companion Activities lesson plans includes the following activities:
- Reflection: allows students to journal about one of the movie’s themes prior to watching.
- Analysis: questions and prompts to analyze the characters, plot, and climax of the movie.
- Practice & Discussion: a partner/group activity that takes the principles of the movie and asks students to take action and grow in their own lives.
- Extension: a RAFT (Role-Audience-Format-Topic) writing prompt to help students apply their new knowledge.
- Lead for Impact: challenges students to pinpoint how the hero of the story exhibited The 12 Fundamentals of Success and then synthesize how they can apply the lessons to writing their own story
Do you consider yourself an underdog?
Maybe you wonder whether you have what it takes to be a winner inside of you…
Hoosiers Companion Activities analyzes the story of the Hickory Huskers basketball team in 1950’s Indiana. The team becomes a Cinderella story as a tiny school competing in the single-class state basketball tournament. With the help of a new coach, the team and community discover the values of working hard, working together, and believing in themselves.
Can the team become stronger than the hatred trying to tear them apart?
Remember the Titans tells the story of the football team at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, Virginia in 1971. The school, football team, and community all battle the important issue of race as the school is integrated for the first time. Both on and off the field, we find out that character prevails over race in this classic that all ages will love.
Remember the Titans: Companion Activities provides activities to help students become better leaders for their classrooms, schools, and communities.
Have you ever felt like you suddenly had all the plans for your life ripped away from you?
Soul Surfer Companion Activities helps students extract lessons from the heroic story of Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm during a shark attack. Already a talented surfer, Bethany refuses to let the loss of her arm keep her from pursuing her dream. However, the greatest lesson that Bethany will learn is that fulfillment not only comes from pursuing your own dreams, but inspiring others to chase their dreams as well.
Sometimes, we have to find a new path in life. Just like Bethany, we don’t need easy…we just need possible.
Do you follow your gut instinct when it tells you to do something even though it may seem crazy?
Our journey often leads us back to the most important things in our lives…our relationships with family and friends.
Field of Dreams Companion Activities extracts lessons from the story of Ray Kinsella. Ray plows down his corn in order to build a baseball field in the middle of his Iowa farm after being instructed to do so by a voice. The voice continues to lead Ray through a journey that will lead him to find healing in a relationship that was full of regrets.
Can winning on the court turn you into a winner in life?
It’s not easy to turn a losing basketball team into winners. But Coach Ken Carter discovered winning on the scoreboard was the easiest part of his job.
Coach Carter Companion Activities helps us apply lessons from the true story of Ken Carter, who took over as the high school basketball coach of the inner-city Richmond Oilers. Carter used discipline and high standards in an effort to teach the young men he worked with how to win in life, as well as on the basketball court. This movie illustrates that high school students often have many issues in their lives that they bring to school and the gym. Therefore, a coach’s job is much more than just being an instructor of skills.
Everyone wants to win. However, sometimes the stress of winning causes us to break.
But it also exposes the character we possess and give us an opportunity to strengthen that character.
When the Game Stands Tall Companion Activities extracts lessons from the true story of the De La Salle high school football team in California and its 151 game winning streak. The story touches on the role of leadership on a team, the struggles of being a teenager, parent-child relationships, and living by principles. There are many lessons to learn from this truly inspirational story!
Would you have the guts to not fight back?
Jackie Robinson is a hero. But we all have the potential to be a hero in our own way. We just need to display the courage we have inside in the midst of ignorance and hatred.
42 is based on the true and inspiring story of Jackie Robinson’s entry into Major League Baseball. This movie shows the emotions and character of Robinson, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey, and other teammates and opponents of Robinson. This is an excellent opportunity to teach about the cultural and social history of the United States as well character education and life skills that are still relevant in today’s society.
How far will you go to achieve the dreams deep inside your heart?
What will you sacrifice to do something most don’t believe is possible?
Rudy tells the inspiring story of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger who followed his dream to play football at the University of Notre Dame. With the odds stacked against him, Rudy proved that there are no limits to what you can achieve when you believe in yourself and never give up.
Rudy is a heartwarming story that will inspire you to give everything you have in pursuit of your dreams.
Do you play for love of the game?
Do you have the courage to be a good teammate even when it doesn’t benefit you?
The Mighty Ducks is a hit movie that shows true winners play the game the right way. Coach Gordon Bombay carries the guilt of quitting hockey as a young boy because he is taught that if you cannot win then there is no point in playing. Gordon experiences a transformation and helps the young people on his team understand that it is always best to play for the love of the game.
Can a team, school, and community move forward in the face of a terrible tragedy?
Can a football team help bring healing to grieving hearts?
We Are Marshall is the moving story of the Marshall University football program in the aftermath of the plane crash that took the lives of nearly the entire coaching staff and team in 1970. Coach Jack Lengyal went to Marshall to help the school and community recover from this tragedy by putting a team on the field and show them the way in which they could never be defeated.
This is an excellent story to teach about dealing with loss and using sport as a vehicle to learn how to navigate life.
Do you want to use exciting sports movies to help your students learn life lessons and stimulate critical thinking to help them apply these principles to their own lives? Then, Nothing But Net is the bundle resource for you! It features lesson plans to analyze the following movies:
42
Coach Carter
Field of Dreams
Hoosiers
Remember the Titans
Rudy
Soul Surfer
The Mighty Ducks
We Are Marshall
When the Game Stands Tall
Would you be willing to fight to help your family survive?
Jim Braddock was on the ledge of despair. Fighting for his family’s survival during the Great Depression, Braddock resurrected his boxing career to feed his family.
Cinderella Man Companion Activities analyzes this tremendous movie which combines thrilling action with emotional drama. The story reveals how one man can make a difference in the lives of his loved ones and inspire others to fight with courage.
Football is life. This is the mentality in many communities across our country. And it’s not just football. Many sports bring a fever to the people involved at all levels.
Sports can bring great pride to a community…but does it come at a cost?
Friday Night Lights is the story of the Odessa-Permian High School football team and their journey to the Texas state championship game. The movie exposes the many facets of high school sports and how the game impacts the lives of everyone involved.
Friday Night Lights Companion Activities is a great resource to start a discussion on the role of high school sports in our society.
Friendships are one of the most valuable things in our lives…but they are not always easy to come by.
Scott Smalls is the new kid in town and he figures the best way to make new friends is to start playing baseball with the local kids at the Sandlot. The boys experience a summer of getting into trouble and figuring out how to fix their mistakes.
Along the way, they learn a lot of great lessons about playing for the love of the game, having fun together, and doing the right thing.
The Sandlot Companion Activities helps us have fun and learn those lessons along with Scott and the rest of the team!
Would you have the strength to go on after losing a friend?
Is it possible for you to live a life that inspires others?
The Miracle Season is based on the inspiring true story of the Iowa City West High School girl’s volleyball team. After the tragic loss of star player Caroline “Line” Found, the team must band together under the guidance of their tough-love coach, Kathy Bresnahan, in hopes of winning the state championship.
The Miracle Season Companion Activities shows us how the team, school, and community discover the power of one person’s example to help us live in a whole new way.
Are you ready to overcome the obstacles which stand in the way of achieving your dreams?
Life is a struggle for single father Chris Gardner. Evicted from their apartment, Chris and his young son find themselves alone with no place to go. Even though Chris eventually lands a job as an intern at a prestigious brokerage firm, the position pays no money. The pair must live in shelters and endure many hardships, but Chris refuses to give in to despair as he struggles to create a better life for himself and his son.
Based on the true story of Chris Gardner’s rise to success, The Pursuit of Happyness reveals the struggle it takes to achieve our dreams…but that it is possible when we keep moving forward one day at a time.
