Hoosiers Movie Guide

A complete lesson plan with discussion questions, writing activities, and leadership worksheets

This resource helps teachers utilize the story of Coach Norman Dale and the Hickory Huskers to show students that they should never count out an underdog and that achieving shared success on a team is one of the best feelings in the world.

Included in this leadership movie guide:

Time Stamps
Answer Key
Fillable PDF Version
Google Form Version

WARNING

This is a DEEP LEARNING lesson plan to help students employ a LEADERSHIP approach to SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL LEARNING

Movie Guide Activities

Each of our leadership movie guides 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 movie's characters, plot, and climax.
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 Impact and then synthesize how they can apply the lessons to writing their own story.

The activities in Hoosiers Movie Guide will challenge students to move closer to mastery in the following life skills:

leadership
cooperation with others
creativity
critical thinking
emotional intelligence
problem-solving
judgement and decision-making

1. Hoosiers Movie Guide PDF
2. Hoosiers Answer Key for Movie Guide
3. Hoosiers Fillable PDF Movie Guide
4. Hoosiers Google Form Movie Guide
5. Hoosiers Video Preview
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Social Emotional Learning Competencies

These leadership activities are designed to help students meet the following Social & Emotional Learning Competencies as outlined by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) and the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL):

Develop SELF-AWARENESS and SELF-MANAGEMENT skills to achieve school and life success.
Use SOCIAL-AWARENESS and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
Demonstrate DECISION-MAKING skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

Movie Synopsis

Hoosiers tells the story of the Hickory Huskers basketball team in 1950s Indiana. Gene Hackman stars as Norman Dale, a controversial coach with a troubled past, who is hired to lead the struggling basketball team at tiny Hickory High School.

Facing initial resistance from the community, Coach Dale instills discipline and a new style of play, emphasizing teamwork and fundamentals. The team defies the odds and becomes a Cinderella story as a tiny school competing in the single-class state basketball tournament, capturing the hearts of the townspeople.

The film climaxes with the team reaching the state championship game, where they face a much larger school in a David-and-Goliath showdown. The story celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the impact of inspirational leadership to help young people work hard, work together, and believe in themselves.

The movie is loosely based on the true story of the Milan High School basketball team's improbable journey to the Indiana state championship in 1954.

Movie Rating

PG
Movie Run Time

1 hour, 55 minutes
Grade Levels

6th-12th
Ideal Classes

Leadership, Character Education, Life Skills, Sports Teams, Career Development, English Language Arts

Hoosiers Movie Guide provides activities to help students become better leaders by focusing on the following themes:

Teamwork:

The importance of working together as a cohesive unit is a central theme. The team's success is built on trust, communication, and each player understanding their role within the team.
Leadership:

Coach Norman Dale's leadership style highlights the significance of being firm yet fair, earning the respect of the team, and making tough decisions for the benefit of the group. His guidance and vision play a crucial role in the team's success.
Belief in oneself:

The movie emphasizes the power of self-belief. Players, particularly those facing personal struggles or self-doubt, find strength and confidence through their dedication to the team and the support they receive from their coach and teammates.
Community and Identity:

The movie explores the close-knit nature of small communities and how sports, in this case, basketball, can serve as a unifying force. It highlights the role of sports in shaping a community's identity and providing a source of pride and inspiration.
Handling Pressure:

The pressure of high-stakes competition is a recurring theme. The characters learn to manage stress and perform under pressure, drawing on their training, teamwork, and mental resilience.
Individual Growth:

Each player undergoes personal growth throughout the movie, learning important life lessons that extend beyond the basketball court. This individual development contributes to the overall success of the team.
Sportsmanship:

The movie emphasizes the importance of playing with integrity and respect for the game and opponents. The characters demonstrate good sportsmanship even in the face of intense competition.
Forgiveness and Redemption:

Hoosiers explores themes of forgiveness and redemption. Characters are given second chances, and through their actions, they demonstrate the capacity for positive change and personal growth.