The Mighty Ducks Movie Guide

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

This resource helps teachers bring the lessons of teamwork, integrity, and playing for fun to their classrooms using the story of Coach Gordon Bombay and his youth hockey team.

WARNING

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

Included in this leadership movie guide:

Time Stamps
Answer Key
Fillable PDF Version
Google Form Version

What educators are saying:

"Very helpful and engaging for my leadership class. I also love how there are activities for after the film, so it's not just sitting them down with a film and answering questions, but also applying the lessons."

- Elizabeth M. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"I used this to help foster a discussion about the different types of leadership that we see in the movie. It also helped us discuss how important teamwork and supporting each other can be."

- Ms. Carlsen ⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Excellent resource that my students loved and saved me prep time!"

- Kellie D. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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 The Mighty Ducks 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. The Mighty Ducks Movie Guide PDF
2. The Mighty Ducks Answer Key for Movie Guide
3. The Mighty Ducks Fillable PDF Movie Guide
4. The Mighty Ducks Google Form Movie Guide
5. The Mighty Ducks 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

The Mighty Ducks is a sports comedy about redemption and teamwork. Gordon Bombay, a hotshot Minneapolis lawyer with a hockey past, is forced to coach a ragtag peewee hockey team after a DUI lands him in community service.

The team, District 5, is a group of misfits with no skills, no wins, and shoddy equipment, playing in a poor Minneapolis neighborhood. Initially resentful, Gordon—haunted by his own childhood loss in a championship game under his hard-nosed coach, Jack Reilly—rediscovers his love for hockey through the kids.

Through his own transformation, he teaches the kids to play for the love of the game and turns them into a cohesive unit. Renamed the Ducks after Gordon’s old boss, Mr. Ducksworth, they face off against Gordon’s former team, the Hawks, coached by Reilly.

Through grit and unorthodox plays—like the "Flying V"—the Ducks win the state championship, and Gordon finds healing and purpose. The film is a lighthearted underdog story about second chances and the joy of the game.

Movie Rating

PG
Movie Run Time

1 hour, 44 minutes
Grade Levels

6th-12th
Ideal Classes

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

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

Teamwork and Friendship:

The film emphasizes the importance of working together as a team and building strong bonds of friendship. The Ducks, initially a group of misfit players, learn to support and rely on each other both on and off the ice.
Redemption and Second Chances:

Gordon Bombay, the coach, experiences personal growth and redemption throughout the film. Initially a self-centered lawyer, he finds a sense of purpose and fulfillment through coaching the Ducks, demonstrating that people can change and find redemption given the right circumstances.
Hard Work and Perseverance:

The film emphasizes the value of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. The Ducks go from being a struggling team to competitive contenders through consistent effort and determination.
Identity and Belonging:

The Ducks, initially a group of individuals with distinct personalities and backgrounds, find a sense of identity and belonging within the team. The film highlights the idea that unity and shared goals can help individuals discover their place in a community.
Sportsmanship and Fair Play:

The movie promotes the importance of sportsmanship, fair play, and ethical behavior in competition. The Ducks learn that winning isn't everything, and how they play the game is equally important.