worksheet

Movie Session: Coach Carter

Before Watching Activities

A. Fill in the blanks in the text using these words

because – play – basketball – became – not – teach – starts – had – gym – played – school – are – is – victory – better – they – did – winning - but – have – win – father – failing

Coach Carter is the new (1) __________ coach at Richmond High School. When he comes to the (2) __________ he can see that they are fighting more off the court than on the court. The team (3) __________ having an awful season and he wants them to become a (4) __________ team, but he also wants something more. He wants to (5) __________ them how to respect themselves and each other.

The team (6) __________ winning games, but then he finds out that they are (7) __________ following his contract; their grades are not getting (8) __________, they are (9) __________ at school and one of the reasons is that they (10) __________ actually not attending their classes. He locks the (11) __________ and the team is not allowed to practise or (12) __________ games.

Some of the players are also struggling outside the school. They (13) __________ friends who have a bad influence on them, and one of them is also going to be a (14) __________.

The movie did not have a storybook ending; they (15) __________ not win the final game. But they (16) __________ like champions (17) __________ they never gave up, and they held their heads high, even though they did not (18) __________ the game they achieved something that goes way beyond the headlines of tomorrow’s sports section. They achieved something that people use their whole life to find. They achieved the (19) __________ within themselves. They (20) __________ gentlemen.

Coach Carter’s plan failed. He (21) __________ a plan when he came to Richmond High School. He came to coach basketball players (22) __________ they became students. He came to teach boys but (23) __________ became men.

B. Are these statements True or False? Correct the wrong information.

1. Coach Carter only wants the team to win.2. Coach Carter locks the gym because they haven’t won games.3. The students are getting bad grades because they are not going to school.4. They lost the final game because they gave up.5. Coach Carter’s plan failed because they didn’t win the final game.


C. Write a definition of these values

· Liberty ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………· Equality ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………· Justice……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..· Respect……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..· Responsibility………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


While watching activities

A. Pay attention to these key words from the movie and write about them

- Dress code………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Sign contracts………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Attending school……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

- Their grades at school………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Sir………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Push-ups and suicides………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- “I’ll do push-ups for him. We are a team – one person struggles, we all struggle, right?”………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

- Boys become men……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

- What is your deepest fear?………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………


B. Guided Discussion: Take notes to discuss after watching the movie

1. What does Coach Carter do the first day that sets the stage for the season?2. What is Coach Carter’s intent? Did he accomplish what he set out to do?3. What message did the principal, school board, teachers and parents send to the

player and community with regard to Coach Carter’s enforcing the consequences of the contract? How important is the message that a leader sends to peers, superiors and subordinates?

4. Coach Carter’s leadership style requires that the players show each other respect. Identify at least two ways Coach Carter required his players to show respect.

5. Discuss Timo’s speech adapted from Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

6. Principal Garrison and Coach Carter have a discussion regarding what each believes is the other’s leadership role. What does each believe is the other’s role?

7. What are some examples in the movie focusing on values such as liberty, equality, justice, responsibility and respect?

8. How does Coach Carter show motivation and stimulation?9. What did you learn from this movie?10. Do you consider Ken Carter a good teacher? Why?/Why not?


After watching activities

Coach Carter Assignment

A. Questions to answer:

Answers should be in complete sentences, with correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

1) How did Coach Carter and his team learn to respect each other as the season progressed?

2) Do you feel the contract Coach Carter made his players sign in order to play on the basketball team was fair?

3) Why was the contract important to the development of the story line of this movie?

4) How did Coach Carter save the life of at least one of his players?

5) Did helping his team achieve academic success ultimately mean more than winning basketball games?

6) “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.” How does this quote apply to this movie? Explain.

7) What was the main theme (message) of this movie? Explain.

8) There were examples of many different types of conflict in the movie. Choose one and explain it.

9) If you were telling a friend about this movie, what would you say? How would you explain the movie? Pretend that you have to fill a peer in on what the movie was about because he/she missed it. Write a paragraph to explain what happens in this movie. This is a resume, not a play-by-play account. Be careful not to miss important points, though!

10) You’ve been asked by the local newspaper to make a review of this movie. What would you write? Be sure to express your opinion and back it up with facts!


B. Lessons from the movie

You must choose five of the following fifteen lessons from the movie to explain with your own words.

Answers should be in complete sentences, with correct grammar, spelling and punctuation.

1. To win out there, you must win in here (self)2. Boundaries once created will be tested3. Hold in the face of no agreement, resistance, judgement....commit to the goal & push

through your own resistance... to stop listening to your doubts and fears4. Backing your team members, when they step into the breach5. Who are the people on your bus? Ensuring that all the members on the bus are

heading in the same direction – loyalty to the vision6. Smile when you get your punishment, it’s an opportunity to grow7. With everything there is responsibility and consequences8. Failure as a team, not just an individual. You cannot actually win by yourself when

you’re playing a team sport. 9. Expecting too little, being a demand for greatness, in the face of mediocrity10. Taking responsibility for the results – everyone’s accountable (including the leader)11. Only promise what you can deliver12. Know what motivates your team, use this to assist them to achieve their goals 13. Back your leader when they falter, we all falter at some stage & need someone to back

us14. Sometimes it is hard to do the right thing but it is the only thing that creates enduring

self-respect and the only thing that demonstrates ones true worth!15. Just because you think you deserve something doesn’t mean life’s going to give it to

you. Sometimes you have to take it!


Teacher’s Answesr Key

Before Watching Activities

A. Fill in the blanks in the text using these words

because – play – basketball – became – not – teach – starts – had – gym – played – school – are – is – victory – better – they – did – winning - but – have – win – father – failing

Coach Carter is the new (1) basketball coach at Richmond High School. When he comes to the (2) school he can see that they are fighting more off the court than on the court. The team (3) is having an awful season and he wants them to become a (4)winning team, but he also wants something more. He wants to (5) teach them how to respect themselves and each other.

The team (6) starts winning games, but then he finds out that they are (7) not following his contract; their grades are not getting (8) better, they are (9) falling at school and one of the reasons is that they (10) are actually not attending their classes. He locks the (11) gym and the team is not allowed to practise or (12) play games.

Some of the players are also struggling outside the school. They (13) have friends who have a bad influence on them, and one of them is also going to be a (14) father.

The movie did not have a storybook ending; they (15) did not win the final game. But they (16) played like champions (17) because they never gave up, and they held their heads high, even though they did not (18) win the game they achieved something that goes way beyond the headlines of tomorrow’s sports section. They achieved something that people use their whole life to find. They achieved the (19) victory within themselves. They (20) became gentlemen.

Coach Carter’s plan failed. He (21) had a plan when he came to Richmond High School. He came to coach basketball players (22) but they became students. He came to teach boys but (23)they became men.

B. Are these statements True or False? Correct the wrong information.

1. Coach Carter only wants the team to win. (F) He wants the team to win, but he also wants to teach them how to respect themselves and each other

2. Coach Carter locks the gym because they haven’t won games. (F) He locks it because he finds out that they’re not following the contract, they’re failing at school and they`re not attending their classes

3. The students are getting bad grades because they are not going to school. (T)

4. They lost the final game because they gave up. (F) They played like champions because they never gave up


5. Coach Carter’s plan failed because they didn’t win the final game. (F) It failed because he came to coach basketball players but they became students, he came to teach boys but they became men


While watching activities

A. Pay attention to these key words from the movie and write about them

- Dress code:

They must wear suits and tie to show respect

- Sign contracts

They can choose to sign a contract of behavior and academics and all are held to it

- Attending school

They must go to school, mustn’t miss their classes

- Their grades at school

They must get good grades, must pass their exams

- Sir

Students must call Coach Carter “Sir”, they should show each other respect

- Push-ups and suicides

Coach Carter makes the boys responsible for doing their push-ups and suicides

- “I’ll do push-ups for him. We are a team – one person struggles, we all struggle, right?”

All other players help Cruz finish his task

- Boys become men

They can make themselves a successful life, but they have to work at it. They believe to realize that they truly believe in themselves

- What is your deepest fear?

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us


B. Guided Discussion: Take notes to discuss after watching the movie

1. What does Coach Carter do the first day that sets the stage for the season?

- Institutes a player/parent contract

- Allows the previous year’s top scorers to quit the team when they won’t take the contract

- Identifies his expectations for player conduct and performance- where to sit in class, what to wear on game day, what time to be at practice

2. What is Coach Carter’s intent? Did he accomplish what he set out to do?

- To win both on and off the court

- Carter accomplished more than he intended. “You’ve achieved something that some people spend their whole lives trying to find. What you achieved is that ever-elusive victory within… I had a plan. That plan failed. I came to coach basketball players and you became students. I came to teach boys and you became men. And for that I thank you.”

3. What message did the principal, school board, teachers and parents send to the player and community with regard to Coach Carter’s enforcing the consequences of the contract? How important is the message that a leader sends to peers, superiors and subordinates?

- Winning was more important than education

- The players are above the “law”

- Basketball is all that the boys have

- Communication is one of the most important tools that a leader uses. The message that is given and received is vital for successful leadership. Leaders should ensure that the message sent is the one received – feedback

4. Coach Carter’s leadership style requires that the players show each other respect. Identify at least two ways Coach Carter required his players to show respect.

- Use the term “sir”

- refrain from using the term “nigga”

5. Discuss Timo’s speech adapted from Marianne Williamson’s A Return to Love

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We were all meant to shine, as children do. It’s not just in some of us, it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”


6. Garrison and Coach Carter have a discussion regarding what each believes is the other’s leadership role. What does each believe is the other’s role?- Principal Garrison believes that Coach Carter’s job is to win basketball games- Coach Carter believes that Principal Garrison’s job is to educate kids

7. What are some examples in the movie focusing on values such as liberty, equality, justice, responsibility and respect?

Coach Carter demonstrates values such as liberty, equality and justice when he allowed the players on his team the liberty to choose to play, to choose to achieve, to choose to sign the contract of behavior. He showed respect instilling equality among them. He demonstrates justice when he expects and upholds the contract. All are held to it.

He shows values such as responsibility when he makes the boys responsible for doing their push-ups and suicides and for arriving on time.

8. How does Coach Carter show motivation and stimulation?He motivates his team by helping them to visualize and realize their potential as athletes and their potential as students. He helps them to see that they can make themselves a successful life if they go to college, but they have to work at it.When Coach Carter requires the signing of contracts regarding behavior and academics, he is helping the team to set new standards and recreate their image, he inspires

9. What did you learn from this movie?

10. Do you consider Ken Carter a good teacher? Why?/Why not?

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