CREATE LESSON PLANS IN CHARACTER EDUCATION,

ETHICS, AND MORALITY FROM MOVIES AND FILM

THESE FILMS ARE ORGANIZED BY THE SIX PILLARS OF CHARACTER

Teachwithmovies.org is a Character Counts “Six Pillars Partner”

and uses the Six Pillars of Character to organize ethical principles.

TRUSTWORTHINESS

Be honest; Don’t deceive, cheat or steal; Be reliable — do what you say you’ll do; Have the courage to do the right thing; Build a good reputation; Be loyal — stand by your family, friends, and country.

1776

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Citizenship; SEL: Rebellion; Subjects: U.S./1750 – 1812 & Pennsylvania; Drama/Musicals) [11+]

The Adventures of Milo and Otis

Talking and Playing for Growth

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Caring; SEL: Friendship; Courage) [5 – 8]

All My Sons

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Crime; Marriage; Father/Son; Suicide; Subjects: U.S./1941 – 1991; Drama/U.S.) [13+]

All the President’s Men

(Trustworthiness; Responsiblity; Fairness; Citizenship; SEL: Courage; Teamwork; Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991 & Politics) [12+]

All Quiet on the Western Front

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Citizenship; Caring; SEL: Courage in War; Subjects: World/Germany & WWI) [12+ ]

An American Tail

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Fairness; SEL: Courage; Subjects: U.S./1865 – 1913; Diversity & New York) [9 – 10]

Animal Farm

(SEL: Rebellion; Subjects: Literature/England; World/Russia) [6+; Literary genre: Allegory]

Apollo 13

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Teamwork; Male Role Model; Subjects: Aviation & Space Exploration; U.S./1945 – 1991) [8+]

Au Revoir Les Enfants

(Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Caring; SEL: Coming of Age, Human Rights, Friendship; Subjects: World/France & WWII (Holocaust)) [11+]

Ballad of a Soldier

(Char. Dev. Courage in War; Subjects: World/Russia & WWII) [10+]

Beau Geste

(SEL: Leadership; Families in Crisis; Brothers; Subjects: World/France) [12+]

Bend It Like Beckham

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Caring; SEL: Breaking Out; Parenting; Mother/daughter; SportsmanshipBreaking Out; Parenting; Romantic Relationships; Subjects: Sports/Soccer (Football); World/England) [13+]

Billy Elliot

(Caring, Responsibility, Respect; Trustworthiness; SEL Breaking Out, Families in Crisis, Father/Son, Courage, Grieving, Friendship, Parenting, Grandparents; GLBTQ, Education; Subjects: Dance; World/England) [12+]

Breaking Away

(SEL: Coming of Age; Parenting; Friendship; Subjects: Sports/Bicycle Racing; U.S./1945 – 1991 & Indiana) [12+]

This is America Charlie Brown

The Birth of the Constitution — Short Subject — (Trustworthiness; Citizenship; Subjects: U.S./Creating the Nation) [9 – 12; 24 minutes]

A Bugs Life

Talking and Playing for Growth

(Trustworthiness, Respect; Responsibility; Caring; SEL: Courage; Friendship; Teamwork) [5 – 8]

Carmen

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL Romantic Relationships; Subjects: Music/Opera; World/France) [12+] (In French with English Subtitles)

Cars

Talking and Playing for Growth

(Responsibility; Caring; Citizenship; SEL: Sportsmanship; Teamwork; Friendship) [5 – 8]

The Civil War

(Subjects: U.S./1860 – 1865; SEL: Courage in War) [12+]

Contact

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Grieving; Father/Daughter; Subjects: Religions/Judeo-Christian; Science Fiction; Aviation & Space Exploration; Mathematics) [12+]

Cool Runnings

(Trustworthiness; Fairness; SEL: Sportsmanship; Redemption; Male Role Model; Subjects: Sports/Olympics; World/Jamaica) [8+]

The Crossing

(Trustworthiness, Responsibility & Citizenship; SEL: SEL: Courage in War, Leadership; Subjects: U.S./1750 – 1812, New Jersey & Pennsylvania) [13+]

The Crucible

(Trustworthiness; Fairness; SEL: Justice; Marriage; Subjects: U.S./1629 – 1750, 1945-1991 & Massachusetts; Drama/U.S.) (Two versions, one in French with English Subtitles) [12+]

The Dawn Patrol

(SEL: Courage in War; Subjects: Aviation; World/ WWI & England) [10+]

Dear Frankie

(SEL Disabilities, Mother/Son; Subjects: Health, Literature) [12+]

Dr. Strangelove

(SEL Leadership; Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991) [10+]

A Dry White Season

(Trustworthiness, Responsibility; Citizenship; SEL: Courage; Justice; Human Rights; Grieving; Father/Son; Marriage; Families in Crisis; Subjects: World/South Africa) [14+]

Einstein: Light to the Power of 2

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Self-esteem; Education; Families in Crisis; Subjects: Biography; Science-Technology; U.S./1945 – 1991 & Diversity) [8 – 13]

Empire Records

(Caring; Trustworthiness; SEL: Friendship; Subjects: ELA-Writing Exercises — Empire Records is best used as a Reward Film) [14 – 17]

Europa! Europa!

(Character Dev.: Human Rights; Surviving; Subjects: World/Germany & WWII) [13+] (In German & Russian with English Subtitles)

Ever After

(Trustworthiness; Caring; Char, Dev.: Romantic Relationships; Self-Esteem; Subjects: World/France and the Renaissance; Myths & Fairy Tales) [10+]

Field of Dreams

(SEL: Grieving; Father/Son; Subjects: Sports/Baseball; U.S./1945 – 1991 & Iowa) [10+]

Flags of Our Fathers

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Courage in War; Subjects: U.S./1940-1945; World/WWII) [15+]

For Love or Country — The Arturo Sandoval Story

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Human Rights; Courage; Subjects: Music/Jazz; World/Cuba and the Cold War Era; Biography) [12+]

For Whom the Bell Tolls

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Courage in War; Romantic Relationships; Rebellion; Subjects: Literature/U.S.; World/Between World Wars & Spain) [12+]

Galileo: On the Shoulders of Giants

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Brothers; Education; Subjects: Biography; Science-Technology; World/Italy & the Renaissance) [8 – 13]

Gallipoli

(SEL: Courage in War; Friendship; Subjects: World/ WWI; Australia and Turkey) [13+]

Gandhi

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; Citizenship; SEL: Rebellion; Peace/Peacemakers; Subjects:Biography; World/India, South Africa, England & 1800s – Cold War Era; U.S./Diversity; Religions;) [10+]

Gettysburg

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Courage in War; Leadership; Subjects U.S./1860 – 1865 & Pennsylvania) [10+]

Ghosts of Mississippi

(Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Citizenship; SEL; Courage, Justice; Subjects: U.S./1945 – Present, Diversity, the Law & Mississippi) [12+]

Glory

(Citizenship; Trustworthiness; SEL: Courage in War; Patriotism; Leadership; Subjects U.S./1860 – 1865 & Massachusetts) [14+]

Gracie’s Choice

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Alcohol & Drug; Abuse; Families In Crisis; Mother/Daughter; Parenting; Subjects: Health; U.S./1991 – present) [10+]

Gorillas in the Mist

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Citizenship; SEL — Caring for Animals; Courage; Human Rights; Romantic Relationships; Subjects — The Environment; Science-Technology; World/Africa) [13+]

Great Expectations

(SEL Romantic Relationships; Subjects: World/England; Literature/England) [10+)

Handel’s Last Chance

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Talent; Subjects: Biography; Music/Classical; World/England & Ireland) [6-12]

High Noon

American History and Civics Classes (U.S./The Frontier & the West, 1865 – 1913 and 1945 – 1991 (the Red Scare); Cinema; SEL: Marriage; Leadership; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility; Citizenship) [11+]

High Noon

ELA Classes (Literature/Myths of the Western genre; Literary devices: symbol; motif; foil; and expository phase; SEL: Marriage; Leadership; Courage; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Responsibility; Citizenship) [11+]

High Noon

Snippet Lesson Plan

Expository Phase ELA: Expository Phase [12+; snippet: 15 minutes, 20 seconds; lesson: one to two class periods]

Hoosiers

(Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Caring; SEL: Teamwork; Alcohol and Drug Abuse; Male Role Model; Father/Son; Subjects: Sports/Basketball; U.S. 1945 – 1991 & Indiana) [11+]

An Ideal Husband

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Caring; SEL: Families in Crisis; Marriage, Friendship, Romantic Relationships, Justice, Redemption; Subjects: Drama/England; World/England) [12+]

Ice Princess

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Fairness; Caring; SEL: Breaking Out; Parenting; Mother/daughter; Sportsmanship; Subjects: Sports/Ice Skating) [9+]

The Importance of Being Earnest

(SEL: Romantic Relationships; Subjects: World/England; Drama/England) [12+]

Inherit the Wind

(SEL: Justice; Subjects: Cinema; U.S./1913 – 1929, 1945 – 1991 & Tennessee) [12+]

The Insider

(Trustworthiness, Responsibility, Citizenship; SEL: Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Families in Crisis, Marriage, Crime, Courage; Subjects: U.S./1991 – present, the Press and the Law) [13+]

The Invention of Lying

(ELA: Social Satire; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Moral-Ethical Emphasis: Trustworthiness) [13+]

The Jackie Robinson Story

(Trustworthiness, Respect, Citizenship; SEL: Male Role Model; Subjects: Biography; Sports/Baseball; U.S./1945 – 1991 & Diversity) [8+]

James’ Journey to Jerusalem

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Respect; Fairness; SEL: Friendship; Father/Son; Subjects: World/Israel; Religions) [12+]

Kiki’s Delivery Service

Talking and Playing for Growth

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Caring; SEL: Coming of Age; Talent; Friendship; Courage) [5 – 8]

The King and I

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Courage, Education Subjects: Drama/Musicals; World/Thailand; U.S./1860 – 1865; Dance/Performance) [8+]

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

(Respect; Caring; Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Ambition; Families in Crisis; Female Role Model; Friendship; Subjects: U.S./1929 – 1941 (the Great Depression) [6-12]

Lawrence of Arabia

( SEL: Courage in War; Subjects: Biography; World/England, Middle East & WWI) [12+]

The Life of Emile Zola

(Trustworthiness; Fairness; SEL: Justice; Talent; Subjects: Biography; World/France; Literature/France) [10+]

The Lion King

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Grieving; Redemption; Friendship; Ambition, Running Away; Subjects: The Environment; Science/Technology) [8 – 11]

The Long Walk Home

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Female Role Model; Breaking Out; Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991, Diversity & Alabama) [12+]

A Man for All Seasons

(SEL: Courage; Male Role Model; Subjects: Biography/Thomas More; World/England & the Renaissance; Religions/Christianity; Drama/England) [12+]

Matewan

(Trustworthiness and Respect; SEL: Male Role Model; Fighting; Subjects: U.S./1913 – 1929, Diversity & West Virginia; Religions/Christianity) [12+]

Michael Collins

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Peace/Peacemakers; Courage in War; Breaking Out; Rebellion; Subjects: World/Ireland; Biography) [14+]

Midway

(SEL: Courage in War; Subjects: U.S./1941 – 1945; World/WWII; Seafaring) [10+]

Mrs. Miniver

(SEL: Families in Crisis; Female Role Model; Courage in War; Subjects: World/England & WWII) [10+]

Modern Times

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Surviving; Subjects: Cinema; U.S./1929-1941) [8+]

Much Ado About Nothing

(Trustworthiness; Fairness; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Brothers; Subjects: Drama/England) [10+]

The Music Man

(SEL: Romantic Relationships; Subjects: Drama/Musicals; U.S. 1865 – 1913; Dance/Performance) [6+]

The Official Story

(SEL: Parenting; Human Rights; Subjects: World/Argentina) [14+]

The Odyssey

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Humility; Surviving; Marriage; Subjects: World/Ancient Greece; Mythology; Literature & Literary Devices; Seafaring [14+ for the movie; 11+ for the book. Literary devices analyzed: simile, metaphor, flashback; symbol]

A Passage To India

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Friendship; Romantic Relationships; Justice; Subjects: World/India & England; Literature) [12+]

Paths of Glory

(Subjects: World/France & WWI) [10+]

The Old Man and the Sea

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Friendship; Subjects: Literature/U.S.) [12+]

The Outsiders

(Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Caring; SEL: Brothers; Coming of Age; Courage; Fighting; Friendship; Peer Pressure; Redemption; Subjects: Literature/U.S.; U.S./1945 – 1991) [11+; Literary devices analyzed: expository phase; flashback; symbol; foreshadowing; Bildungsroman; irony; protagonist/antagonist confusion and theme]

The Pirates of Penzance

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Romantic Relationships; Subjects: Drama/Musicals; World/England) [8+]

Quiz Show

(SEL: Ambition; Father/Son; Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991 & New York) [11+]

The Red Shoes

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Talent; Work/Career; Subjects: Dance; Music/Classical) [12+]

The Rookie

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Caring; SEL: Talent; Subjects: Sports/Baseball; U.S./1991 – present) [9+]

Ryan’s Daughter

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Caring; SEL: Trustworthiness, Respect; Caring; Subjects: World/Ireland & WWI) [15+]

Sarafina

(Trustworthiness; Citizenship; SEL: Rebellion; Human Rights; Subjects: World/South Africa) [13+]

Sayonara

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Male Role Model; Friendship; Romantic Relationships; Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991 & Diversity; World/Japan) [12+]

The Scarlet Letter

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Redemption; Romantic Relationships; Revenge; Subjects: U.S./1629 – 1750 & Massachusetts; Religions/Christianity; Literature/U.S.) [12+]

Schindler’s List

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Caring; SEL: Courage; Rebellion; Subjects: Biography; World/WWII) [15+]

Seven Days in May

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility: SEL: Rebellion Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991) [12+]

Shiloh

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Caring for Animals; Father/Son; Mother/Son, Parenting; Subjects: U.S./1945 – 1991 & West Virginia) [10+]

This is America Charlie Brown

The Smithsonian and the Presidency

Short Subject — (SEL: Disabilities; Subjects: U.S./1750 – 1810, 1860 – 1865; and 1929 – 1941) [7 – 11; 25 minutes]

Stand and Deliver

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Citizenship; SEL: Education, Male Role Model; Self-esteem; Subjects: U.S./1941 – 1996, Diversity & California) [12+; Literary devices analyzed: character, symbols, subplot, foils, and irony]

The Sound of Music

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Parenting, Romantic Relationships; Subjects: Drama/Musicals; World/ WWII & Austria) [6+]

To Kill A Mockingbird

(Trustworthiness; Respect; Responsibility; Fairness; Caring; Citizenship; SEL: Justice; Male Role Model; Courage; Mental Illness; Parenting; Disabilities; Subjects: U.S./1929 – 1941, the Law & Diversity; Literature/U.S. & Literary Devices) [11+; Literary devices analyzed: symbol; flashback; irony; humor]

Tora! Tora! Tora!

(SEL: Courage in War; Subjects: U.S./1941 – 1945; World/Japan & WWII; Seafaring) [10+] (Portions in Japanese with English subtitles)

Toy Story

Talking and Playing for Growth

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; Respect; Caring; SEL: Friendship; Teamwork) [5 – 8]

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

(Trustworthiness; Fairness; SEL: Friendship; Subjects: Science-Technology; World/Mexico) [12+] (Some dialogue is in Spanish)

War of the Buttons

Using Characterization in Literary Analysis

(Trustworthiness; Caring; SEL: Fighting; Friendship; Leadership; Parenting; Subjects: ELA: characterization; World/Ireland) [10+]

White Nights

(Trustworthiness; Respect; SEL: Breaking Out; Courage; Subjects: Dance; World/Cold War & Russia; U.S./Diversity) [13+]

The White Rose

(Char. Dev,: Rebellion; Courage; Subjects: World/Germany & WWII) [13+]

Winslow Homer: An American Original

(Trustworthiness; Responsibility; SEL: Talent; Grieving; Mental Illness; Subjects: U.S./1861 – 1913; Visual Arts; Medicine-Psychiatry; Biography) [8 – 12]

The Witness

(Respect; Caring; SEL: Caring for Animals; Breaking Out; Subjects: U.S./1991 – present & New York) [13+]

The Wizard of Oz

(Trustworthiness, Respect, Caring; SEL: Self-esteem; Friendship; Taking Care of Yourself; Breaking Out; Subject: Drama/Musicals; U.S./1865-1913; Cinema) [5+]