Lean on Me (1989): Complete Movie Guide

About this resource

What's inside this resource

"Lean on Me" is a 1989 drama movie directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Morgan Freeman in the lead role. The movie tells the true story of Joe Clark, a tough-love high school principal who tries to turn around a failing inner-city school in New Jersey. When Joe Clark takes over as principal of Eastside High School, he is shocked by the low test scores, high crime rate, and overall lack of discipline among students and teachers. Clark takes a tough-love approach, enforcing strict rules and pushing students and teachers to work harder.

As Clark implements his changes, he faces opposition from both the school board and members of the community, who accuse him of being too strict and unfair. But Clark remains determined to turn Eastside High School around, even if it means making unpopular decisions and taking drastic measures. The movie depicts Clark's struggles as he tries to instill discipline and motivation in his students, while also dealing with personal issues, such as a strained relationship with his wife. Despite the challenges, Clark's efforts pay off, as Eastside High School's test scores improve and students become more engaged in their education.

This 18-question movie guide will help your students get the most out of this powerful movie. This movie guide comes with an answer key and a "think-it-out" question. Ready to print and ready to use! Enjoy!

In the classroom

Teaching tips & learning objectives

Learning objectives

Recall and sequence plot events from a full-length film in chronological order
Infer word meaning from context (e.g., 'transmogrify')
Complete a quoted line of dialogue from memory of the film
Write a persuasive paragraph that takes a position and supports it with evidence from the movie

Teaching tips

Have students fill in the questions as they watch, since the instructions state answers come in chronological order with the film
Use the answer key's model paragraph for the 'Write About It' prompt as a sample of the argument-with-evidence structure expected

Skills covered

Chronological recall -- all 18 questions are ordered to match the sequence of events in the film, so students track the plot as they watch.
Vocabulary in context -- question 5 asks students to infer the meaning of 'transmogrify' from how Mr. Clark uses it.
Persuasive writing with evidence -- the closing prompt asks students to argue whether the means justified the end and support the position with specific evidence from the movie.
Reading for detail -- questions require recalling specific dialogue, such as completing the quote 'if you can't ________ it, how can you __________?'

Good to know

Questions teachers ask about this resource

Does this guide go beyond recall questions into persuasive writing?

Yes -- after the 18 chronological questions, a 'Write About It' prompt asks students to take a position on whether Mr. Clark's methods justified their results and support it with evidence from the movie; a full sample paragraph modeling that response is also included for teachers.

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Resource details

Concepts & topics

Core concepts

Film comprehension
Sequencing
Vocabulary in context
Persuasive writing

Topics

Lean on Me Movie Guide Video Guide lean on me movie free

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Categories this resource belongs to

ELA Activities 7th Grade Activities 8th Grade Activities High School Fun Activities For High School Students Middle School Activities

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