Activity: “12 Angry Men” movie: 6011A and/or 6201A
Topic: Exploring Leadership
Submitted by Sarah Milarch
Outcome: Students will recognize and discuss, using the movie as a reference point, the effective
qualities of a leader, the role integrity plays in leadership, the impact of group dynamics and how
leaders can have similar qualities, yet use them in opposing ways.
Time: 3-4 hours
Materials: “12 Angry Men” movie (either the Henry Fonda (old) version, or the Tony Danza
(newer) version). In short, this is a movie about a near-hung jury, where 11 jurors are persuaded
to change their votes based on the integrity of one juror.
Setting: Classroom
Learning Activity: Students watch the movie (1 1/2-2 hours, depending on the version).
Following the movie, a discussion (in either small groups or as a whole class) could follow,
including focus questions such as:
1. Explain how leaders can have similar qualities; yet use them in opposing ways.
2. Who were the strongest leaders in this movie? Why?
3. What qualities did Juror #8 have that made him such a strong leader?
4. What role does integrity play in leadership?
5. How do individual personalities impact group dynamics in this movie? What if all of the
jurors had the same personality as #8? What if they were all like #10, #3, etc.
Assessment: The informal assessment from the discussion may be sufficient. Maybe, once the
students are finished with their discussions, they would have to return to their journals and write
an entry about why this movie was selected for this unit of study. If you prefer more formal
assessment, the students could write a paper summarizing their understanding of the film or
responding to a specific, teacher-generated prompt. A quiz/test focusing on the movie’s broad
themes could also be an option.
Key Points:
1. Leadership qualities are applied often in “real life.”
2. Different people succumb to different persuasion tactics.
3. Moral conviction has an impact on leadership.