Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus
DVD includes French language track.
A complete English lesson plan for Mr. Holland's Opus — ready to open and teach.
Glenn Holland takes a teaching job to pay the bills while he composes his masterpiece. Thirty years later, the teaching is the masterpiece. Director Stephen Herek builds a film that earns every emotional beat — not through sentimentality, but through accumulation. You watch a man discover what his life is actually for.
Good films have natural moments — a powerful scene, a cultural encounter, a shift in the story — where the language and meaning come together. This plan identifies those moments in Mr. Holland's Opus and builds a lesson around each one. For every scene, you get vocabulary and cultural notes, comprehension activities, and communicative tasks your students can work through in class or independently. A pre-film warm-up gets them ready before the first screening.
Everything is included: the teacher's guide, student worksheets in English, and an answer key.
Not sure yet? Download a free sample → See exactly what our English lesson plans include before you buy.
📅 Teach it when it counts
- Teacher Appreciation Week (May) — Mr. Holland spends thirty years giving himself to students who will not remember him. This film is the best argument for what teaching actually is.
- Music and arts advocacy moments — The central conflict is budget cuts to the music program — a plot point that lands differently when your own school is facing the same debate.
- End of school year (May–June) — The finale — students returning to honor a teacher — is a natural closer for a year of English instruction.
Language: English | Director: Stephen Herek | Year: 1995
Level: Novice | Format: Downloadable PDF — instant delivery
Download for $29.95. Print it. Teach it.
More Information
More Information
Director: Stephen Herek
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Glenne Headly, Jay Thomas, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy, Alicia Witt, Terrence Howard, Damon Whitaker
Audio: DVD includes French language track.
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