Lead or Follow? Case File #6 The Emperor’s Club – Integrity at a Cost

A Debate-Driven Leadership & Character Development Case Study

Grades 9–12

Is protecting someone’s future ever worth risking your own integrity?

This debate-driven case study uses The Emperor’s Club to explore ethical tension in leadership. Students examine the cost of compromise, the justification of good intentions, and the long-term impact of bending rules.

This is not a movie worksheet. It is a structured moral reasoning lab.

Students will:

• Take a clear position on a controversial leadership claim
• Analyze real-life school-based ethical dilemmas
• Apply rule-based, outcome-based, and character-based leadership lenses
• Track power, consequences, and justification during film viewing
• Participate in a structured closing debate
• Revisit and defend or revise their original position

What’s Included in The Emperor’s Club Case File

You will receive both editable and ready-to-print versions:

Teacher Guide (DOCX and PDF)
Student Materials Packet (DOCX and PDF)

Teacher Guide includes:

• Implementation guide
• Ethical discussion norms
• Module-by-module structure (Commit → Complicate → Confront → Analyze → Reckon)
• Real-life school-based ethical scenarios
• Structured debate framework
• Debate rubric

Student Materials include:

• Position Commitment Sheet
• Scenario Analysis Sheet
• Ethical Leadership Lenses Activity
• Film Analysis Trackers (Structured, Guided, and Open formats)
• Final Reflection – Reckon

Flexible Implementation

This case file is designed for:

• 4–6 instructional sessions
• Block or traditional schedules
• Whole-class debate or small-group analysis
• Sub plans or extended units

Film is used intentionally as a case study — not entertainment.

Why Teachers Love the Case File Series

• High-engagement discussion
• Evidence-based reasoning
• Academic rigor without lecture overload
• Clear structure with flexible pacing
• Encourages intellectual growth, not just agreement

This case file pairs well with other titles in the Lead or Follow series, including:

• The Help – A Lesson in Moral Courage
• Freedom Writers Leadership Through Risk

The post Lead or Follow? Case File #6 The Emperor’s Club – Integrity at a Cost first appeared on Tracie Joy.