Film Club | ‘Wright’s Law: A Teacher’s Unique Lesson’

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Wright’s Law: A Teacher’s Unique Lesson

In 2012, The Times profiled Jeffrey Wright, who uses wacky experiments to teach children about the universe, but it is his own personal story that teaches them the true meaning of life.

By Zack Conkle on Publish Date December 24, 2012.

Zack Conkle’s award-winning short documentary film “Wright’s Law” is about his “crazy and really amazing” former high school physics teacher, Jeffrey Wright. We selected this film for the week leading up to Thanksgiving because it connects to some of the holiday’s most important themes: family, love and being thankful for what we have.

Tara Parker-Pope writes in this 2012 Well column:

Jeffrey Wright is well known around his high school in Louisville, Ky., for his antics as a physics teacher, which include exploding pumpkins, hovercraft and a scary experiment that involves a bed of nails, a cinder block and a sledgehammer.

But it is a simple lecture — one without props or fireballs — that leaves the greatest impression on his students each year. The talk is about Mr. Wright’s son and the meaning of life, love and family.

It has become an annual event at Louisville Male Traditional High School (now coed, despite its name), and it has been captured in a short documentary, “Wright’s Law,” which recently won a gold medal in multimedia in the national College Photographer of the Year competition, run by the University of Missouri.


Students: Watch the 12-minute film “Wright’s Law: A Teacher’s Unique Lesson.” While you watch, you might take notes using our Film Club Double-Entry Journal to help you remember specific moments.

Then post a thought or two about the film by clicking the comment box at the top or bottom of this post. Feel free to simply write what occurs to you, or use any of the questions below to help you get started.

The most important part of your job, however, is to engage in conversation about the film by responding to comments other students make by hitting the “reply” button or using the @ symbol. (Keep in mind good Web etiquette, of course.)

Teachers, feel free to encourage your classes to comment at any time, but we’ll be actively “listening in” from Nov. 20 through 27, choosing our favorite comments — those that seem to best further the conversation — to highlight as “NYT Picks” in a special tab of the comments section.

We can’t wait to see what you have to say.


Some Optional Discussion Questions

  • What moments in this film stood out for you? Why?
  • Were there any surprises? Anything that challenged what you know — or thought you knew?
  • Has a teacher ever inspired you or made a difference in your life? How?
  • What lessons do you think Mr. Wright wants his students to learn by telling them about his son? Do you support his decision to share his personal story with his class? Why?
  • Does your life outside of school ever get in the way of your doing your best in school? Who do you turn to, either in school or elsewhere, when you’re facing challenges or difficult situations?
  • What messages, emotions or ideas will you take away from this film? Why?

Our next Film Club discussion will be on the eight-minute film “Melody,” and will begin on Dec. 11.