Mr. Keating makes his students leave the classroom and brings them to the wall with photos of former students. He points out how similar they are to the students in the photos to stress that life is short. Mr. Keating inspires his students to "seize the day" and make their lives extraordinary.

Mr. Simonet gives his students a year-long assignment: "Think of an idea to change our world - and put it into ACTION!" He creates this assignment to prove to his students that, despite their age and current situation, they can indeed change the world. Mr. Simonet inspires his students by suggesting that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

Coach Dale gives an inspirational speech to his team before the big game. He urges his players to focus on what is important: putting forth their best effort. He states that the crowd, the other team's uniforms, and even the end result of the game aren't important.

Coach Ben Schwartzwalder inspires his team by making the game personal to each and every one of the players. He emphasizes that the game is more than just a football game; taking place during the Civil Rights Movement, it is an opportunity to make history.

Professor Hundert inspires his students to make meaningful contributions to society. He asks one student to read a plaque with a quote from Shutruk-Nakhunte, king of Elam, and compares Nakhunte to famous individuals such as Socrates and Plato. He suggests that Shutruk-Nakhunte is largely unknown because he did not make any contributions to mankind.