Instruction:

1. The main task of this assignment is to watch a few scenes of the movie The Avengers (2012) and use team-related concepts from Chapter 11 & 12 to answer some team-related questions associated with each scene.

2. Part I is a list of characters of this movie.

3. Part II is a table that includes the scenes that illustrate each stage of the Five-Stage Model (see Figure 11-2 of Textbook), some related team concepts you need to understand and apply, and the time marks of the scenes.

4.Part III provides the scripts of the scenes corresponding to each group developmental stage. At the end of each stage, under a heading in read, you will see a few questions. Please use the concepts provided in Table 1 to answers the questions. When you finish, please copy the questions (including the heading in red for each stage) and your answers, and paste them in a separate Word file named with your last name. Then submit this Word file to Brightspace before the due time.

Part I. Avengers (2012): List of Main Characters

There are many online sources of information about most of these characters. Due to space limitations, here we provide some brief information for characters that are relevant to this particular film.

Captain America: Steve Rogers is his given name. Steve is enlisted in the US Army in the World War II. He participates in an experiment and receives an injection of a special serum that makes him a super-soldier. Captain America has a circular shield made of unbreakable material. His special abilities include speed, physical strength, and leadership.

Iron Man: This superhero is also known as Tony Stark. He is a sarcastic genius who invents his own high-tech suit of armor, which not only protects Tony, but also is a flying equipment, a communication device, and a deadly weapon that can fire ammunitions.

Black Widow: Her other name is Natasha Romanoff. She is initially trained as a Soviet spy. She brings strength, speed, hand-to-hand fighting skills, intelligence, and acting skills to the team of Avengers.

The Hulk: When he is in the human mode, he is Dr. Bruce Banner, who is a mild-mannered scientist and contributes his knowledge to the team. When he gets angry, he turns into a "green rage monster" with super strength.

Thor: He is a mythological extraterrestrial being who possesses super strength, an ability to control weather, and a legendary hammer that only someone "worthy" can lift.

Hawkeye: He is alternatively know as Clint Barton. He was once under Loki's mind-control. He contributes to the team his super eyesight and archery skills after he breaks out of Loki's control and comes back to the Avengers' side.

Loki: He is the villainous and mischievous brother of Thor who comes from Asgard. He colludes with the Chitauri leader, who helps Loki conquer the Earth in exchange for the Tessaract to rule the universe. Loki uses his scepter as an attacking weapon and to control others' minds to make them work for him.

Nick Fury: He is the Director of SHIELD, an organization that starts the Avengers initiative.

Erik Selvig: He is the head scientist of SHIELD. He studies the Tessaract and how to use it as a weapon.

Maria Hill: She is an agent of SHIELD and reports to Nick Fury.

Phil Coulson: He is an agent of SHIELD and reports to Nick Fury.

Part II. There are team-related concepts in the middle column of Table 1. Make sure you understand how these concepts are illustrated by the movie scene devoted to each stage of the Five-Stage Model (see Figure 11-2 of Textbook). Use these concepts to help you answer the questions in Part III.

Here is the video with the associated scenes :

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1920kd8Fh69J-ySCaVhl3MzQrG4yZD_77/view?usp=sharing

Table 1: Time Marks of Selected Scenes for Illustrating Associated Team Concepts

Description of Scenes

Team Stages: concepts

Time Marker

Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, Iron Man, and Dr.Banner meet for the first time.

Forming Stage:

team goals, team roles, team composition, team diversity (surface-level & deep-level)

00:00-03:05

The team has a major conflict of very diverse views about what SHIELD does with the Tesseract. Captain America and Stark throw sharp personal jabs at each other.

Storming Stage:

Goal interdependence, effects of diversity, cohesion

03:06-07:55

Captain America takes the leader role and establishes the priority is to contain the enemies within the area. He also assigns tasks to different members based on their strengths.

Norming Stage:

Role expectations, mutual accountability, team mental model, group identity

07:56-11:50

The Avengers are victorious in the battle against Loki and the Chitauri army.

Performing Stage:

Interdependence, mutual accountability, team mental model, benefits of diversity, synergy

11:51-16:42

The Avengers disband.

Adjourning Stage:

Limitations of the 5-stage model

16:43-18:19

Part III. Student Worksheet

Below are specific time marks and the scripts (adapted from the Internet Movie Script Database, n.d.) for related scenes that are illustrative of the Five-Stage Model and associated team related concepts. The scripts help you recall the scenes in the movie clips. Please answer the questions provided at the end of each Stage.

The Forming Stage

Time Mark: 00:00-03:05

STEVE: Loki's gonna drag this out. So, Thor, what's his play?

THOR: He has an army called the Chitauri. They're not of Asgard or any world known. He means to lead them against your people. They will win him the earth. In return, I suspect, for the Tesseract.

STEVE: An army? From outer space?

BANNER: So he's building another portal. That's what he needs Erik Selvig for.

THOR: Selvig?

BANNER: He's an astrophysicist.

THOR: He's a friend.

NATASHA: Loki has him under some kind of spell, along with one of ours.

STEVE: I wanna know why Loki let us take him. He's not leading an army from here.

BANNER: I don't think we should be focusing on Loki. That guy's brain is a bag full of cats, you could smell crazy on him.

THOR: Have care how you speak. Loki is beyond reason, but he is of Asgard, and he's my brother.

NATASHA: He killed eighty people in two days.

THOR: He's adopted.

BANNER: I think it's about the mechanics. Iridium, what did they need the Iridium for?

TONY:(Walks in with Coulson) It's a stabilizing agent.(To Coulson) I'll fly you there. Keep the love alive. (To the Avengers team) Means the portal won't collapse on itself, like it did at SHIELD. (To Thor) No hard feelings, Point Break. You've got a mean swing. Also, it means the portal can open as wide, and stay open as long, as Loki wants. (To the crew of the helicarrier) Uh, raise the mid-mast, ship the top sails. That man is playing Galaga! Thought we wouldn't notice. But we did. (Covering his eye, looks around) How does Fury do this?

AGENT HILL: He turns.

TONY: Well, that sounds exhausting. The rest of the raw materials, Agent Barton can get his hands on pretty easily. Only major component he still needs is a power source. A high energy density, something to kick start the cube. (Tony looks around the monitors and places a button size hacking implant on Fury's desk, without anyone noticing.)

AGENT HILL: When did you become an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics?

TONY:Last night. The packet, Selvig's notes, the Extraction Theory papers. Am I the only one who did the reading?

STEVE: Does Loki need any particular kind of power source?

BANNER: He's got to heat the cube to a hundred and twenty million Kelvin just to break through the Coulomb barrier.

TONY:Unless, Selvig has figured out how to stabilize the quantum tunneling effect.

BANNER: Well, if he could do that he could achieve Heavy Ion Fusion at any reactor on the planet.

TONY: Finally, someone who speaks English.

STEVE: Is that what just happened? (Tony and Banner shake hands. A glimmer in their eyes shines as the mutual respect for each other shows.)

TONY:It's good to meet you, Dr. Banner. Your work on anti-electron collisions is unparalleled. And I'm a huge fan of the way you lose control and turn into an enormous green rage monster.

BANNER:(Looks down) Thanks.

NICK FURY:(Walking in) Dr. Banner is only here to track the cube. I was hoping you might join him.

STEVE:Let's start with that stick of his (i.e., Loki's scepter). It may be magical, but it works an awful lot like a hydra weapon.

NICK FURY: I don't know about that, but it is powered by the cube. And I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn two of the sharpest men I know into his personal flying monkeys.

THOR:Monkeys? I do not understand.

STEVE:I do! I understood that reference. (Tony rolls his eyes, while Cap looks proud of himself.)

TONY:Shall we play, doctor? (Tony and Banner walk to the lab.)

Questions for Forming Stage

1. What is the goal of this team of Avengers? What does team composition mean for the Avengers? Do they have a strong sense of "we"?

2. Does each of the Avengers know what are expected of each of them? Which parts of the clip support your observations?

3. What is your real life experience from when you were a member in a (work, sports, etc.) group in the forming stage? What did you do to manage such experience?

The Storming Stage

Time Mark: 03:06-07:55

In Dr. Banner's lab, morning, Fury walks in surprised to see Tony and Banner stop working on the scepter.

FURY: (Angry) What are you doing, Mr. Stark?

TONY: Uh...kind of been wondering the same thing about you.

FURY: You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract.

BANNER: We are. The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit, we'll have the location within half a mile.

TONY: And you'll get your cube back, no muss, no fuss. (Suddenly his monitor show a collection of secret files) What is Phase 2?

Suddenly, Steve drops a hydra assault rifle on the table causing Fury, Banner and Tony to turn around. Cap looks pissed.

STEVE: Phase 2 is SHIELD uses the cube to make weapons. (To Tony) Sorry, the computer was moving a little slow.

FURY: (trying to explain) Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract. This does not mean that we're...

TONY: I'm sorry, Nick. (Tony moves the computer screen towards Fury which shows plans of the weapons.) What were you lying?

STEVE: I was wrong, director. The world hasn't changed a bit. (At that moment, Thor and Natasha walk into the lab. Natasha keeps her eyes right on Banner. Banner looks at her, pissed.)

BANNER: Did you know about this?

NATASHA: You wanna think about removing yourself from this environment, doctor?

BANNER: I was in Calcutta, I was pretty well removed.

NATASHA: Loki's manipulating you.

BANNER: And you've been doing what exactly?

NATASHA: You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you.

BANNER: Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy. I'd like to know why SHIELD is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.

FURY: Because of him (pointing at Thor).

THOR: (Stunned) Me?

FURY: Last year Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned.

THOR: My people want nothing but peace with your planet.

FURY: But you're not the only people out there, are you? And, you're not the only threat. The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, they can't be controlled.

STEVE: Like you controlled the cube?

THOR: Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies. It is the signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war.

STEVE: A higher form?

FURY: You forced our hand. We had to come up with something.

TONY: Nuclear deterrent. `Cause that always calms everything right down.

FURY: Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark?

STEVE: I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep...

TONY: Wait! Wait! Hold on! How is this now about me?

STEVE: I'm sorry, isn't everything?

THOR: I thought humans were more evolved than this.

FURY: Excuse me, did we come to your planet and blow stuff up?

THOR: Did you always give your champions such mistrust?

NATASHA: Are you boys all really that naive? SHIELD monitors potential threats.

BANNER: Captain America is on threat?

As the "team" argues, they don't realize the blue gem on Loki's scepter is glowing brightly. Barton and a group of Loki's people quietly approach the SHIELD helicarrier to launch attack and get Loki out. In the helicarrier, the Avengers are still arguing.

THOR: (To Fury) You speak of control, yet you create chaos.

BANNER: That's his M.O., isn't it? I mean, what are we, a team? No, no, we are a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We are a time bomb.

FURY: (To Banner) You need to step away.

TONY: (To Fury) Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?

STEVE: (To Tony) You know damn well why. Back off!

TONY: I'm starting to want you to make me.

STEVE: Yeah. Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?

TONY: Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist.

STEVE: I know guys with none of that worth ten of you. I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You are not the guy to make the sacrifice play to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you.

TONY: I think I would just cut the wire.

STEVE: Always a way out. You may not be a threat, but you better stop pretending to be a hero.

TONY: A hero? Like you? You are a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle.

Outside the helicarrier, Barton shoots an explosive arrow onto the helicarrier while the Avengers keep arguing.

STEVE: (To Tony) Put on the suit, let's go a few rounds.

THOR: (To Steve and Tony) You people are so petty and tiny.

BANNER: (Sarcastically) Yeah, this is a team.

Questions for Storming Stage

1. How would you describe the interaction of The Avengers team as shown in this clip? What may be the causes of this type of interaction? What are the consequences of such interactions on the team?

2. What is your real life experience regarding the storming stage? How did you manage the stage?

The Norming Stage

Time Mark: 07:56-11:50

THOR: The powers surrounding the cube is impenetrable.

IRON MAN: Thor is right. We gotta deal with these guys.

BLACK WIDOW: How do we do this?

CAPTAIN AMERICA: As a team.

THOR: I have unfinished business with Loki.

HAWKEYE: Yeah, get in line.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Save it. Loki's gonna keep this fight focused on us and that's what we need. Without him these things could run wild. We got Stark up top, he's gonna need us...

Just then, Banner arrives on a small motorbike. Getting off, he looks around the city.

BANNER: So, this all seems horrible.

BLACK WIDOW: I've seen worse.

BANNER: Sorry.

BLACK WIDOW: No. We could use a little worse.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Stark? We got him.

IRON MAN: Banner?

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Just like you said.

IRON MAN: Then tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you.

Iron Man comes out from behind a building. The Chitauri Leviathan follows, impatiently. The rest of the Avengers look up, getting ready and standing still.

BLACK WIDOW: I... I don't see how that's a party...

Iron Man swoops down the street. The Chitauri Leviathan also swoops down, barreling down the street like a freight train that keeps building its intensity. Banner looks behind. Cap looks at him. Banner begins to walk towards the monster.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Dr. Banner. Now might be a really good time for you to get angry.

BANNER: That's my secret, Captain. I'm always angry. Banner's body starts to swell and stretch and harden.

Green shoots through his body. The Hulk pops the Chitauri Leviathan in the nose. The creature flips over a 360... From above and on the buildings, the Chitauri army watches in horror as a group of Earth's mightiest heroes find themselves united against a common threat. To fight the foes no single super hero could withstand! The avengers assemble!

Loki: (Watches from the sky, motionless) Send the rest.

From the portal, thousands more of Chitauri soldiers and even more Chitauri Leviathans fly out! The Avengers look up. Way out of their element.

BLACK WIDOW: Guys.

IRON MAN: Call it, Cap.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, we're gonna use containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or you turn it to ash.

HAWKEYE: (To Iron Man) Wanna give me a lift?

IRON MAN: Right. Better clench up, Legolas.

Iron Man lifts Hawkeye up to the building.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up. (To Natasha) You and me, we stay here on the ground, keep the fighting here. And Hulk. SMASH.

The Hulk smiles a most magnificent grin and leaps, soaring high up into the nearest building.

Questions for Norming Stage

1. What is the team's goal shared by the Avengers? What is the shared understanding of each member's role? What else may the Avengers share?

2. What is your real life experience of the norming stage? What may have helped or hindered the norming processes in your real life groups?

The Performing Stage

Time Mark: 11:51-16:42

Captain America and Thor battle, side to side. Cap and Thor both throw their respected weapons. Thor catches mjlnir, but as cap turns, an energy blast strikes him down hard. Thor runs over to a broken car, swings the hammer and flips the car over and over on its side, crushing some Chitauri soldiers. Cap tries to get up. Thor helps him back to his feet.

THOR: You ready for another bout?

CAPTAIN AMERICA: What? You getting sleepy?

Selvig, back on the Avengers' side, clacks away at his laptop. Black Widow grabs Loki's scepter, slowly breaks into the force field, almost touching the Tesseract.

BLACK WIDOW: I can close it! Can anybody copy? I can shut the portal down!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Do it!

IRON MAN: No, wait!

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Stark, these things are still coming!

IRON MAN: I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it.

Iron Man catches up, now comes at the missile from behind. The missile speeds on. Iron Man grabs it from behind, gripping it tightly. With a mighty effort, he wrenches the rocket off its course. Steering it from behind, he accelerates quickly, flying straight up into sky, towards the portal.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: Stark, you know that's a one-way trip?

IRON MAN: (To Jarvis) Save the rest for return, J.

JARVIS: Sir. Shall I call Miss Potts?

IRON MAN: You might as well.

Iron Man climbs higher and higher over the city, gaining speed, suddenly flings himself through the portal. Communications die. The suit begins to freeze. Tony looks in horror... The black sky is filled with what must be ninety ships in a vague cluster. Most of them hang still in the air. Some move swimmingly about. Iron Man lets go of the missile. It whistles off into the blackness as Iron Man idly falls back down the portal's opening. The missile reaches the main ship. The main ship implodes, causing the entire armada to burst into a supernova, creating a spectacular heavenly display. Suddenly, all of the Chitauri soldiers and Chitauri Leviathans keel over and begin to shake, then stop. They all fall over. The Avengers look up at their consultant, not sure if Iron Man will make it through. Still holding the scepter in hand, Black Widow shifts around, waiting.

BLACK WIDOW: Come on, Stark...

Thor and Cap see the supernova coming towards them. Thor nods to Cap.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: (To Black Widow) Close it.

Without hesitating, Black Widow pulls the scepter out, the Tesseract turns off its energy beam. The portal quickly closes. A small figure is hurled back out of the now closed portal. Iron Man is plummeting to the Earth.

CAPTAIN AMERICA: (Smiling) Son of a gun!

Iron Man keeps falling. And falling. And falling.

THOR: He's not slowing down.

Thor swings Mjlnir around. Just as Thor flies up, The Hulk snags Iron Man out of the air, both crashing and sliding down a building. The Hulk throws Iron Man off him. Thor and Cap run over to him. Thor rips off Tony's helmet. He appears to be dead. They stand around not sure. Then... The Hulk yells in fury. The noise startles Tony awake.

Questions for Performing Stage

1. What are the factors that contribute to the Avengers' success?

2. What is your real life experience in the performing stage?

The Adjourning Stage

Time Mark: 16:43-18:19

The Avengers take Thor and Loki, who is handcuffed and muzzled, to a blocked area. Thor shakes hands with his team and gives Selvig a hug. Tony opens the Tesseract's case. Banner takes it out and places inside a glass tube, held by Thor. Thor gives Loki the other end, who reluctantly takes it. The Asgardians leap into the energy beam. Gone. Then, one-by-one, the group splinters off, strolling into different directions. Natasha and Barton climb back into SHIELD cars. Banner climbs in with Tony in his sports car. Steve rides away in his Harley. They all part. For now.

Questions for Adjourning Stage

1. In your real life experience, do all groups develop in the linear fashion as the Five-Stage Model suggests?

2. What impact does diversity have on the Avengers and real life work teams?