Me, My Pops, and Sergio Leone

How using the High Concept can help Reimagine Classroom Instruction

By Mike Lang

February 21^st, 2025

Some of the fondest memories of my childhood involve movies and television. We would watch Robert Stack as Elliot Ness, then Rod Sterling introduce adventures through the human psyche, or Carl Kolchak attempt to convince Tony Vincenzo that he had indeed battled Jack the Ripper. Whether it was Ingmar Bergman or Ken Burns' Civil War, watching storytelling was central to how I learned to see the world. The images in my face motivated me to find books on the subjects taught. The soundtracks I heard encouraged me to investigate musicians and music genres. It was an education.

When I began teaching, I struggled. I was in a Catholic school in Mississippi and I had no idea really what I was doing. I emulated what I was taught as closely as I could, but there was an inauthenticity there that I felt. Going through the motions didn't result in the high production value my learners should have received. There had to be a better, more satisfying way to both adhere to the standards that were expected by the Diocese and also empower the young minds in front of me on a daily basis.

After two years in Mississippi and one year in Taiwan, I ended up teaching fourth grade in Las Vegas. While I had grown confident in my pedagogy after being under the tutelage of two master teachers, I was still in search of my "Eureka!" moment. Then I thought about my childhood again.

My dad's two favorite actors are Humphrey Bogart and Clint Eastwood. While I've seen every Bogey movie more times than I can count, it's Eastwood that I would always watch with my dad. We would sit and watch the Dollars Trilogy- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, A Fist Full of Dollars, and For a Few Dollars More, it seems like every other week. Despite knowing what was going to happen, the excitement I felt when "Ecstasy of Gold" began to play never waned. What I always wondered as we watched was how does one come up with the concept for ONE film, much less a trilogy of films?

“Every great story - whether on screen or in a classroom - begins with someone asking ‘what if?’”

The interesting thing about the Dollars Trilogy when I started to think about it was that Clint Eastwood stars as three different characters in the Trilogy. Lee Van Cleef stars as two different characters. The director for each of the films is Sergio Leone. Same teacher directing and the same learners taking different roles. It made sense. I then started to investigate how to write Hollywood scripts and how this might integrate with engagement strategies. I had just become acquainted with Dr. Philip Schlechty's work when I discovered the concept of the High Concept in scriptwriting.

In one sentence you should be able to explain the story of a film. ONE SENTENCE.

That's when it hit me - what if the secret to authentic engagement was as simple as a Hollywood pitch? Instead of detailed lesson plans that prescribed every moment, what if we started with a single, powerful 'what if' question that could ignite imagination and investment?

“What if the secret to authentic engagement was as simple as a Hollywood pitch?”

This revelation aligned perfectly with what I was learning from Dr. Philip Schlechty about the five levels of engagement. Schlechty argued that true engagement occurs when work becomes personally meaningful and learners persist even when faced with challenges. Just like moviegoers who stay on the edge of their seats during a three-hour epic, engaged learners lean into difficulty because they're invested in the outcome.

I started experimenting with these "what if" statements in my classroom: "What if learners created a documentary series investigating how the Hoover Dam transformed Southern Nevada?"

The transformation was immediate and profound. Learners maintained blogs documenting their investigations. One day they were researchers diving into historical archives, the next day photographers capturing modern-day evidence of the dam's impact. They became writers crafting narratives, film editors assembling footage, and presenters sharing their discoveries. They weren't just completing assignments - they were directing their own learning stories.

Over the next fifteen years, what started with a simple 'what if' blossomed into something extraordinary. Learners collaborated to build video games exploring mathematical concepts, composed soundtracks that captured historical moments, filmed documentaries about community issues, and maintained blogs showcasing their discoveries. Each project began with that same spark - a single question that invited learners to become creators rather than just consumers of content.

“Like Sergio Leone reimagining the Western genre through an Italian lens, we were reimagining classroom engagement through a cinematic one.”

TRANSFORMATIVE "WHAT IF" QUESTIONS:

What if learners created a virtual museum exploring how water shaped Nevada's story?
What if learners filmed a documentary series investigating how the Hoover Dam transformed Southern Nevada?
What if learners interviewed local seniors about their memories of Las Vegas before the mega-resorts?

Research from Lee and Hannafin would later validate this approach, demonstrating that student-centered learning thrives when it combines ownership over learning, strategic support, and authentic audiences. Like any great film production, meaningful learning needs a compelling story (ownership), skilled direction (support), and an audience who cares about the outcome.

What started as classroom experimentation found solid theoretical ground in educational research. The High Concept approach naturally developed what America Succeeds would later identify as "Durable Skills" - those fundamental human capabilities that employers value across all industries. When learners tackled projects sparked by "what if" questions, they weren't just mastering content - they were building leadership, communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills that would serve them throughout their careers.

The Portrait of a Nevada Learner now articulates what we were discovering through practice: learning needs to empower, connect, impact, and help learners thrive. When a learner asks "What if we interviewed local seniors about their memories of Las Vegas before the mega-resorts?", they're not just studying history - they're connecting with their community, making an impact through preserving stories, and developing skills that will help them thrive in any future pathway.

Looking back now, it's clear that great films and powerful learning experiences share fundamental elements - they spark curiosity, invite participation, and create lasting impact. Just as Sergio Leone transformed the Western genre by asking "what if" we told these stories differently, we can transform learning by inviting learners to become the heroes of their own educational journeys.

As I think about those nights watching Westerns with my dad, I realize that every great story - whether on screen or in a classroom - begins with someone asking "what if?" The real magic happens when we empower learners to ask that question themselves and then support them in chasing down the answers.

What if we all took that first step?

P.S. The duel at the end of "The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly" is one of greatest scenes in cinematic history.

Ready to explore how the High Concept can transform your classroom? Download our free ebook 'The Good, The Bold, and The Engaged: A Tale of Student Empowerment' to learn more.

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