Advice for the middle school crowd

I wish there had been a John August when I was 14, or at least an easy way to contact professional screenwriters. In response to the question "What should a 14 year old do?"Mr. August provides a far from comprehensive guide for young, aspiring screenwriters, but his website contains many useful resources.

Looking at the texts he offers for downloading got me to thinking about E. D. Hirsch and his Core Knowledge Foundation. I remember all the hooplah and hype around the publication of Cultural Literacy. I started reading his book The Schools We Need and Why We Don't Have Them a couple of weeks ago. I agree with the concept of core knowledge. Combine this with Robert Marzano's research into Classroom Instruction That Works. The instructional strategy with the largest effect size is using similarities and differences. If we don't have a common reference point, or core knowledge, we will have a classroom full of different starting points.

The problem I have with Core Knowledge is who is determining what that core is. The shared common knowledge of a group of 3rd graders is different from that of 3rd grade teachers. Heck, the common knowledge of a group of new 3rd grade teachers is different from that of a group of 15 year veteran 3rd grade teachers. So what is the common knowledge that we should emphasize?

I agree that there are elements of Core Knoweldge that greatly contribute to being a functioning member of society. However, I also know that a teacher that can speak articulately about World of Warcraft guilds will find a way into connecting with the computer geek loner in the back of the classroom. I speak from experience.

When I look at my state reading standards I see sets of skills not specific great works. So will it matter if you use The Odyssey, a Harry Potter novel, or a movie like Pirates of The Carribean to teach elements of plot, character, and setting?

How familiar are you with the world and core knowledge of your students? Can you speak the language of a 14 year old?