Homework  Interdisciplinary Reading #2  Concept map (with essential questions)  Interdisciplinary Wheel  Blog reaction to TeacherStory1

Interdisciplinary Curriculum Design

What is Interdisciplinary curriculum? A way to organize the curriculum, so that the content of one subject area is enriched and reinforced by another, and vice versa.

THEME Language Arts Mathematics ScienceSocial Studies ELD Music An integrated thematic unit

Theoretical and Historical Background James Mursell (1956): “Integration has to do, not primarily with subject matter, but with people and their lives.” John Dewey (1913): “... Education comes only through willing attention to and participation in school activities. It follows that the teacher select these activities with reference to the child’s interests, powers, and capacities.” Lev S. Vygotsky (1962) = “Each person must construct his or her own reality... construction should always precede analysis.”

Benefits  improves higher order thinking skills  gives the learner a more unified sense of process and content  improves the learner’s mastery of content  teaches the student to adopt multiple points of view on issues  gives them ownership of their own studies  improves their motivation to learn -Ellis and Fouts (2001)

“Connections Approach” Wiggins and Wiggins, 2001  Thematic or content connection  Conceptual connections  Process connections

Thematic or content connections THEME Women who‘ve a difference Language Arts Read and respond to Biography of Eleanor Roosevelt Mathematics Graph – various government Positions held by women Science Accomplishments of Women scientists Social Studies History of women’s suffrage ELD Interview women in the Community about their Accomplishments & goals. Music Listen to/analyze music by women composers

Conceptual or Process connections Common to various disciplines: “Knowing how a process functions in one discipline can enhance the student’s understanding of how it functions in another.” (Wiggins, 2001) Verbal literacy = Listening + Speaking + Reading + Writing Musical understanding = Performing + Creating + Listening (Deriving meaning; more than mere decoding) (A deep understanding; More than mere note-reading)

Other disciplineMusic Process connections (continued)  (Science/Kinder) Compare and sort common objects by one physical attribute.  (Science/Gr. 4) Differentiate among types of rocks by referring to their methods of formation.  (Math/Gr. 1) Describe, extend and explain ways to get to a next element in simple repeating patterns.  (Language Arts/Gr. 4) Compare and contrast tales from different cultures by tracing the exploits of one character type.  Compare and sort common instruments by one physical or aural attribute.  Differentiate between musical textures by referring to their methods of formation (e.g., fugues, homophonic forms)  Create, perform and describe simple rhythmic and melodic patterns.  Compare and contrast music from different cultures by tracing the musical treatment of one instrument type.

True Integration…Guidelines  Have clear instructional goals, based on the state standards, for your students.  Maintain the integrity of each discipline.  Provide opportunities for the students to clearly see the cross-disciplinary connections.  The connections must be concept or process oriented.  Always consider Bloom! Bloom

Start with “Essential Questions”  Have no obvious right answer  Raise other important questions  Address the philosophical or conceptual foundations of a discipline  Recur naturally  Are framed to provide and sustain student interest!  Write an “Essential Question for each CONTENT area that “connects” to the others

So let’s see some examples: Decide: Are the units Interdisciplinary (or thematic)? Do they offer authentic connections? What are the “big ideas” the writers are attempting to address? What are the essential questions?

CAN WE TALK? In a small group, answers these questions: Are the units Interdisciplinary (or thematic)? Do they offer authentic connections? What are the “big ideas” the writers are attempting to address? What are the essential questions? At the end of the time, regroup and write a ONE-DAY interdisciplinary unit on…

So let’s see look at YOUR final product!  Final Product  Final Product Rubric  Concept Web  Interdisciplinary Wheel 