Running head: CROSS CURRICULAR PROGRAM 1

Interdisciplinary Curriculum Cross Curricular Program

Franciscan University of Steubenville

Anne Marie Evans

March 10, 2019

EDU 30
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Middle school is a unique time in every student’s life, and there are many exciting but

difficult changes that they experience. As these students are maturing, they begin to form

opinions and want to make decisions for themselves. Middle school educators ought to take

these facts into consideration when they are designing the curriculum for their middle school

students. Interdisciplinary Instruction in one method of including student choice and autonomy

into their learning. Students need to know that they can learn from multiple sources, not just

textbooks, and they can build a great deal of background knowledge from the internet, trade

books, and informational books as well (Duerr, 2008).

Using Trade Books to Increase Student Involvement in Learning

One way to increase student involvement in learning is to capture their interests and draw

them in through meaningful assignments and challenging activities. Trade books often capture

students’ attention much more than textbooks because they have a story that students want to

read and they incorporate the information learned in a more realistic way than textbooks do.

Students are more likely to be engaged in learning when it takes place within the context of a

themed unit (Gardner, Wissick, Schweder, & Canter, 2003). Middle school students tend to be

opinionated and passionate about those things that they genuinely care about in their lives

(George & Alexander, 2002). Connecting the content to their lives will give them a reason to

care about learning.

Using Technology to Enhance Student Engagement in Learning

Another way to increase student engagement in classroom activities is to incorporate the

use of technology in ways that make the students creators, not just consumers. Technology

should be integrated into thematic interdisciplinary units in a way that enhances student learning,

not just for the sake of using technology (Gardner et al., 2003). Students today need to learn
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multimedia presentation skills because most jobs will require that they have some knowledge of

presenting using technology (Gardner et al., 2003). Giving students fun assignments using

technology will help them to enjoy using it and become fluent in technological skills.

Using the Interdisciplinary Model to Make Personal Connections

Using an interdisciplinary model for teaching new material makes learning more

meaningful because it connects the information to different spheres of life and expands its

applicability (Duerr, 2008). A curriculum should not be a stagnant set of lessons to follow,

rather, it should be a dynamic set of activities focused on the relationships between people and

between content (Duerr, 2008). It has been demonstrated that when students have a personal

connection to what they are learning, they are more likely to remember what they learned (Duerr,

2008). Students should be given these opportunities and encouraged to become invested in their

learning so that they will be more likely to remember it in the future.

Benefits of the Interdisciplinary Approach to Instruction

The interdisciplinary approach to instruction has many benefits for the students in

teaching long-term skills that they will need for success. The interdisciplinary approach exposes

students to the use of subject specific vocabulary in a natural context (Dutt-Doner, Wilmer,

Stevens, & Hartmann, 2000). It takes the material and enables the students to connect it to their

own lives (Dutt-Doner et al., 2000). This allows for a deeper appreciation of the material and

gives learning an immediate purpose for the student. Using trade books in the interdisciplinary

curriculum is beneficial because where textbooks compile a broad range of information, trade

books focus in on one aspect and bring it to life (Duerr, 2008). Providing the students with a

wide range of learning methods (e.g. textbooks, trade books, videos, hands-on experience,

interviews with experts etc.) taps into the natural curiosity of middle school students and
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encourages them to continue to be inquisitive (Duerr, 2008). The interdisciplinary approach also

has many benefits in the realm of generalization (Gardner et al., 2003). When students are

interacting with multiple modes of learning, they are more able to generalize the information

they are learning to other areas of school and their lives (Gardner et al., 2003).

Implementing an Interdisciplinary Approach

Using the interdisciplinary approach over an extended period of time to increase students’

interest and foster student investment in the topic is a great way to capitalize on their naturally

inquisitive minds and aid them in storing the information in their long-term memory. One course

of action in implementing this approach is to use a four-unit, twelve session workshop model.

This provides adequate time for the students to explore their topic, communicate with their peers,

ask questions, construct some of their own answers, and demonstrate their learning. In this way

the students have a very active role in their learning, and they have many opportunities to engage

with the content through several modes, some primarily receptive, others primarily productive.

This dual interaction with the content gives the students a chance to take the information in,

consider it for themselves, then create something that is their own, using the information they

learned. This makes the content something “sensible and identifiable” (Gardner et al., 2003, p.

162) for the students in a way that they can interact with and enjoy.

Conclusion

This model is ideal for middle school students because it presents the material over an

extended period of time, but not a period so long that they will lose interest. It is important that

the students remain interested in learning because when they are interested, they are more likely

to learn and remember what they are learning (Duerr, 2008). By using a wide range of activities,
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across multiple content areas, in a real-life context, teachers can provide their students with an

active, engaging learning environment where they can both learn and thrive on learning.
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Resources

Duerr, L. L. (2008). Interdisciplinary instruction. Educational Horizons, 86(3), 173-180.

Dutt-Doner, K., Wilmer, M., Stevens, C., and Hartmann, L. (2000). Actively engaging learners

in interdisciplinary curriculum through the integration of technology. Computers in the

schools, 16(3-4), 151-166.

Gardner, J. E., Wissick, C. A., Schweder, W., & Canter, L. S. (2003). Enhancing

interdisciplinary instruction in general and special education: Thematic units and

technology. Remedial and Special Education, 24(3), 167-172.

George, P. S., Alexander, W. M. (2002). The exemplary middle school. Belmont, CA:

Wadsworth Publishing Company.

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Mini-Workshop Topics, Content Areas Covered, and Standards Addressed

Magic Conten Standards Activities Formative Summative

Treehouse t Areas Assessment Assessment
book the
students will
explore
1) Vacation Science CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RST.6-8.1 Using their book as well as this There will be There will be a
Under the Cite specific textual evidence video on Youtube made by History discussion rubric provided
Volcano to support analysis of science Channel groups, each for the student
and technical texts. (https://www.youtube.com/watch group lead by a when they
History CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 ?v=PXYv3xoyRvI) students will learn teacher where create their
Integrate visual information about volcanos and the way that the teacher will videos. The will
(e.g., in charts, graphs, the ash preserved the city of monitor be required to
photographs, videos, or Pompeii. student use academic
maps) with other information learning. language,
in print and digital texts. Students will use the video and text accurate
to create their own videos for a information,
class Youtube channel. They must descriptions,
include scientific information on and
volcanos as well as historical demonstrations.
information on Pompeii
2) History CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.4 The students will work together in The students The students
Revolutionary Determine the meaning of groups to create a reader’s theater will turn in will need to
War on words and phrases as they based on the story which will take their scripts to demonstrate
Wednesday are used in a text, including place during the Revolutionary their teachers their research
vocabulary specific to War. The students must use after each and writing skills
domains related to accurate terminology when draft. The by selecting
history/social studies. referring to people, places, and teachers will something to
English CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.2 things. use this to write about on
Langua Write measure the which they find
ge Arts informative/explanatory After creating the reader’s theater, students’ adequate
texts to examine a topic and the students will choose a person, learning. information.
convey ideas, concepts, and place, or thing to write about. Check for There should be
information through the Students will use Buncee as a tool terminology, an obvious and
selection, organization, and to show the story of their selected names, and logical flow in
analysis of relevant content. topic. locations. the information
Make sure they presented,
are accurate. ideally
chronological.
3) Mummies History CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8 The students will use a graphic The teacher The play will be
in the Distinguish among fact, organizer as they read separating will collect the evaluated in
Morning opinion, and reasoned the event that actually happened in graphic several ways.
judgment in a text. ancient Egypt from the events that organizers and The script will
Math CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.6.G.A. Mary Pope Osborne added to make check for be evaluated for
4 the story more exciting. They will understanding. use of some
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Represent three-dimensional use this information to create a Any factual

figures using nets made up of play using the factual information misconceptions information,
rectangles and triangles, and and adding their own opinions to will be and some added
use the nets to find the make the story more exciting for addressed information.
surface area of these figures. the viewer. before They will also be
Apply these techniques in the For the math component, students proceeding. evaluated for
context of solving real-world will spend two days of the team skills.
and mathematical problems. workshop exploring the properties The students
of pyramids. They will learn how to will record If the students
determine the height, volume, and their work and are able to
surface area of pyramids. They will the teacher will construct
use this new knowledge to build check it for pyramids using
pyramids (they will need to be accuracy. their
creative to do this, but cardboard, calculations, it
rope, and sheets may come in will
handy) for the play. demonstrate
their
understanding.
4) Day of the History CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.5 The students will create podcasts The students The teacher will
Dragon King Describe how a text presents from the perspectives of Jack, will create a evaluate the
information (e.g., Annie, and other characters of their script for the podcasts. They
sequentially, comparatively, choice. They will work together to podcast then should be
causally). record and produce these have a sequentially
Geogra podcasts. conference accurate,
phy with the grammatically
teacher to correct, and
make sure it contain
flows well. information in
alignment with
the book.

National Council for Using Google Tours, the students The teacher The Google tour
Geographic Education will recreate Jack and Annie’s will observe must be
Essential Element II. PLACES adventure in China. They will also the students geographically
AND REGIONS Standard 6. look up more information on China during this accurate, and at
How culture and experience during that time period to add to process and least five new
influence people's their different stops on the Google ask them pieces of
perceptions of places and Tour. questions to information on
regions. further their China must be
research and used.
ensure
accuracy.
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Dear Parents and Guardians,

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the new school year and share
with you some of the exciting plans that I will be incorporating throughout the year. I have a
firm belief that your children are capable of doing great things, and it is my job to create an
environment where they can use their own unique talents and flourish throughout the learning
process. For this reason, I have designed an interdisciplinary approach to teaching history,
language arts, science, and math through the use of literature. My goal is to keep your children
excited about learning. I want them to be invested in the material we are covering so they can
make it personal and connect with it in such a way that it is stored in their long-term memory.
There will be four units, each based on a different Magic Treehouse book. The topics
are: Pompeii and volcanoes, the revolutionary war, mummies and Egypt, and Chinese geography
and culture. The books to accompany these topics are: Vacation Under the Volcano,
Revolutionary War on Wednesday, Mummies in the Morning, and Day of the Dragon King.
These books will be provided by the school for your students to borrow.
What I would like to ask you to do to help me to teach you children well is to encourage
your children to read. Talk to them about what they are learning, listen when the tell you about
what they did at school, and encourage them to ask and find answers to their questions. If your
children come to school bubbling with excitement about the material we are covering, they will
comprehend and retain the information better. If there is any way that I can help you to do this,
please let me know. You are the most important person in your child’s education, and I want to
do everything I can to support you in this task.

I look forward to working with you and your children throughout this next year!

Sincerely,

Ms. Anne Marie Evans