Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Anne Corbitt
Regent University
Introduction
Incorporating more than one subject into a lesson plan can easily be accomplished,
sometimes without even realizing it. This method cannot only save on time from the teacher’s
perspective, but it can show students how the apply multiple subjects into different areas of life
skills and that many subjects tie in together and go hand in hand in order to work properly.
Arieh (Ari) Sherris defines Integrated Content as “task-based instruction and assessment of
knowledge, skills, and academic language within a content area. The academic language includes
the concepts, key vocabulary, grammar, and discourse necessary to accomplish content area
tasks” (Sherris, 2008). I have found integrated content to be extremely effective in the classroom
and a way to make teaching and learning easier for everyone. It is a great way for students to see
that what they learn in school is also used in real life situations, however, integrated content can
come with its challenges. Sherris mentions, “It offers a way into mainstream classrooms and a
promise of success for these learners. The challenge for teachers is to design and deliver lessons
that make content comprehensible and that facilitate language acquisition” (Sherris, 2008).
Overall, this can be a challenge in a classroom where there is more than one language being
spoken or when teaching ESL students. It is still possible to integrate the content, the teacher
will simply need to assure that the material is relatable and comprehended by each individual in
the classroom.
For my first artifact, I chose the Virginia Symbols booklet that the first graders created
during their writing period. The Standard of Learning for this activity are: SOL 1.12 -The
student will print legibly, SOL 1.13-The students will write to communicate ideas of variety
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purposes, and SOL 1.12- The student will recognize the symbols and practices that honor the
Commonwealth of Virginia. Each day, the students would work on a different section of their
booklet in a span of one week. In this booklet, students wrote facts that they had learned about
in regard to the different Virginia Symbols. In this particular lesson, students were not only
expanding their knowledge and using prior skills for their writing, but they were incorporating
what they learned and will continue to learn about in Virginia studies, or social studies. I found
this lesson to be effective with the students and a way for them to learn and expand their
knowledge in writing and social studies. It was a way for the students to be engaged in their
learning, especially when I was right there, step by step. I would guide the students through their
writing by having them share their knowledge of Virginia studies and state symbols. Students
would have to identify and/or locate the state bird, capital, flower, and flag. In this lesson, I was
able to incorporate the use of an anchor chart that would help the students better organize their
notes and information making it easier to read. The closing activity also allowed for the
opportunity for students to practice reading and reciting information that they already knew and
learned about the state symbol of that day. It was rewarding to watch the students discuss and
write the information about state symbols that they knew in such detail. Even though I was
guiding them through their writing, they were able to give me that facts and information
The next artifact that I chose to discuss is A Tree for all Seasons activity that I did with
the first-grade class. This was a language arts integrated into science lesson. The Standards of
Learning for this activity are SOL 1.7- Investigating and understanding the relationship of
seasonal change and weather and SOL 1.13-Write and communicate ideas for a variety of
purposes. In the previous week of this particular lesson, I had been disusing the seasons with
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students and the characteristics and qualities of each season. I started this lesson by having the
students help me draw what a tree would look like during each season and discuss whether the
tree would be full of leaves or bare. After doing this, I gave students their own worksheet that
had one large tree that was split into four sections. Each section had a season labeled and a box
where students could write. The goal was to have students design each section of the tree
according to the season that was listed and then write a sentence or two about the tree during that
particular season. For example, In Fall, the trees are full of colorful leaves. I had a great time
doing this lesson with the students. They really enjoyed creating their tree and adding their own
special touch to it. The students’ knowledge of each season was phenomenal and gave me the
assurance that I had been effectively teaching seasons to the students. They easily picked up on
the material and enjoyed learning more about each season. I was able to integrate two different
subjects together and students had the opportunity to use their prior knowledge and what they
integrate the study of science and lessons into other content in the curriculum. Science can be a
tricky subject to teach and can at times be dry and boring for students. However, I have learned
that science can easily be integrated into other subjects and commonly is. In science, there is
quite a bit of math and writing involved. Teachers can easily use a science lesson as a math
and/or writing or language arts lesson. According to Ann C. Howe and Sharon E. Nichols,
facts and process skills toward seeing connections of thought across subject areas.
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Interdisciplinary science teaching helps children learn in ways which more closely represent how
we think in daily contexts. It also helps teachers deal with curricular demands that might
otherwise prevent science, social studies and other subjects from being taught on a regular basis”
(Howe & Nichols p. 59). I have found that integrating curriculum is especially important in the
content area (science and social studies.) These subjects are still important and are in the
curriculum to teach, but because emphasis is focused more on math and language arts, finding
Until recently, I never realized the amount of integrated content that I have been using
and will continue to use through my teaching experiences. It is simple and efficient to integrate
different subjects into one lesson. It is a great way to get more done in one lesson and a way to
apply real life to school subjects. It also shows students how content can go together to work as
one. “Integration acknowledges and builds on the relationships which exist among all things. An
integrated curriculum implies learning that is synthesized across traditional subject areas and
learning experiences that are designed to be mutually reinforcing. This approach develops the
child’s ability to transfer their learning to other settings” (Integrated Curriculum…p. 553).
Integrating content can prove to the student and teacher that a child is capable of applying and
transferring their knowledge and learning into other subjects or possibly even real-life situations.
Teachers need to assure they are using this particular learning style into their lessons. Content
integration is especially important when teaching another language and/or teaching ESL
students. Integrating subjects can essentially put less pressure on both the teacher and students.
The teacher is still fitting in all of the required content from the curriculum while students are
able to show their knowledge of two or three subjects in one assignment or lesson.
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References
Integrated Curriculum in the Primary Program. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2018, from
https://www.education.ne.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/IC.pdf
Howe, A. C., & Nichols, S.E. (2001). Case Studies in Elementary Studies: Learning from
Sherris, A. (2008, September). Integrated Content and Language instruction. Retrieved April 2,
instruction.pdf