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Content Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Anne Corbitt

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio. Spring 2018


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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.

Rational for Selection of Artifacts

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

presented with each state symbol.

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

had learned from my lessons.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

In my Introduction to Integrated Sciences course at Regent University, I learned how to

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,

“Interdisciplinary instruction has encouraged a shift from representing science as a fragmented

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

time to teach the content areas can be difficult for teachers.

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

Teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Sherris, A. (2008, September). Integrated Content and Language instruction. Retrieved April 2,

2018, from http://www.cal.org/siop/pdfs/digests/integrated-contentand-language-

instruction.pdf

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