Running head: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM 1

Content Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Megan Johnson

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 495 Field Experience ePortfolio, Fall 2018

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Introduction

Teaching is a huge responsibility. Not only are educators responsible for the life of every

student while they are in school, they are also held accountable to staying on track and teaching

the content that the students need all year long. Elementary teachers especially, can find

themselves behind because there is so much to teach. However, these same teachers have the

opportunity to plan and instruct from an interdisciplinary perspective. Instead of teaching all of

the subjects separately, elementary teachers can bring content together, like math and english, in

a way that enhances each student’s understanding. While there could be time in the day for the

students to study both of these topics separately, studying them together also supplies

consistency. The interdisciplinary structure is highlighted in this competency. Specifically, a

language reading and research lesson plan that integrates science.

Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

The first artifact is a reading lesson plan centered around non-fiction text features and

their positive effect on research. This time of year, students are learning to read and research

non-fiction texts and study weather tools, maps, and storms. In order to integrate the two, this

lesson plan involves students questioning, searching, and answering questions they have about

weather, specifically weather maps. Instead of asking the students to research something

completely new, they were asked to research further into something they already had background

knowledge in. In doing so, the students were able to complete two different objectives in one

time block and experience consistency in their learning . For example, the students completed the

Language Art Standard:“4.6.3 Use text features such as type, headings, and graphics, to predict

and categorize information in both print and digital texts” (VDOE, 2010) In addition, the

students completed the Science Standard: “4.1.4 Describe the different types of weather

associated with high and low pressure air masses” (VDOE, 2010). I chose this lesson plan for this
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competency because it addresses two major standards in the curriculum in unison. Not only

could this lesson save a teacher time, but it gives the students a familiar concept to practice a

new skill with.

The second artifact is a photograph of the graphic organizer the students used to complete

their questioning, research, and answers found in the first artifact and the nonfiction text they

used.This photograph shows the work of a student who successfully finished the task and met the

two standards associated with the lesson. I chose this artifact to share a visible representation of

how the students were able to use their nonfiction research skills in a science context.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

As my student teaching experience has flown by, I have realized the importance of time

and priorities. In the classroom, these things could not be more important. The days rush by and

there are so many objectives to be covered. Not only are interdisciplinary connections an

opportunity for teachers to save time with their students, it is a possibility for students to dive

deeper and learn more than they would in the average time for content. Furthermore, “A variety

of curriculum areas come with the understanding that using information in a context other than

the isolated subject area in which it was presented provides an authentic context for that

information or skill” (Bunting, 2006, p. 4). To most of our students, the idea of researching

seems completely distasteful, but when they are asked to research something they had already

been studying, like the weather, they were reminded of the purpose of searching and analyzing

information in a new way.

Moreover, in an effort to build up efficient, open minded, and honoring students, teachers

must focus on teaching students beyond their classroom. Interdisciplinary curriculum allows

teachers to show that “perspectives can be brought to bear in an effort to understand most issues”

(Goldsmith, 2018, p.3). When teachers introduce science from a different perspective, other than
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simply watching the weather or tracking severe storms, the students will have a greater

perspective on the topic. More than saving time, an interdisciplinary approach will bring a

greater understanding of life to our students. In 2012, the International Baccalaureate

Organization shared benefits that the students obtain after learning from an interdisciplinary

perspective: “Develops mental flexibility that prepares students to be lifelong learners” (p. 5).

Not only does reading science in language arts give the students an opportunity to grow in their

comprehension of science, but they will begin to understand that life and learning are not meant

to be compartmentalized, but but mean to be experienced and understood in unison.

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References

Bunting, C. J. (2006). Interdisciplinary teaching through outdoor education. Champaign,

IL: Human Kinetics.

Goldsmith, A. H. (n.d.). Why Teach with an Interdisciplinary Approach?2018. Retrieved from

https://serc.carleton.edu/econ/interdisciplinary/why.html.

I. (2012). Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning[PDF]. International Baccalaureate

Organization.

V. (2010). English Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework 2010[PDF]. Richmond:

Virginia Department of Education.

V. (2010). Science Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework 2010[PDF]. Richmond:

Virginia Department of Education.