Running Head: THE INTERDISCIPLINARY CURRICULUM 1
The Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Ian Ross
Franciscan University of Steubenville
EDU – 360
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Review of Literature
In the middle school years, students face a unique set of circumstances. They have to be
educated during a time when they are undergoing physical, emotional, and social changes. They
are also in search of the establishment of their identity, and this period of time makes the process
especially unique. Middle schoolers are learning about social loyalty, self-identification, and
about the world at large (George & Alexander, 2003). To go through this while also undergoing
physical and emotional development can be a daunting task and bring many difficulties, but it
can also be a very fruitful experience given the right circumstances. Teachers of middle school
students have the responsibility to help them navigate this time period in a way that not only
educates them academically but helps them also proceed toward their identity achievement. A
tool that can be extremely beneficial for this is the interdisciplinary curriculum.
The interdisciplinary curriculum is created from three main sources: student interests,
curriculum standards, and adult concerns (George & Alexander, 2003). These three sources
directly address the aforementioned concerns of middle school education. Students are on a
search for identity, and when an integrated curriculum is drawn from their interests, students gain
the possibility to have learning experience both in school and in the real world (Senn,
McMurtrie, & Coleman, 2019). With this increased opportunity, students are able to filter out
what they want to pursue, and what is no longer interesting to them. For this reason, it is
essential that learning content is relatable to students in order to make the learning experience
meaningful for them (Senn, McMurtrie, & Coleman, 2019). Students are also more motivated to
participate and engage when the curriculum is formed according to their interests (George &
Alexander, 2003).
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The other two sources of the interdisciplinary curriculum, adult concerns and curriculum
standards also help students to navigate their identity formation. As mentioned, students are
experiencing questions in loyalty and relationships with others, and this includes adults. When
adult concerns are addressed in the integrated curriculum, the students receive instruction that is
related to their own concern about the world at large, especially because they share common
concerns with adults (George & Alexander, 2003). Curriculum standards provide the framework
on which to build this interdisciplinary curriculum. It is necessary for the integrated program to
be grounded in the standards because they are government mandated and the students still have
academic benchmarks they need to reach in order to be prepared for life in society (George &
Alexander, 2003).
There are multiple approaches to the interdisciplinary curriculum. Real-Life Scenario
Thematics (RLST) is a fully integrated approach where the entire curriculum is fully integrated
to student interests in the form of themes (George & Alexander, 2003). For example, some
schools create a monthly theme, where the academic content is standard based, but tailored to
relate to topics students find interesting. A thematic unit for the month, for example, could be a
commonly enjoyed food or treat. The academic content would come from subjects like
chemistry, history, and business (George & Alexander, 2003). This is an example of delivering
standards-based content under a context that students find interesting, and that according to
Senn, McMurtrie, and Coleman (2019), is essential to an integrated curriculum because it
provides students with information that is exploratory and relevant to them. Under this model,
the content areas that can be boring when delivered in a departmentalized fashion take on a new,
more acceptable form. There are also many variations of this full integration, but they all rest on
the thematic scenarios mentioned.
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Cross-curricular models are another approach to the interdisciplinary curriculum. In this
approach, students are given the opportunity to explore topics which are related by multiple
content areas (Senn, McMurtrie, & Coleman, 2019). In an example of this approach, the last
segment of the school year is formed into little workshops, where students get to engage in real-
life scenarios through the content they are learning. Students are more engaged in this because
they know they still receive credit during this time, they are allowed to select which workshops
they want to participate in, and the content of the workshops allows them to translate their
classroom knowledge to the real world (George & Alexander, 2003).
Curriculum streams are a third type of interdisciplinary approach. In a curriculum
stream, a group of students and teachers are paired together for an extended period of time to
learn under one theme (George & Alexander, 2003). Students are allowed to pick which themes
they want to participate in, which is reflective of one of the sources the curriculum should be
drawn from, student interest. An implication of this is that students are learning based on what
their interests are, not how many years of schooling they have completed, so the ages of the
students in the unit often vary. Students participating in curriculum stream learning also learn
responsibility for their own learning, and technology access and integration is an important part
of this (George & Alexander, 2003).
Thus far, different types of integrated programs have been examined and research
supports the benefits of implementing these types of approaches in middle schools. Students
appreciate the value of integrated programs. They increasingly understand the process and as
they move forward through middle school they think with metacognition and their own learning
is enhanced (Brinegar & Bishop, 2011). Brinegar and Bishop (2011) implemented a study to
find these responses. Among those responses, were detailed accounts from middle schoolers that
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stated they saw the experience as extremely beneficial in helping them transition into high school
(Brinegar & Bishop, 2011). Other benefits their research shed light on were depth of content
knowledge, social relationships, and content being student-centered (Brinegar & Bishop, 2011).
These last three benefits tie into the original point about the sources an integrated curriculum
should be drawn from. For a student to benefit in depth of content knowledge means that
standards are being met, a source of interdisciplinary programs. Social relationship benefits tie
into adult concerns, another source of interdisciplinary programs. Student input also matches the
third source, student interests (George & Alexander, 2003). This evidence from a research study
directly implicates the effectiveness and benefit of establishing these integrated programs in
middle schools.
This review of literature has discussed the interdisciplinary curriculum; what it is,
different types, its pedagogical appropriateness, and evidence-based benefits of its implication in
middle schools. Students of middle school age have unique needs as they form their identity that
a properly implemented interdisciplinary curriculum can meet. These programs offer students
the opportunity to develop their relationships with others and the world as they pursue their own
interests while learning content that is grounded in the standards. Evidence shows the efficacy of
these programs as well as the benefits they offer to middle school students. A properly
implemented program has enormous potential and therefore should be considered whenever
possible.
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References
Brinegar, K. & Bishop, P. A. (2011). Student learning and engagement in the context of
curriculum integration. Middle Grades Research Journal, 6(4), 207-222.
George, P. S., & Alexander, W. M. (2003). The exemplary middle school (3rd ed.). Australia:
Thomson/Wadsworth.
Senn, G., McMurtrie, D., & Coleman, B. (2019). Collaboration in the middle: Teachers in
interdisciplinary planning. Current Issues in Middle Level Education, 24(1). Retrieved
from https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/cimle/vol24/iss1/6/
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Cross-Curricular Workshop Models
Workshop 1: Mapping Out Life
Content Area Learning Standards Topics/Concept Formative Summative
Objectives s/ Assessment Assessment
Activities
Science Students will Ohio 6th grade -Discussions -Evaluate Students draw a
learn the science: 6.LS.1: about how body Discussion of detailed map of a
different parts of Cells are the functions as a students and ask cell they with
a cell and their fundamental unit system to live questions labels and
jobs. of life -Drama -Help students descriptions
representation of during drama
cell parts representation
-Cell organelle
presentations
-Microscope
activity
Social Studies Students will Ohio Social -Different types -Ask how we can -Students draw a
learn how to use Studies: of maps use maps and detailed map of
tools to draw Geography 3. presentation by map concepts in their drive to
more detailed Geographic tools teacher other content school.
map. can be used to -Discussion areas.
gather, process about which -Students plot
Students will and report maps to use for where map
learn what information what purposes. destinations
information to about people, -Scale activity approximately
include and places and lie when teachers
leave out environments. use estimated
depending on Cartographers distances and
what type of map decide which direction.
they draw. information to
include and how
it is displayed.
Workshop 2: Money Mathematics
Content Area Learning Standards Topics/Concept Formative Summative
Objectives s/ Assessment Assessment
Activities
Math Students will CCSS: 4th -Adding and -Partner Worksheet to
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learn to do Grade Math subtracting with problems to take home and
transactions with Standard 2: decimals. work out with complete
money. Measurement -Activities with each other independently.
and Data – money and
Solve real-world change.
problems
including money
time and metric
measurement.
Social Studies Students will Ohio 4th grade -Presentation on Evaluate how Create a timeline
learn about the SS: Events in inventions from students with 5 big
history of the local history can Ohio with focus complete moments from
inventions of be shown on on cash register. timeline activity, student’s own
Ohio and timelines -Timeline ask questions. life and present
focusing on the organized by activity of to class.
cash register. years, decades invention
and centuries. “birthdays.”
Workshop 3: Music and the Art of Writing
Content Area Learning Standards Topics/Concept Formative Summative
Objectives s/ Assessment Assessment
Activities
English Students will CCSS.ELA- Different styles Matching Write ½-1 page
learn to write an LITERACY.W. of text: activities in class autobiography
auto biography. 4.3 – 4th Grade biography, auto with different about a
Write narratives biography, story, styles of text, composer
to develop real or informational, listen to learned about in
imagined diary, etc. student’s the workshop.
experiences or explanations of
events using Bring a book to text styles.
effective class given by
technique, parents and
descriptive identify what
details, and clear kind of text it is.
event sequences.
Music Students will Content Presentation of 3 Observe students Students present
learn about Standard: famous as they talk their favorite
famous Understanding composers. about music type of music
composers. music in relation styles and culture and where it
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to history and Talk about to gauge originated, with
culture musical origins understanding. a small clip of
and which are the music.
native to
America.
Listen to
appropriate
music during
class.
Workshop 4: Language and the Wonders of the World
Content Area Learning Standards Topics/Concept Formative Summative
Objectives s/ Assessment Assessment
Activities
Geography Students will Ohio 4th Grade Cardinal Pay attention to Draw a map of
pick a country Social Studies 9: directions, students the world and
anywhere in the A map scale and hemispheres. understanding of plot the country
world and know cardinal and direction, a student chooses
its characteristics intermediate Talk about a flashcards to to present on,
as well as directions can be place student has answer and give an oral
describe where it used to describe visited and directional presentation.
lies on the map, the relative where it would questions.
and how to read location of be in relation to
a map and physical and Ohio.
compass. human
characteristics of
Ohio and the
United States
Language Arts Students will CCSS: Grade 4: Proper nouns, Focus on the Write a ½-one
learn how to ELA 2 – vocabulary correction page description
properly use Demonstrate words from activities, of the country
punctuation, command of the geography providing extra they presented
capitalization, convention of lessons, attention to on.
and spelling standard English, students who
when writing. capitalization Finding what is struggle.
and spelling wrong with a
when writing. sentence and
correcting it.
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Parent Letter
Greetings to all of our parents!
I wanted to take a moment to share with you my plans for our classroom this period! We
are going to begin working on cross-curricular programs together. First, let me take a moment to
explain. A cross-curricular program is a workshop where we will take two content areas and
combine them into the same learning experience. I want to do this so your kids can have a
meaningful learning experience and change the routine of learning the same thing in the same
way. But don’t worry, the same learning objectives will still be met on the same timetable! We
are just taking a new approach to spice it up for the kids in the classroom. Below is an
explanation of exactly what workshops we will be doing.
Workshop 1: Mapping Out Life
In this workshop we will be combining social studies and science. The social studies aspect will
focus on maps. We will learn how to read them and about the different types of maps. We will
also be learning how to draw them! Meanwhile, we will be combining this with our science
topic which is about cell structure and the different parts that make up a living cell. Between
learning about maps and cells, I want our kids to make a map of the cell structure to see how
different content areas influence each other!
Workshop 2: Money Mathematics
This workshop will focus again on social studies but with mathematics. Since we live in Ohio, I
wanted us to learn a little bit more about what makes our state special, mainly the big inventions
that we see every day that were created here! At the same time, our students will be learning
about decimals and how to do problems with money. Little did some of us know, the cash
register was invented here!
Workshop 3: Music and the Art of Writing
During this workshop, we will be visiting some of the classics, a lot of which inspired a lot of the
music our kids love today! We will learn about different composers and the kids will even get to
share some of their own favorite music with the class! Meanwhile, in Language Arts we will be
learning about the different types of text and focusing on autobiographies. The students will pick
a composer or musician and write an autobiography as if they were the composer themselves!
Workshop 4: Language and the Wonders of the World
For this last workshop, we will be focusing on grammar and the different countries of the world.
Our students from diverse backgrounds will have a lot to share and teach us in this unit! We will
be focusing on proper grammar and punctuation, and students will get to pick a country of their
choosing to learn more about and practice their grammar with as they write about it!
When we begin these workshops, I hope you all feel absolutely free to call me with any
questions or to offer any advice. I want this experience to be as meaningful as possible for my
students and your children. Please don’t hesitate to contact me for anything, and if you also feel
you have something to contribute or wish to volunteer at any point to help in the classroom
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please reach out! The students will love it! I hope this letter finds you all well and have a
wonderful day!
Donald I Ross
