Running head: INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECT

Interdisciplinary Project

Real Life Scenario Thematic Model

Theresa Moore

October 28, 2018

EDU 360 OL
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When students receive knowledge, they need to also be given the ability to apply that

knowledge to the real world. Students learn in the classroom in order to learn about the world

around them and to develop as a whole person. According to Karakus & Uyar (2018)

“Educators aim to gain students skills and topics related to real life” (2018). If students are

learning information, but are unable to apply it to real life scenarios, than the goal of learning is

not being achieved. This is why the interdisciplinary approach is so beneficial for students.

The interdisciplinary approach “integrates two or more subject areas into a meaningful

association to enhance and enrich learning within each subject area” (You, 2017). In this

approach, content areas “team up” in order to make each one better individually. The content

areas compliment one another when the information is taught in more areas than one. This

brings multiple perspectives and displays the content in different ways.

The interdisciplinary approach is a concept that was used by philosopher Jean Rousseau

to make children’s knowledge more unified (You, 2017). This gives learning a more holistic

perspective which should be the aim of the teacher. When learning is unified, students are better

able to apply it to other things. This makes learning more applicable to everyday life and thus,

more meaningful to the student.

There are three learning goals of the interdisciplinary approach: knowing how to apply

knowledge to other situations, cross-linked and scientific knowledge, and knowing how to act

(Spintzyk, Strehlke, Ohlberger, Gröben, & Wegner, 2016). When students learn how to connect

knowledge across content areas, it makes it easier for them to connect that same knowledge to

the real world. When students use one skill that they learned in a specific content area, and then

use that same skill in a different way in another content area, they are truly becoming
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well-rounded learners. They can then, apply it to the way that they act and to their situations in

life.

That is why the Real Life Scenario Thematic Model is so beneficial when executing the

interdisciplinary approach. In this model, themes are chosen across the four content areas of

language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Two themes are chosen for the academic

year and are integrated into each of these content areas in order to promote multiple learning

outcomes. Students are able to make connections of what they are learning across the content

areas. They take what they have learned about the theme in one content area, and can apply it to

another. This helps to solidify the information that is learned.

In a traditional setting, contents are taught separately, having no connections supporting

one another. Students learn one thing and then “switch gears” in order to learn the next. This

setting is where teachers often hear the question that is too often asked: “When am I gonna use

this in real life?!” When students see that knowledge can be connected to other content areas,

they can see that it can be connected to real life scenarios as well.

The Interdisciplinary approach is very beneficial for students holistic learning. Students

are able to maximize their learning by applying it to more areas than one. If students are given

this opportunity in the classroom, they will be equipped to do so in the real world as well. The

Real Life Thematic Approach is an effective way of implementing the Interdisciplinary approach

because one common theme being taught across the four content areas makes knowledge

connection an everyday task that students achieve. The more this is done, the more meaningful

of an experience students will have in the learning environment.

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References

Karakuş, M. & Uyar M. Y. (2018). The implementation and evaluation of an instructional

designed based on the interdisciplinary approach: conscious consumer education. ​Journal

of Education and Learning. ​7(2), 65-75.

Spintzyk, K., Strehlke, F., Ohlberger, S., Gröben, B., & Wegner, C. (2016). An empirical study

investigating interdisciplinary teaching of biology and physical education. ​Science

Educator.​ 25,(1), 35-42.

You, H.S. (2017). Why teach science with an interdisciplinary approach: history, trends, and

conceptual frameworks. ​Journal of Education and Learning. (​ 6)4, 66-77.

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Dear Parents/Guardians,

I am so excited to start this school year with you! 6th grade is going to be full of lots of

learning, exploration, fun, and community! However, none of this is possible without all of your

help! I am a strong believer in the importance of a connected community in the learning

environment. Therefore, I wanted to introduce to you what will be going on in our classroom

this year!

The year will be divided into two themes: “Nature” and “Around the World”. We will be

exploring both themes across the content areas of Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social

Studies. In our first theme, students will use their creativity to come up with their own ideas on

how to reduce pollution and will create a presentation on it. They will learn how to graph

amounts of snowfall around the country, how to conduct experiments by performing one on the

changing colors of leaves, and discover the symbolism of nature through the analyzation of

poetry. Families and neighbors are all invited to come to the school on November 25th at 7pm to

view the presentations students will be making on their ideas to reduce pollution! More

information to come!

In our second theme, the student’s trip around the world begins with the reading of

Around the World in 80 Days​ by Jules Verne. Students will learn of many cultures through the

eyes of the characters. They will complete a small booklet of descriptions of cultures of their

choosing, write a compare and contrast essay on an assigned culture, graph distances between

two places on a grid, and display the differences in weather around the world using a scientific

graph.
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There are many academic skills necessary for a child’s development that can be taught

through the use of these themes. By having a united theme across the content areas, students are

better able to make connections for a more real-life learning experience. If you have any

questions now or throughout the school year, please do not hesitate to ask. The best ways to

contact me are through email, phone calls, or scheduling a time to meet. I am happy to help.

Like I said, I am a strong believer in the importance of community, so don’t be a stranger!

Sincerely,

Ms. Theresa Moore

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Theme: Nature

Content Area Standards Evidence of Formative Summative

Understanding Assessment Assessment

Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LIT Students will Students will be Students will

ERACY.RL.6.2 read a collection given prompts to write their own
Determine a of poems about lead the class poem about
theme or central nature and will discussion. The nature. They
idea of a text and be split into teacher will be must use
how it is groups where circulating the symbolism of
conveyed they will be room to nature in their
through discussing the formatively writings.
particular symbolism of assess that they
details; provide a nature in the are making
summary of the poems. Students connections of
text distinct from will show their the symbolism in
personal understanding by the nature.
opinions or making an effort
judgments. to find
symbolism used
in the nature.

Math CCSS.MATH.C Students will Students will Students will

ONTENT.6.SP. create help the teacher hand in the
B.4 histograms to create an histograms that
Display plotting the example of a they created for
numerical data amount of histogram on the a grade.
in plots on a snowfall in board by
number line, inches in 5 volunteering to
including dot different states. answer
plots, They will questions.
histograms, and demonstrate
box plots. knowledge by
correctly
labeling the
histogram that is
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fitting to the
scenario given.

Science CCSS.ELA-LIT Students will Students will be Students will be

ERACY.RST.6- complete an formatively assessed
8.3 experiment that assessed by summatively by
Follow precisely demonstrates completing each handing in lab
a multistep why leaves step of the notebooks
procedure when change color. process. containing
carrying out Students will illustrations of
experiments, show their their experiment
taking understanding by as well as a
measurements, completing the reflection on the
or performing experiment results.
technical tasks. correctly through
receiving the
desired results. If
the students did
not get the same
results as the
their classmates,
they likely did
not follow the
steps of the
experiment
correctly.

Social Studies CCSS.ELA-LIT Students will Students will There will be a

ERACY.RH.6-8. read an article on gradually turn in visual display
7 the effects of short reflections created by the
Integrate visual pollution. In of their findings pair of students.
information pairs, they will each week This can be done
(e.g., in charts, demonstrate leading up to the through poster
graphs, their knowledge final boards, models,
photographs, by taking what presentation. tri-fold poster
videos, or maps) they have read boards,
with other and applying it powerpoint, etc.
information in to their own
print and digital ideas on how to
texts. limit pollution.
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Theme: Around the World

Content Area Standards Evidence of Formative Summative

Understanding Assessment Assessment

Language Arts CCSS.ELA-LIT Students will be Awareness of Students will

ERACY.WHST. reading ​Around the multiple each be assigned
6-8.6 the World in 80 countries visited a culture. They
Use technology, Days​ throughout will be evident will find five
including the the semester. through facts about how
Internet, to They will comprehension the culture is the
produce and demonstrate strategies used at same and how it
publish writing their knowledge the end of each differs from their
and present the by making key chapter. own. They will
relationships observations of construct a
between the various compare and
information and cultures visited contrast essay on
ideas clearly and by the this topic.
efficiently. characters.

Math CCSS.MATH.C Knowledge will Students will be Students will be

ONTENT.6.NS. be shown given examples given a test in
C.8 through and practice which they have
Solve real-world understanding sheets of to graph points
and that the distance graphing points on a plane
mathematical between points on a plane, each
problems by on a plane can problem being
graphing points be representative given as if the
in all four of distance points are places
quadrants of the between two on a map.
coordinate plane. places.
Include use of
coordinates and
absolute value to
find distances
between points
with the same
first coordinate
or the same
second
coordinate.

Science CCSS.ELA-LIT Students will Students will Students will

ERACY.RST.6- demonstrate compare and turn in their
8.4 understanding of contrast climates graph for a final
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Determine the the difference in around the world grade.

meaning of climate around by researching
symbols, key the world the temperatures
terms, and other through the of 8 given cities
domain-specific creation of a across the globe
words and graph. and creating a
phrases as they graph to show
are used in a the comparison.
specific
scientific or
technical context
relevant to
grades 6-8 texts
and topics.​
CCSS.ELA-LIT
ERACY.RST.6-
8.7
Integrate
quantitative or
technical
information
expressed in
words in a text
with a version of
that information
expressed
visually (e.g., in
a flowchart,
diagram, model,
graph, or table).

Social Studies CCSS.ELA-LIT Student Students will The students will

ERACY.RH.6-8. understanding choose five collect all five
7 will be shown countries that pages of the
through the were visited by cultures they
Integrate visual ability to the characters in have created
information identify the story. They over the
(e.g., in charts, differences in will research the semester. They
graphs, culture through culture, giving a will put them
photographs, the experiences one page together to
videos, or maps) the characters descriptive create a booklet.
with other went through. writing piece of
information in the culture with
print and digital pictures
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texts. included.