Running head: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY 1

Content Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Curriculum

Lisa Crider

Regent University

In partial fulfillment of requirements of UED 495, Fall 2020

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Introduction

In the ongoing teaching and learning cycle, standard-based instructional practices can be

a valuable pathway towards ensuring students learn the district's standards, concepts, and skills.

Effective educators also need to demonstrate strong content knowledge when creating learning

experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful and engaging. Using the

backward design method, I can combine these elements by selecting and incorporating cross-

curricular materials, resources, and instructional strategies to meet and support students'

achievement. To highlight this competency, I have chosen to present two interdisciplinary

lessons that demonstrate the use of standards-aligned integrated content to teach and reinforce

the Virginia Standards of Learning.

The Rationale for Selection of Artifacts

My first artifact is a Virginia Studies lesson plan that includes an American Revolution

research project. Students were asked to choose one famous Virginian to research, write, and

present to the unit. As an extension, students worked during their Language Arts block to write,

edit, and revise their biographies (ELA 5.8). The assignment also tasked students with creating a

visual component for their research projects. They chose to create posters, slides, and one student

used Scratch to code a representation of their famous Virginian. Students were encouraged to be

creative and spent time in class, learning how to use notecards to deliver an oral presentation.

Meeting the English standard, ELA 5.9, these research projects allowed students to understand

how ideas can be best organized and delivered for an effective presentation (VDOE, 2015).

Through this ELA integration, I met and built upon multiple Virginia Studies and Language Arts

objectives.
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My second artifact is a math lesson plan centered around the VA SOL Math Standard

5.10. This lesson was designed to teach students how to identify and describe the diameter,

radius, chord, and circumference of a circle (VDOE, 2017). In this math lesson, I used the Sir

Cuference fictional series by Cindy Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan to introduce parts of a

circle and reinforce student understanding of how a circle's circumference is calculated. After the

Read-Aloud, students dissected the story's characters, which led to concrete knowledge of

mathematical vocabulary by visualizing a circle's circumference (ELA 5.4). Finally, throughout

the Read Aloud and guided practice, I offered multiple opportunities for student discussion using

Think-Pair-Share and other collaborative tools. This integration of ELA was an easy yet efficient

way to build reading comprehension and mathematical vocabulary and bring a higher

engagement level to a math lesson.

Reflection on Theory and Practice

In its broadest sense, curriculum integration incorporates not just the interlacing of

subjects (e.g., science and social studies) but of any curriculum elements (e.g., skills and content)

that might be taught more effectively with each other than separately (Javid, 2017). A successful

curriculum begins when instructional content is aligned with state standards and builds on

students' prior knowledge. Through alignment, interdisciplinary instruction "strengthens skills

that students encounter in one content area, but also practice in another, such as reading and

writing, and it can lead to the mastery of those skills" (Ackerman, 2004).

In my experience, the use of interdisciplinary lessons increases the allotment of time for

teaching, learning, and skill-building on each learning objective. For example, in the Virginia

Studies lesson plan, students learned how to research and write biographies. This also allowed

students to practice writing skills such as punctuation, drafting, and editing. Furthermore,
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integrated instruction empowers students to achieve higher critical thinking levels while also

developing their collaboration skills. Standard-based, interdisciplinary lessons allow teachers to

balance direct instruction with constructive activities and centers while engaging students with

inquiry-based discussions. Finally, when functional, thematic units and Problem-Based Learning

increase engagement and allow students to learn concepts in a real-world format, instead of

isolation.
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References

Ackerman, D. (2004). What Is integrated curriculum? Retrieved from

http://www.Ascd.Org/Publications/Books/103011/Chapters/What-Is-Integrated-

Curriculum/

Javid, A. (2017, August 10). Improve your school's approach to cross-curricular collaboration.

Retrieved from https://Blog.Thinkcerca.Com/Improve-Your-Schools-Approach-to-Cross-

Curricular-Collaboration/

Virginia Department of Education (2015). Fifth Grade: Virginia Studies Curriculum Framework.

Retrieved from

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/frameworks/history_socialscience_framewks/20

15/framewks-2015-hss-virginia-studies.docx

Virginia Department of Education (2017). Fifth Grade: English Curriculum Framework.

Retrieved from

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/english/2017/cf/english-cf-

2017.docx
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Artifact 1: ELA integration: Virginia Studies research project

Artifact 2: Sir Cumference is a series of children's educational books about math by Cindy
Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan.