Thematic teaching

 It is a set of related learning activities and experiences that effectively support

teaching multiple content areas and skills organized around a central topic, idea, or
theme.
 is the general feature of an integrated curriculum.
 Thematic teaching starts with the identification of theme the underlying concept
that allows for the structure and organization of specific content across disciplines
Theme
 is the underlying concept that allows for the structure or organization-specific content
across disciplines.
 is the topic of interest that provides the core for group activities.
 It helps learners see meaningful connections across disciplines or learning areas
(subjects).
 More importantly themes provide relevance for the learners by drawing together
concepts under one umbrella.

Thematic learning
 often synonym with thematic instruction is an instructional method of teaching in which
emphasis is given on choosing a specific theme for teaching one or many concepts.
 It is based on integrating various information and use it to demonstrate the topic.
 Pedagogy of thematic learning is based on its exploration of broad areas in one theme.
Thematic learning is a newer concept in pedagogy.
 It is proved to be a powerful instructional method for integrating various concepts in
curriculum by daily life experiences and examples.
 It helps in promoting learning with understanding and discourage rote learning.

Examples:
 Environmental hazards, human rights violations, economic progress and the like
 These themes could also be developed in reading, language, music, physical education
and art.
 Moreover, the dynamics of interactive teaching can produce themes that are
meaningful, interesting and cohesive.

Thematic means that the same topic used to develop the teaching plan (content and instruction)
for each of the different subjects in which students are enrolled.

Presented in this unit are two models in presenting thematic units:

1. Integrated Multidisciplinary Thematic Unit
2. Integrated interdisciplinary thematic Unit

PLANNING INSTRUCTION
 A teacher must be able to plan and manage instruction based upon knowledge of
subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
 Well-planned instruction that is aligned to the content standards and needs of the
students is a teacher's most powerful tool to engage students, manage the classroom,
and improve student learning. Instructional planning always starts with the goals:
What content must be learned? What skills must be developed? What themes and concepts
must students understand?
  Using these as a baseline, the best teachers will next identify areas of strength and
weakness of incoming students, determine the interests of the class, and modify or
develop new learning experiences that fit the needs of the group.
 In class each day, a well-prepared teacher has a tentative schedule and a set of
alternative ideas that provide an opportunity to adapt in real time as needed.
 Good planning is the first step to an effective classroom, and one of the six main teacher
tasks that educators must master.
 A well-planned class reduces stress on the teacher and helps minimize disruptions.
When teachers know what they need to accomplish and how they are going to do it, they
have a better opportunity to achieve success with the added benefit of less stress.
 Additionally, when students are engaged during the entire class period, they have less
opportunity to cause disruptions. The teacher's demeanor, lesson plan quality, and
method of delivery all play into an effective day in class.

Steps for Planning Instruction

Before beginning to plan instruction, the teacher should review the state and national
standards, as well as texts and supplemental materials, to determine what concepts he must
cover over the course of the school year. He should include any required test-preparation
material. Specific steps to cover when planning instruction include:

1. Creating a personalized lesson plan calendar. This will help a teacher visualize and organize
instruction.
2. Creating detailed unit lesson plans, which should include objectives, activities, time
estimates, and required materials
3. Planning for students who might be absent during a given lesson
4. Creating assessments, including classwork, homework, and tests
5. Reviewing how the lesson or unit fits into the overall instructional plan for the school year
6. Writing a daily lesson outline and agenda. The details included will differ depending on how
detailed the teacher wishes to be. At a minimum, the teacher should have an agenda prepared
for herself and her students so that she appears organized and maintains students' interest. It is
very easy to lose student attention if the teacher has to search for a page she wants students to
read or has to fumble through a stack of papers
7. Creating and/or gathering required items ahead of time. This can include making handouts,
overheads, lecture notes, or manipulatives (learning objects, such as pennies for counting). If
the teacher plans to start each day with a warm up, then he should have this created and ready
to go. If the lesson requires a movie or item from the media center, the teacher should check out
or order the item well ahead of time

Plan for the Unexpected

 As most teachers realize, interruptions and unexpected events often occur in class. This
might range from pulled fire alarms and unexpected assemblies to illnesses and
emergencies.
 It's important to create plans that will help deal with these unexpected events.
 Create mini-lessons to help fill up any time that might be left at the end of a class period.
Even the best teachers are sometimes left with extra time. Instead of just letting students
talk, teachers can use this time for extra instruction or fun learning activities, such as
playing parts of speech bingo, reviewing upcoming calendar events, or discussing
current events.
  Emergency lesson plans are a necessity for all teachers. If the teacher cannot make it
to school because he is ill or has to deal with a last-minute emergency or family illness, a
detailed lesson plan can help the substitute continue with the planned lessons and have
a smooth day with students.
 Such lessons, combined with a substitute folder, are important to help the classroom
function smoothly in the teacher's absence

Integrated Multidisciplinary Thematic Unit

 This is a modification of the undisciplinary teaching unit which addresses a single
discipline.
 This attempts to combine two or more disciplines into one single approach. Likewise, it
draws related topics from multiple disciplines.
Example:
Topography of Cordillera Administrative Region (Geography CORE) to Ethnic Communities in
CAR (Anthropology), Governance in CAR (Political Science), Livelihood of the people in CAR
(Economics