23
National Parks: The Ultimate Cross Curricular Experience
by
Ann Powell-Brown
Matthew Hunter
by
“ The term integrated curriculum, or any of its synonyms mentioned previously, refers to a way of teaching and a way of planning and organizing the instructional program so the discrete disciplines of subject matter are interrelated in a design that (1) matches the developmental needs of the learners and (2) helps connect the students' learning in ways that are meaningful to their current and past experiences. In that respect, integrated curriculum is the antithesis of traditional, disparate, subject-matter-oriented teaching and curriculum designations.”
Along with the work of Robert and Kellough I also drew on the work of Jacobs (1989) to design my unit. Jacobs describes a continuum of options for content design. Programs range from a strict discipline program, where each academic is taught separately to a complete curriculum integration in which students guide and design the curriculum. The project I designed would be considered an interdisciplinary unit because it was implemented for a set amount of time, separated from the traditional curriculum. According to Jacobs (1989) the advantage to this model is it deliberately brings together multiple disciplines in the curriculum. I also chose this model because it fit well with our end of year schedule and could be modified as instruction commenced to fit the needs of my students.
Conclusion
Most of all this project applies the skills the students learned throughout the year in reading and writing. Students are required to read and comprehend complex texts, with domain-specific vocabulary, summarize what they have read, use the research and writing process to construct an informative essay, and create a presentation to share their knowledge.
This project was an opportunity to combine two of my passions, National Parks and education. Routman (2003) emphasizes building relationships with students through personal stories. This project allowed me to share many stories, pictures, and information about my visits to National Parks. I was also able to learn about the parks I have not visited.
Overall this was a wonderful project to finish out the year. The students were consistently engaged, asked meaningful questions, and applied skills that we have been working on all year. My hope is each student has newfound respect and appreciation for the National Parks and will make an effort to visit at least one park in his/her lifetime.
.
References
Jacobs, H.H. (Eds.).(1989) Design Options for an Integrated Curriculum. In Interdisciplinary Curriculum (pp. 13-20). Association of Supervision and Curriculum.
Oswald, M. J. (2012). Your guide to the national parks: The complete guide to all 59 National Parks. Whitelaw, WI: Stone Road Press.
NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nps.gov/
(n.d.). Retrieved from https://maps.google.com/
Roberts, P., & Kellough, R. D. (2008). A guide for developing interdisciplinary thematic units (4th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Routman, R. (2003). Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well. Heinemann.
Matthew Hunter teaches elementary school in Rangely, Colorado. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico and a Master of Science in Elementary Education with an emphasis in curriculum and instruction. Professionally Matthew is interested in rural education solutions, specifically the role of community, and equity within rural schools.
.
Figure 1