Interdisciplinary approach to teaching

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An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationDr. Karlyn Wood Professor EmeritusSchool of EducationState University of New York College at Old Westbury Interdisciplinary InstructionPresentation 1Theory and Rationale

1CD 001Track 6BachSonata in G for Violin and ContinuoMenuet Allegro Moderato

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Education

Four Characteristics of the Interdisciplinary Approach

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationHistory Art Literacy Drama Technology Geography Economics Music Mathematics Science Dance Civics/Citizenship Other Areas Related to the Unit TopicCHARACTERISTICS OFINTERDISCIPLINARY INSTRUCTION1 STUDIES ARE TOPIC, THEME, OR PROBLEM-CENTERED.2 STUDENT DIVERSITY IS EASILY ACCOMMODATED.3. TWO OR MORE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES AND WAYS OF KNOWINGARE USED TO RESEARCH THE TOPIC, THEME, OR PROBLEM.4 EQUAL EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TO THE LEARNINGPROCESSES AND MASTERY OF CONTENT.An Interdisciplinary Approach to Education

1STUDIES ARE TOPIC, THEME,OR PROBLEM-CENTERED.

Instead of focusing on a specific subject or discipline, interdisciplinary instruction beginswith the selection of a topic, theme, or real life problem in an academic discipline.An Interdisciplinary Approach to Education

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationState education department curriculum guides help teachers select topics, themes, and problems to teach at each grade level.

FamiliesFriendsOur School Neighborhood World Communities

The Amazon River Basin Rainforests Ancient Greece Mediterranean Lands

The Civil War The American Revolution The Great DepressionTypical TopicsCentral AmericaAnimal LifeOur CommunityAfrica


An Interdisciplinary Approach to Education 2STUDENT DIVERSITY IS EASILY ACCOMMODATEDThe interdisciplinary approach providesopportunities for students to learn in ways that are best for them. These include a variety of learning and reporting options.WRITINGPANELSDRAWINGSPROJECTSORAL REPORTS others

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationMaking decisions about what should be studied about a topic and. . .

Suggesting the questions for their research.Students are involved in:

3TWO OR MORE ACADEMIC DISCIPLINES AND WAYSOF KNOWING ARE USED TO RESEARCH THETOPIC, THEME, OR PROBLEM.An Interdisciplinary Approach to Educationanthropologycivicseconomicsgeographyhistorylanguage arts & literaturemathematicsperforming artspolitical sciencepsychologysociologytechnology visual arts (and others)

Academic Disciplines.

Ways of Knowing

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Educationdirect and indirect observationanalysis of resources and problemsstudy, creation, and analysis of mapsexploration of materialsscientific experimentationhistorical inquirysurveysraising questionsstudy of original documents analysis of relationships among people and governmentdiscovery learningreflectioncase studies (and others)

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationOther Areas That MayBe Included in a Unitcareer educationconsumerismcurrent eventsecologyglobal issueshealth issuesthe futurehuman rights issuesmulticultural issuessubstance abusevalues clarification

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationProjects & Activitiesconstructionsdemonstrationsdioramaspuppet showsfield tripsinternet searchesweb crawlspanel discussionsmuralspresentations oral and written reportsresearch creative writing skills lessonsmultimedia programs (and others)

4EQUAL EMPHASIS IS GIVEN TOTHE LEARNING PROCESSES ANDMASTERY OF CONTENT.

Learning Processes


the scientific methodresearch processesbrainstormingcooperative learningrole playingstudy groups and others

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationSummary Interdisciplinary Instruction: Is topic-centered.

Uses any disciplines and ways of knowing that inform the questions of a study. Accommodates student diversity by providing for the differentiation of student investigating and reporting techniques.

Emphasizes mastery of the learning processes as well as the content to be learned.


Support for the Interdisciplinary Approach

Learning theories and constructs supporting the interdisciplinary approach include those of a number of recognized specialists.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationTheory: Piaget described the thinking of young children as centered.

In a young childs mind, isolated concepts and information tend to remain unrelated to their previous fund of knowledge.Interdisciplinary studies help young students to note relationships between their previous knowledge and the concepts in topics and problems they study.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationTheory: Vygotsky and Piaget both emphasized the importance of students social interaction in learning. Research CommitteesPeer TeamsInterdisciplinary instruction provides many opportunities for students to work together cooperatively.Zone of Proximal DevelopmentScaffolding

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationTheory: Sternberg suggested that because students learn in a variety of ways, teachers need to differentiate their instruction.Interdisciplinary studies provide for the differentiation of instruction and student reporting options.

Today, this is of particular importance for inclusion.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to Educationlinguisticlogical-mathematicalspatialmusicalinterpersonalintrapersonalbodily-kinestheticnaturalistexistentialTheory: Howard Gardner recommends that students need opportunities to learn and to show what they have learned using their multiple intelligences.The interdisciplinary method offers students opportunities to make use of their individual learning abilities.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationHuman brain research indicates that the brain processes information more efficiently when presented with holistic, interdisciplinary studies.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationSkills: Students often have difficulty learning skills taught and practiced in isolation.reading for informationthe research processwriting reports computationoral reportspanel discussionscharts and graphsdesigning art and other projects (and others)Many academic skills can be taught and practiced in the meaningful context of an interdisciplinary study.a + b = ca = 3b = 2

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationSources: A single source, such as use of only one textbook, is inadequate for a comprehensive study.booksthe internetnewspapersmagazinesinterviewsfield tripsvideosvideo presentations (and others)Interdisciplinary studies require students to use multiple sources.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationMake it possible for young studentswhose thinking tends to be centeredto process information more accurately and effectively. Foster social opportunities for students to interact with one another and to work together cooperatively.Summary of the Rationale for Usingan Interdisciplinary Approach Interdisciplinary instruction and constructivist methods:

Provide a meaningful context for teaching and practicing academic skills. Make use of multiple sources of information. Respond to core curriculum standards by stimulating critical thinking, questioning, and the search for supportive evidence.


Provide for the differentiation of instruction. Offer opportunities for students to work in all multiple intelligence areas. Include holistic studies for more efficient processing in the human brain.



Interdisciplinary instruction involves several special requirements of teachers.

A compatible, constructivist, philosophy.

Knowledge of child development and learning theory.

A good fund of general knowledge.

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationInterdisciplinary teachers need to have:

Good classroom management skills.

Skills in planning lessons as well as interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary units.

The ability to work collaboratively with other teachers and specialists.


Dr. Karlyn Wood Professor EmeritusSchool of EducationState University of New York College at Old Westbury

An Interdisciplinary Approach to EducationENDInterdisciplinary InstructionPresentation 1Theory and Rationale Wood, K. E. (2015).Interdisciplinary Instruction: Unit and Lesson Planning Strategies K-8 (5th ed.). Lake Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

https://www.wavelandpress.com