This image by Mark Springer nicely shows a curriculum continuum.<\/p>\n
At the left end of the continuum is our most traditional middle school curriculum model.<\/p>\n
And that’s where subjects are separated. They’re taught separately and have separate curriculum. It’s a middle school where students spend their days moving through 4-6 different subjects that are very discrete and separate.<\/p>\n Next along the continuum, interdisciplinary and integrated curriculum bring some sort of connection between each class. They bring cohesion around what a student learns.<\/p>\n And then at the far right end of the continuum, students don\u2019t experience separate classes. Instead, teachers and students together negotiate themes. That\u2019s a high degree of integration. In a typical interdisciplinary or integrated scenario, the teachers on that team or house within the middle school choose to teach their subjects around a common topic or theme.<\/p>\n They might even design a set of guiding questions that will drive the student inquiry and learning.<\/p>\n An interdisciplinary or integrated unit theme usually names a topic that transcends discipline and content. This article by Nancy Doda and Mark Springer<\/a> \u00a0goes into more detail about the power of thematic teaching and learning.<\/p>\n Unit themes should:<\/p>\n Integrated units usually have 2-3 guiding questions that drive the teaching and learning. And these guiding questions can also be called focusing questions. This resource What Is a Good Guiding Question?<\/a>\u00a0Can help teachers learn how to hone questions.<\/p>\n When we integrate curriculum, teachers work together to design curriculum around a common theme or topic. As a result, students are most likely to make connections. It’s how they see the real-world relevance to their learning. Now, if the unit also provides students with clear and easy guiding questions that cross curriculum? Then the student is more likely to be clear about what they are learning.<\/p>\n In a nutshell, the theme and topic should ground the teaching and learning. It should provide that significance and meaning for the student. In this unusual time – when many of our \u201cnormal\u201d practices are disruptive, students need continuity. More than ever, students need to see the connections between what they are learning in school and what they know about the world around them.<\/p>\n In Randolph Union High School, in Randolph VT, the middle school team completely transformed their approach to curriculum. They decided to dip a toe into integrated curriculum, by having their whole middle school team design a unit on clean water.<\/a> Science, Social Studies, English and Math. In every class, students took a new angle on the work they’d just done in the last class. Additionally, the team used Google Classroom and hyperdocs to track student work and make adjustments to upcoming lessons based on the outcome of the previous lessons — even in another content area.<\/p>\n That, my friends? That is truly responsive teaching.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, down in Londonderry, VT, Charlie Herzog, at the Flood Brook School, has been using integrated curriculum for years. He incorporates a powerful and direct student feedback loop, to make sure students enjoy the work. As a result of recent feedback, Charlie made project-based learning more central to his integrated curriculum, to see how students responded. Turns out: they LOVED IT.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n Our 2nd Integrated Studies Exhibition #floodbrook<\/a> #vted<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/lk9fGs0LmI<\/a><\/p>\n — Charles Herzog (@PJ_Vermont) March 8, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nWhat do themes look like?<\/h3>\n
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And how do guiding questions fit in?
\n<\/strong><\/h3>\nGuiding questions:<\/h4>\n
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Here are some sample guiding questions:<\/h4>\n
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Why is curriculum integration needed now?<\/h4>\n
Integrated and\u00a0interdisciplinary curriculum is not new. And there are many amazing examples around us.<\/h3>\n
![\"integrated](\"https:\/\/tiie.w3.uvm.edu\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Screen-Shot-2020-06-06-at-8.18.41-AM-1024x1002.png\")
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