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Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Rachel Chadwick
Regent University

In partial fulfillment of UED 496 Field Experience ePortfolio, Spring 2015

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Introduction
In interdisciplinary teaching, educators apply a wide range of curriculum
experiences into one area of study. These methods work to create connections between
traditionally separate academic disciplines, including science, language arts, social
studies, and math. Interdisciplinary learning is beneficial in the early grades in order to
provide authentic experiences in more than one content area. The following artifacts
demonstrate my integration in the classroom, specifically as it relates to math and science
in the language arts curriculum.
Rationale
The first artifact I selected is a section from students Me on the Map social
studies packet that had students developing a geographic awareness with maps. In it,
they explored the concept that a map is a drawing of a place from above that can be used
to represent the places we know and live. Students were able to identify their continent,
country, state, city, and state capitol on a map. Also in this packet was the opportunity for
students to write their address, both street name and house number. This was not only a
practical application of the social studies objective, but it built on students awareness of
recognizing and writing their printed address. By the end of kindergarten, students are
required to know their full name, birthday, and address, and this activity seamlessly
incorporated practice of this with a social studies standard on reading maps. Each student
was given an index card with his or her full name and address printed on it, and used this
information to complete part of the Me on the Map packet, thereby fostering two
different kindergarten objectives.

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The second artifact I have chosen in an example of how I integrate language arts
into a math lesson. The math objective was for students to identify the ordinal positions
first through tenth using ordered sets of ten concrete objects and/or pictures. I illustrated
this concept by reading the story There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Chick,
and referencing the ordinal numbers used (first, second, third, etc.). After reading, I used
a pocket chart to show students each of the items she ate and we sequenced them in order,
matching the ordinal words and numbers to each picture. By doing this, the reading
objective of retelling a story and correctly sequencing its parts was demonstrated as well.
This is reflected in the Story Sequencing Using Ordinal Numbers activity sheet that
students completed after listening to the story and taking part in sequencing ordinal
positions of objects through whole-group instruction. Integration of working to retell the
events of a story (K.9) was effectively reinforced in a math lesson focused on the position
of ordinal numbers (K.3).
Reflection
Interdisciplinary instruction in the classroom supports the meaningful learning of
students, and promotes a wide range of abilities in this process. It is beneficial to develop
lessons and units around this practice, in order to offer students the opportunity to see
connections and relevance between topics as well as a variety of perspectives. According
to the National Council of Teachers for English, educational experiences are more
authentic and of greater value to students when the curricula reflects real life, which is
multi-faceted rather than being compartmentalized into neat subject-matter packages
(Position statement on interdisciplinary learning, Pre-K to Grade 4, 1995). An
educational experience that draws from the knowledge and skills of various disciplines

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will encourage students to become active learners with a broader context for solving reallife problems.
In my own experience, I have seen the positive results stemming from an
integrated curriculum. Interdisciplinary learning has provided methods for differentiation
and a way for diverse learners to interact collaboratively. As I made connections between
different subjects in my own teaching, it made an obvious difference in student interest,
as they saw the value of what they were learning. Their realization of how one area of
content can transfer to another in a meaningful way was especially rewarding. Giving
students a context for how all things are interrelated and carry applicability even outside
of the classroom is what will contribute to higher levels of understanding and
appreciation of knowledge. Incorporating interdisciplinary teaching is therefore a vital
part of producing lifelong learners.

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Resources

National Council of Teachers of English (1995). Position statement on interdisciplinary

learning, pre-K to grade 4. Retrieved from
http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/interdisclearnprek4