The question I am going to be researching for the next few weeks is the idea of how to integrate Science into different subject areas in the elementary classroom. I am a huge fan of integration. As teachers, we have a lot that we are expected to do and a lot that we want to try to do. Integration is one way of teaching the kids a lot but also making that learning authentic. I believe that if we really want students to learn the learning has to be authentic or else it will not mean anything to the kids.
The first article that I have spent time looking at is called Implementing An In-depth Expanded Science Model in Elementary Schools. (Here is a link to the article.) I found the article to be very interesting. It mainly focused on how when you integrate Science and Reading together, students benefit greatly. The article said that students had both Science and Reading achievement when the two were integrated. Also, students thought more highly of the two.
Their approach was to replace the two hours of Reading/Language Arts time with in-depth Science time that allowed for a lot of reading to take place. I was torn on this idea. In my other methods class we have learned a lot about the importance of Reading/Language Arts time in the elementary classroom. However, there was a lot of evidence given to support the idea that it can improve both subject areas.
I think that as educators, we are going to have to make some tough decisions about what we feel is most important to teach and how. I am not sure exactly where I stand yet on the best way to integrate Science into the classroom. This seemed to be a somewhat effective way, however, the cutting back on time in Reading does worry me.
An interdisciplinary curriculum is very important, even at the elementary grade levels. To understand and learn science, one must be able to read theories and hypotheses, write lab reports and conclusions, use math to solve equations and calculate formulas, and use language arts to communicate results. So if all the other subjects can be learned and applied by teaching science, I think science can fit into any other subject.
ReplyDeleteMy suggestions:
Math class- equations and problems containing physics laws.
Language Arts class- giving presentations on a piece of science history.
Reading class- focus vocabulary and rules on rock names, animal classifications, plant species, etc.
Additionally, you could link science with social studies when discussing points in history when science affected how parts of the world changed. I realize the idea lends more to technology and social studies, but there are points in history (and even today) when science conflicts/ed with religious and cultural beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI think you can accomplish this without worrying about losing reading time. The lessons can introduce science topics and include brief readings as well. For example, how about a unit on the history of science. You could cover some of the major milestones in scientific discoveries and tie it in quite well with how it impacted our nation's history. A history class could study the historical significance of the gold rush as well as the reason why the gold was there in the first place. Or maybe here in the Great Lakes region you could do a unit on how the fishing industry contributed to the growth of local economies, and do a short study on ecology of the Great Lakes.
ReplyDeleteI think you'll have lots of material to work with, and I think you're on the right track by trying to "blend" topics together.
I personally hated both science and reading in school. Maybe if my teachers would have used this approach I would have enjoyed them both better? Haha.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, I think blending subjects together is a great way to get students interested in both topics. Thanks for sharing this information with us.
Dani,
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe that relating the subjects to one another is a great way to keep the students interested. It is a natural progression. Math, science, technology, reading, etc. are all interdependent and related. As a geologist, I am required to perform studies based on mathematical equations and geological conditions. I must communicate my conclusions and ideas via written and oral methods. The "real world" integrates subject matters, so it is only natural to teach via integration.