This volume brings together evidence-based approaches to interdisciplinary language arts and science instruction. Firmly grounded in the research showing cognitive parallels between the two subjects, and reflecting the many recommendations in recent years for using interdisciplinary instruction at the elementary level, its goal is to help teachers effectively use this kind of instruction in elementary classrooms. The book is organized around three themes: *Introduction to Interdisciplinary Science and Language Arts Instruction; *The Influence of Interdisciplinary Science and Language Arts Instruction on Children’s Learning; and *Research on Preparing Elementary Teachers to Use Interdisciplinary Science and Language Arts Instruction Each chapter summarizes the research on its focal topic. Examples of research applied to practice, and questions and prompts for discussion and reflection help readers apply what they are reading in their own classroom contexts. Teacher educators and prospective and practicing elementary teachers everywhere will benefit from this overview of current research and practice in interdisciplinary science and language arts instruction.

Technology, a product of science, is pushing against the linear boundaries of traditional storytelling. Moving in the direction of multiform stories and digital formats takes literacy well beyond the 3Rs. Students increasingly need to be critical and creative users of the new media. As the Internet becomes faster, more visually powerful, and easier to manipulate there will be an explosion of virtual environments, with literacy taking on a whole new meaning. While the word literacy has become almost synonymous with the word competence, the authors prefer the definitions found in the new language arts and science standards. For example, the National Science Education Standards suggests that scientific literacy implies that a person can identify scientific issues underlying national and local decisions and express positions that are scientifically and technologically informed. As this book explores important new dimensions of linguistic and scientific literacy it looks at developing literacies not covered well in schools today. It is the authors' belief that an understanding of science and the processes of science can make major contributions to the ability to learn, reason, make decisions, and solve problems. Thus learning about the natural world helps develop intellectual tools of inquiry that can be used with the language arts and other disciplines. Interdisciplinary activities can help develop the skills in both science and language that are becoming so essential for personal fulfillment, performing in the workplace, and being an informed citizen. This book is designed as a supplementary text for methods classes in elementary science and language arts education. It is also intended as a resource and guide for preservice and inservice elementary and middle school teachers.

This book—a compilation of 25 practical articles from NSTA’s elementary school journal, Science & Children—offers a wealth of lesson plans and idea starters using interdisciplinary, integrated, and thematic approaches. Discover how a language arts unit on survival can include student inquiry into properties of ice, ways to improve students’ observational skills as they write haiku about nature, how to use data collection and math in mapping the ocean floor, and more. To engage students schoolwide or in the great outdoors, several articles offer project-based interdisciplinary units that are widely adaptable. Each article is categorized by grade level, the National Science Education Standards it addresses, and whether it is interdisciplinary, integrated, thematic, or a combination of the three. Even teachers who lack a strong science background will find these concrete techniques especially valuable for teaching science through other subjects (and vice versa).

This book, a compilation of 25 practical articles from NSTA's elementary school journal Science and Children offers a wealth of lesson plans and idea starters using interdisciplinary, integrated, and thematic approaches. Discover how a language arts unit on survival can include student inquiry into properties of ice, ways to improve students' observational skills as they write haiku about nature, how to use data collection and math in mapping the ocean floor, and more. To engage students schoolwide or in the great outdoors, several articles offer project-based interdisciplinary units that are widely adaptable. Each article is categorized by grade level, the National Science Education Standards it addresses, and whether it is interdisciplinary, integrated, thematic, or a combination of the three. Even teachers who lack a strong science background will find these concrete techniques especially valuable for teaching science through other subjects (and vice versa).

Forty classroom-ready science teaching and learning activities for elementary and middle school teachers Grounded in theory and best-practices research, this practical text provides elementary and middle school teachers with 40 place-based activities that will help them to make science learning relevant to their students. This text provides teachers with both a rationale and a set of strategies and activities for teaching science in a local context to help students engage with science learning and come to understand the importance of science in their everyday lives.

The popular Interdisciplinary Teaching Through Physical Educationis back and better than ever. This new edition guides you in integrating the content of language arts, math, science, social studies, and the arts (music, theater arts, and visual arts) with the content of physical education through active learning experiences. This book has the following features: -It provides 24 learning experiences in the five academic areas, 193 additional ideas for developing those learning experiences, and 37 new, ongoing strategies for teaching physical education through cross-curricular methods. -It is revised and expanded, offering you more teaching tools to supplement, support, and enhance your teaching. -It delivers new practical ideas and activities for classroom use, based on current theory and best practices. In part I, you'll learn about the theoretical need for and benefits of interdisciplinary teaching and learning. The authors identify models for planning and implementing interdisciplinary experiences and provide ideas for getting started, building a support network, and assessing learning. In part II, the authors describe sample learning experiences in each of the five academic disciplines and offer ideas for developing additional learning experiences. They also present suggested scope and sequence of concepts for each grade level and describe the concepts and skills that are appropriate for primary- and intermediate-grade students. Interdisciplinary Elementary Physical Educationwill give your students a wealth of knowledge while they're being active. They'll have fun while they conjugate, calculate, investigate, explore, dance--and move across the curriculum.

The role of literacy instruction extends far beyond traditional English language arts classrooms. Cultivating Literate Citizenry Through Interdisciplinary Instruction delves into the necessary concepts within the realm of literacy across and within various academic disciplines. From the foundational core courses of English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies to enriching extracurricular pursuits like agriculture, theater arts, visual arts, and kinesiology, this book encapsulates the essence of fostering literacy competencies in all domains. This comprehensive resource caters to a diverse audience, spanning preservice and in-service teachers, teacher educators, district and school leaders, and educational researchers. It is a versatile tool, ideal for integrating literacy methods courses focusing on content-area and disciplinary literacy instruction across all age groups. Practicing teachers will find it an invaluable resource for their ongoing professional development, while educational leaders will gain profound insights to inform their instructional support strategies.