Some Why's and How's of Interdisciplinary Studies

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DOING INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK?

The benefits of a wider application of interdisciplinary studies are numerous.

            Time Savings -  For example:  as a science teacher, I don’t have to go into the details of a historic period to give context when I describe a technological advance. 

            Support System for Teachers – Doing it alone in the classroom is challenging.  I am not a historian or musician.  If I work with a heterogeneous team of teachers I can access their expertise and feel confident about the interdisciplinary aspects of the work.

            Authentic – It’s Real.  Disciplines are arbitrary and artificial.

            Engaging – Given that a compelling theme is chosen student and teachers experience joy in learning.  Students understand in the moment ‘why they need’ to learn something.  All are challenged.

            Differentiated – Each student’s resources vary with their course schedule.  If culminating work is done in the advisory or other mixed groupings then each contributes unique perspectives.  If cooperative project based summative assessment is incorporated, students have a chance to use talents not always used in traditional testing situations.

            School Spirit and Camaraderie – The whole school community has a common thought on their minds. 

HOW MIGHT INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES BE STRUCTURED WITHIN A SCHOOL?

A.  As A Whole School

            i.  Year Long

            Examples:      Topical:  Can Solar Energy Save Us?

                                    Big Idea/Value:  Courage

                                    Historical:  They Made a Difference, I (We)Can Make a Difference

     The school, grade levels, departments or courses could develop their own themes/essential questions based upon the topic.  Courses run as usual.  Answering the essential question or responding to the theme plays as big a role as teachers or departments choose.

            ii.  Stop Everything Discrete Events

                        Example:  “What’s So Super About the Superbowl?”      

     Each discipline/department presents instruction (drawn from existing objectives) that supports the theme.  This might engage the whole school for one week.  All instruction is within the context of the theme.  At the end of the week advisory groups might make presentations. (This example comes from North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts)

B.  By Grade Level   
            i.  Year Long – The teachers (and perhaps students) of each grade level brainstorm a theme.  Or the administration assigns a general topic and the teacher and students brainstorm a theme.  Work in courses continues pretty much as usual but reference is made to the theme whenever a teacher or student detects a connection.  A final semester project might become a combined final exam or a component of the disciplines’ final exams.

Example: 

Big Idea – Beauty,  Brainstormed Theme – “Is Beauty Really More Than Skin Deep?”

            Parallel Studies – This could be started with just one term. Take the existing curriculum in each discipline.  Brainstorm as a grade level to find a correlating theme that could run through all disciplines.  Each teacher implements their usual objectives but does so at a time matching the other disciplines that have content that support the theme.  Each discipline might decrease its own summative assessment level and trade out for one shared interdisciplinary project which would serve as at least a portion of the summative evaluation in the discipline based course. These are usually thematic.

   Ex.   “What Does It Take to Be A Man?”

                                                Biology – Human Genetics/Disorders, Mitosis, Meiosis

                                                English – Tarzan

                                                Social Studies – almost any war?                             

PE – Endurance, Limits of Man’s Physical Abilities

                                                Math – Statistics, Measurement

                                                Art – The Golden Mean

(This example is from North Central Charter Essential School in Fitchburg, Massachusetts)

            Stop Everything Discrete Event – As with whole school situation but limited to a grade level.  It would be least disruptive if each grade level had one running at the same time.  At NCCES the essential question "What's So Super About the Superbowl?" drove a successful week long interdisciplinary mixed grade-level unit.

C.  By Linked Courses – A section of each participating course would be set aside for students committed to parallel enrollment in two or more classes.  Teachers would correlate some points of instruction.

            Examples:

 Mad Men and Monsters:  Literature – Psychology – Biology
(This example, in part, comes from Quabbin Regional High School in Barre, Massachusetts)

Food:  History – Chemistry – English - Sociology

Advisory Connection

Synthesis of the interdisciplinary studies can be accomplished in advisory.  Extended advisories at the end of units of study allow for preparation of final cooperative presentations.  Students in advisories may have very different course profiles.  However, if the theme is school-wide or grade-level wide with grade-level advisories this only enhances the breadth and depth of the experience for students.