March Editor:
Amber McCulloch, Ed.D.
K-12 Science Specialist

March 2019

Knowledge is rarely silo-ed in the “real” world. How do we help students make connections across content areas, and solve problems using knowledge from all relevant subject areas? Learning and Teaching is interested in engaging districts in conversations about standards-based classroom approaches to content integration and the systems that support them.

Amber is K-12 Science Specialist in Science Learning & Teaching. She enjoys spending time with her family, running, gardening, baking, and eating. Reach out to Amber  for support around implementation of our Washington State Science Learning Standards (Next Generation Science Standards).

Cross-Content Ideas to Share:

WHEN?

The NSTA Position Statement on Elementary School Science recommends working to integrate all the disciplines in the elementary curriculum with science.

WHAT?

What is integrated curriculum? Check out this excerpt from Meeting Standards Through Integrated Curriculum.

HOW?

Check out this Project Based Learning exemplar from Nebraska that shows an elementary example of integration across content areas.

WHY?

Explore the intersections of Science and English Language Arts in this report from the National Research Council.

Professional Development Calendar

Science has over 60 professional learning events happening around the state in March and April. Check out this calendar to see offerings for your region!

Professional learning for elementary principals! This video-based professional learning workshop, available from AWSP, supports  leaders in learning about the case for elementary science, what good science instruction looks like, and how building leadership teams can best implement changes.

Integrated learning through school gardens:

Integrating standards can be seamless. Can you identify a Health Education standard that is integrated in this story from WashingtonPrincipal on the Lopez Island Farm Education (LIFE) program? This video from AWSP shows elementary students hard at work in integrated learning.

The LIFE program supports all three of Washington’s Integrated Environmental and Sustainability standards. These are: Ecological, Social, and Economic Systems; The Natural and Built Environment; & Sustainability and Civic Responsibility). 

CCSS.Math-2.MD.A Measure and estimate lengths in standard units.

CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP2 Reason abstractly and quantitatively.

Health Education Standard 1:  Students will comprehend concepts related to health promotion and disease prevention to enhance health.

Science Standard: K-LS1-1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS:

Students in Ashleigh Howell's 6th grade class at Central Elementary in Sedro-Wooley engage in integrated learning connecting their study of Oceans of Plastic with their ELA unit and readings about overfishing. This learning helped students understand the importance of fish and what that means for the environment. This was tied to studying a local beach and learning about how plastics are affecting oceans. Science Standard: MS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.* CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content

RESEARCH and PRACTICE:

STEM Teaching Tools are produced through a National Science Foundation grant and focus on many cross content topics. This STEM Teaching Tool discusses using mathematics and computational thinking in science. Multiple resources are embedded via links within this research and practice brief.

DUAL/WORLD LANGUAGE:

Achieve  has created a suite of NGSS Parent Guides that are available in both English and Spanish available for Grades K-2, Grade 3-5, Grades 6-8, and Grades 9-12.

We want to hear from you!

We will be shining a light on content integration, leading with different subject areas. Help us find excellent examples of content integration occurring in your classrooms and buildings to showcase. What are teachers doing in classrooms to integrate content? What building or district systems (e.g., PLCs, common planning times, classroom proximity, funding streams, etc.) encourage teachers to integrate content? What do you need from the state to support your work? Email Kathe Taylor with practices and ideas you would like to share.