3. Which of these projects is the best option for integrating curriculum? Consider the concept and driving questionbefore making your decision. Scenario B: Teachers create a cross-curricular project about the financial crisis. Driving question: How did the recent financial crisis happen and what is the government doing for recovery? Scenario A: Teachers create a cross-curricular project on the concept of money. Driving question: How is wealth valued differently by people depending on their circumstances?
9. Every NAF Lesson includes ideas for curriculum integration Cross-curricular extension activities are listed at the end of every Lesson Plan
10. Culminating projects are another way to incorporate curriculum integration How do the culminating projects for each course encourage collaboration across disciplines?
16. Curriculum integration develops along a continuum Single Subject Parallel (Paired) Interrelated Conceptual BEGINNING INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED
17. Conceptual integration is the most powerful level Conceptual integration is based on a unifying idea
18. The unifying idea is a concept, learned through topics Topic Concept An organizing idea or mental construct A category of study that implies a body of related facts to be learned
19. The concept underlies and links the topics together The topics relate to and illuminate the unifying concept:
21. How to Choose a Rigorous Thematic Topic/Concept Richard Strong, “Teaching What Matters Most”
22. How is this topic relevant to… The Workplace/ The Working World Your Students Topic The School Community Your Subject area/ Discipline David HyerleEd.D, “Tools for Learning Test the Topic for Relevance
23. The driving question captures the concept and must grab and hold student interest The driving question is an open-ended invitation…
24. Guidelines for the Driving QuestionSource: Project-Based Learning Handbook (The Buck Institute) Driving questions are: Provocative Open-ended Go to the heart of a discipline or topic Challenging Arise from real-world dilemmas that students find interesting Consistent with curricular standards and frameworks.
25. It takes practice to craft a good driving question Of the examples below, which one makes the best driving question? 1. How can we best design advertising to promote Disneyland? 2. How can we, as financial consultants, best develop a strategy for our client to respond to current market conditions? 3 .Does WalMart meet my ethical standards as a potential employer? 4. How can we create a documentary video that uses digital tools effectively to tell the story of how Japanese anime and rap music are related? 5. How can we, as customer service consultants, explain the four rules of customer service to a hospitality- or tourism-related business?
26. Topic tables help teachers find connections The beginning of a great curriculum integration project lies in the overlaps and connections teachers find by comparing their curricula. Here is a simplified example of potential connections:
27. Successful curriculum integration projects follow a sequence of steps Generate a topic table Decide on unifying concept for integrated unit or project Define the topics that will explore the concept and ensure they meet standards and objectives for each subject area Design the driving question Choose key questions that breaks the driving question into smaller parts Create curriculum map Allocate team responsibilities Identify evidence of student learning associated with the projects Write lesson plans with formative and summative assessments Evaluate the project or unit
31. Review your answers from beginning of session. Have your answers changed, if so, how? Pick one question to rewrite to change wording. A Use evidence to reconstruct what happened in a crime B Design a “green” roof made of plants to replace the roof of a New York city high-rise C Plan a trip to another country and present what a visitor would experience there D Develop a business plan for a new business
32. Which curriculum development process works best to create an integrated project. Scenario B: English teacher will tie in a novel for students to read at the same time as the project. Teachers involved decide to meet once a week in the teacher’s lounge after school to plan. Plans include inviting professionals into the classroom to review rough drafts of project artifacts and provide feedback. Scenario A: English teacher will tie in a novel that students read last semester and already know well. Teachers involved will confer with each other via email to save time. Plans include sending students’ project artifacts to professionals via email for review and to solicit feedback. What would you do differently to make these work?
33. NAF.connect.org has videos of cross-curricular projects Here is the url for the NAF video series: http://nafcollaborationnetwork.org/video-archive.html ConnectEd has a video series as well: http://www.connectedcalifornia.org/about/media.php
34. “When different talents and ideas rub up against each other, there is friction….yes. But …..also sparks, fire, light and eventually….. brilliance” Nancie O’Neill
35. You’re on your way! Laura Fidler NAF Curriculum Specialist laura@naf.org 347-638-4314
Editor's Notes
Presenter asks teachers to consider the options and tells the teachers to note the concept/topic and driving questions for each project, but to hold their response until they receive more information in the next slide.
With the characteristics determined by NAF not yet displayed, presenter asks teachers to suggest some defining characteristics of curriculum integration. Presenter might write these on chart paper or simply listen. Then presenter says, let’s see how these suggestions compare with the ones developed by NAF.Presenter clicks the screen to make the characteristics display one by one. Note: You can only see this animation if you’re viewing the PP in presentation (full-screen) modePresenter might point out that curriculum integration is actually an idea that has been around for decades and has come to mean many different things—hence the need to establish what WE mean. We use it because research has proven that it works.
Presenter explains that teachers cannot accomplish this without enthusiasm for the undertaking from all of the teachers involved and without solid administrative support. Teachers must also have common planning time. Research shows that ongoing professional development bolsters teacher confidence and provides them with the tools they need to make what can often be a major change in the way they teach. Note that NAF Advisory Board members and professionals in the community can make a huge difference in a project’s outcome.If time permits, presenter can ask if anyone can think of something else that would be really helpful to them in order to execute a project involving integrated curriculum.
Presenter asks teachers to consider these details. Gives teachers time to think about which option they prefer, and why. Presenter asks for a show of hands: who would choose Project Red? Ask for a few volunteer responses that explain why. Who would choose project Blue? Teachers offer their responses for that as well. Presenter listens and uses this information to get a sense of how much teachers know about how curriculum integration works.Presenter returns to slide 2 first, then this slide, and walks teachers through the reasons Project Red is the best choice.
