Social Studies, Interdisciplinary Teaching, and Technology

ONE OF THE UNINTENDED, and unfortunate, consequences of the No Child Left Behind law–with its emphasis on curriculum standards, and increased reliance on standardized testing–is the loss of integrated curriculum projects and instruction. While some state curriculum standards mention cross-curriculum or multidisciplinary instruction, the end result (for students and teachers) of high stakes testing for specific subject areas is a marked reduction of curriculum materials, classroom projects, and teacher education that focus on bridging the gap between traditional K-12 subject areas. Research suggests that students learn more, enjoy classroom activities, and do as well or better on tests when they are shown how different subjects (such as science and social studies) are related. Several years ago, I took a group of visiting Japanese educators to Edgewood Junior High in nearby Ellettsville, Indiana, to show them the interdisciplinary curriculum and instruction practiced there. The entire seventh grade was focusing on the Arctic and northern lands in all major subject areas. In science, students were studying the flora and fauna of the Arctic; social studies students were examining the breakup of the Soviet Union and the new nations created out of it; English classes were reading Jack London stories and other books about northern lands; and the mathematics classes were trying to calculate how much mass an iceberg being towed to Saudi Arabia for fresh water would lose based on calculations about temperature and distance. The students worked in interdisciplinary teams. The Japanese visitors were amazed at how enthusiastically the students worked and at how the teacher served more as a resource guide than as a person simply dispensing information. As I was trying to determine a topic for this technology issue, I was reminded of another project in this same school system that I read about recently. A fifth-grade reading class is working with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on tracking bobcats, an endangered species found in Indiana and several Midwestern states. The class, sponsored by the local newspaper, The Bloomington Herald-Times, has adopted one bobcat, which they named Linx. Linx has a radio collar that transmits his location to the class. They plot his movements daily and send reports to the DNR on a scheduled basis. This reading class is learning biology, geography, and about public policy regarding endangered species; they are also reading about the animal and about efforts to save the species. In a recent newspaper edition, another report on Linx pictured a student showing how they track the bobcat through southern Indiana. Students (and adults) send e-mail questions to the class about the project and students from the class respond. Students in another middle-level school, as well two elementary schools, and a high school are now also tracking their own bobcats. There are more interdisciplinary activities and projects for elementary and middle level grades than for upper level students. The middle level teachers and administrators have focused more on curriculum integration. However, there are programs, activities, and lesson plans for all grades. Take a look at some of the following sites. I think you and your students will find them interesting, fun, and useful. Indiana Department of Natural Resources www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/endangered/bobcat/bobcat.html While the “Track a Bobcat” project is for Indiana teachers and students only, educators elsewhere may also find the site informative. Moreover, many states have similar educational programs for endangered species. I “Googled” New Mexico, New Jersey, and North Carolina using the key terms “endangered species” and “education.”