Integration
While planning a unit, it is helpful to consider how other content areas can be integrated with the science curriculum. The Ministry of Education (2000) of British Columbia identifies eight models of integration: theme-based learning, project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, learning styles, multiple intelligences, knowledge framework, literature-based learning, and genre-based learning. According to the Ministry of Education (2000), "The main purpose of curriculum integration is to enhance students’ learning and the making of thoughtful connections. Thus, teachers may choose to integrate two or more subjects (such as mathematics and the visual arts) or may include all or most curriculum areas, depending on their purpose and context," (p. 70) which comes alive through these different models of integration.
Language Arts
I mostly merge the language arts thematic unit with the social studies curriculum, making for a cross-curricular approach. However, science can be a wondrous forum to integrate language arts as well. More specifically, it can be facilitated through reading, speaking, and writing depending on what fits the lesson within the science unit. For instance, reading can be easily connected to science through literature. I often bring use a read aloud to introduce a science lesson. For KG to Grade 3, connecting a read aloud to the science curriculum can be one way to move forward. In older grades, it could mean using closed reading to delve deeper into a text.
Math
References
- Ministry of Education. (2000). The primary program: a framework for teaching. Victoria, British Columbia.