Integrated Curriculum

An integrated curriculum is explained as one that connects diverse areas of study by fading across
subject-matter lines and emphasizing combining concepts. Integration mainly deals with connecting
different subjects for students, allowing them to engage in appropriate, meaningful activities that can be
allied to real life.

Different educators define the term “integrated curriculum” in many different, sometimes conflicting
manner. The context where we Linked Learning approach, use integrated curriculum to refer to an
instructional strategy and materials for multidisciplinary teams of educators to arrange their instruction
so that learners are encouraged to make meaningful connections across subject areas.

English, science, social studies, mathematics, and career technical educators all work together to plan
as well as present lessons that centre on an essential, career – themed issue or else problem.

What Do You Mean By Integrated Curriculum?

Pioneering educators concerned with improving student accomplishment are looking for ways to
generate rigorous, appropriate, as well as engaging curriculum. Questions that are put forward are:

• Can making wind along with rain machines enhance the reading comprehension as well as
writing scores of elementary learners?

• Do learners really learn math by learning to clog dance?

• When learners spend after-school time participating in a micro-society that replicates the roles
of real life, will their results in math and reading improve?

I still recollect learning in the classroom and individual subject being taught. For instance, I was only
taught language in language class or calculation in only mathematics class but not in other subjects. I
repeatedly wondered why few math concepts weren't taught in science as they in some way seemed to
have a connection.

In this module, we will focus on an integrated curriculum. An integrated curriculum is defined as one
that connects diverse areas of study by fading across subject-matter lines along with emphasizing
unifying concepts. Main focus of integration is to make connections between subjects for students,
allowing them to engage in appropriate, meaningful activities which are well connected to real life. Did
you ever thought about how an integrated curriculum can benefit your learners? Understanding the
benefits as well as how to successfully integrate curriculum can help educators and learners become
more successful.

Characteristics of an Effective Multidisciplinary Integrated Curriculum

• Academic and Technical Rigidity— Curriculum units are planned to address key education
standards acknowledged by the district/boards.

• Authenticity—Lessons taught real world context (e.g., community and workplace problems) and
also address issues that matter to the learners.

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• Applied Learning—Curriculum engage learners in solving problems that call for competencies
expected in professional field (e.g., teamwork, problem-solving, communication, etc.)

• Active Exploration—Lessons broaden beyond the classroom by connecting to field based

investigations, internships, as well as community explorations.

• Adult Connections—Lessons connect learners with adult mentors along with coaches from the
community’s industry as well as postsecondary partners.

• Assessment Practices—Lesson involves learners in regular performance-based presentations

and assessments of their work; assessment criteria reflect school, personal, as well as real-
world standards of presentation.

Three Different Approaches

The three types of approaches to integration are — multidisciplinary, trans-disciplinary, and

interdisciplinary. We approach integrating curriculum from three primarily different starting points. In
looking into past, we see that our definitions strongly aligned with the definitions proposed by other
educators over the decades. The three categories offer a starting point for understanding different
approaches to integration.

1. Multidisciplinary Integration

Multidisciplinary approaches focus chiefly on the disciplines. Educators who use multidisciplinary
approach classify standards from the disciplines around a theme. Figure 1.1 shows the relationship of
different subjects to each other and to a common theme. There are many different ways to create
multidisciplinary curriculum, and they tend to differ in the level of intensity of the integration effort. The
following descriptions outline different approaches to the multidisciplinary perspective.

Figure 1.1 The Multidisciplinary Approach

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a. Intra-disciplinary Approach

When educators integrate the sub-disciplines within a subject area, they are by means of an intra-
disciplinary approach. Integrating reading, writing, and oral communication in language arts is a
common example. Educators frequently integrate economics, history, geography, and civics in an intra-
disciplinary social studies program. Integrated science combines the perceptions of sub-disciplines for
instance biology, chemistry, physics, as well as earth/space science. Through this incorporation,
educators expect learners to understand the connections between the diverse sub-disciplines as well
as their relationship to the real world.

b. Fusion

In this multidisciplinary approach, educators combine skills, knowledge, or even attitudes into the usual
school curriculum. In some schools, for instance, students learn respect for the environment in all
subject area. At Mount Rainier Elementary in Washington State, educators integrate the theme of
peace into all threads of the school's curriculum (Thomas-Lester, 2001). Learners begin every week
promising to be respectful, peaceful, and responsible. They pursue a list of responsibilities at the same
time learn regarding peace in their classes. During reading, for instance, learners analyze positive
characteristics of people in stories; in social studies, they learn the significance of cultures working
mutually. The entire school records the number of days devoid of a fight as “peace days”; educators
write the accumulated number of peace days on the blackboard in all classroom. Educators wear
peace signs, as well as students greet each other by means of the peace sign.

Fusion can entail basic skills. A lot of schools emphasize affirmative work habits in all subject areas.
Teachers can combine technology across the curriculum with computer skills incorporated into all
subject areas. Literacy across the curriculum is one more case of fusion. The November 2002 issue of
Educational Leadership characterized the theme of “Reading and Writing in the Content Areas” and
focused on how to combine literacy into the syllabus.

c. Service Learning

Service learning that involves community projects that take place during class time falls under the type
of multidisciplinary integration. At Spring Valley School in Columbia, South Carolina, more than 1,200
Spanish-language learners engaged in service education projects. In a project, they circulated 20 tons
of food, medicine, clothing, as well as household products to deprived new arrivals in the area with the
fastest-growing Hispanic inhabitants (Glenn, 2001). At Topa Topa Elementary School at Ojai,
California, 5th as well as 6th grade students formed pamphlets on the advantage and disadvantage of
pesticides to describe how crop pickers can shield themselves against the substances. Learners
distributed the brochure, written in Spanish as well as English, to employees and customers all the way
through the Ojai Valley. Through this project, learners satisfied state-required standards for language
arts, social studies, and science.

d. Learning Centres/Parallel Disciplines

A popular way to integrate the syllabus is to address a matter or theme through the lenses of numerous
diverse subject areas. In an elementary classroom, learners frequently experience this approach at
educations centres. For instance, for a theme such as “patterns,” every learning centres has an activity
that consent to the learners to discover patterns from the perception of one discipline—math, science,
language, or social studies. As learners’ progress through the education centres to complete the
activities, they learn regarding the concept of patterns throughout the lenses of diverse disciplines.

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In the high school, learners generally study a topic or theme in varied classrooms. This may take the
structure of parallel disciplines; educators sequence their content to match the content in other
classrooms. Learners frequently experience history as well as literature as parallel disciplines. They
learn a particular period of history along with read literature from that period. For instance, learners
read The Red Badge of Courage in English at the same time as studying the Civil War in history.
Learners themselves must bring in the connections between disciplines.

e. Theme-Based Units

A few teachers go beyond sequencing content moreover, plan collaboratively for a multidisciplinary
unit. Teachers characterize this as more intensive way of working with a topic as “theme-based.” Mostly
three or more subject areas are involved in the learning, and the lesson ends with an integrated
concluding activity. Units of a number of weeks' period may emerge from this course of action, and the
entire school may be concerned.

A theme-based lesson involving the entire school may be autonomous of the usual school schedule. At
Fitch Street School in the District School Board of Niagara in Ontario, Ellie Phillips and four of her
colleagues integrated on a two-week, inter-grade curriculum unit on the Olympic Games. Curriculum
scheduling required eight half-hour lessons. Educators grouped learners into five mix-age classes
demonstrating grades 4, 5, 6, and also 7. The mix-age groups interacted with each other for one hour
daily for nine consecutive days. In these groups, learners planned for a performance task that they
presented on the culmination day of the unit. The educators observed tremendous benefits, such as
the following:

• Learners exhibited brilliant on-task activities.

• Learners worked collaboratively.

• Mix-age teams formed within the mix-age classes.

• Learners were engaged both as presenters and also as the audience for the half-day

performance task presentations.

• Learners used a wide range of presentation products, for example debate, sculpture, video, and

many more.

• Learners demonstrated depth of understanding of matters as a result of their sustained curiosity

around diverse questions (such as; Are the Olympics applicable today? Does the Olympic credo

stand the test of time?).

• Smaller amount recess problems took place during this two-week period.

• Educators enjoyed the procedures along with the results.

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Other thematic programs may entail educators across the similar grade. Dockins Jervis, Merry Sauter,
and Steven Bull of Auburn High School in Riner, Virginia, have work in partnership for several years to
teach thematic units in grade 11. They have done this excluding the luxury of common preparation
time. A topic they have developed is Exploring a Local Ecosystem from various perspectives. Students
explore the Pandapas Pond from the different disciplinary lenses of science (earth sciences, biology,
chemistry, and physics), math (data analysis tools and techniques) as well as English (genre readings,
analyses, and communication skills). The educators cautiously hook up the activities to the standards
in all disciplines. Eventually, they have developed a long list of probable concluding activities. They
revise their Web site repeatedly along with use it as a teaching tool with learners.

2. Interdisciplinary Integration

In this approach to integration, educators plan the curriculum around familiar learning across
disciplines. They bring together the common learning embed them in the disciplines to give emphasis
to interdisciplinary skills as well as concepts. The disciplines are specific, but they assume less
significance rather than the multidisciplinary approach.

Figure 1.2 The Interdisciplinary Approach

For example:

The students in Florida making wind and rain machines in spite of learning language skills are
experiencing interdisciplinary curriculum. They are gaining knowledge of the interdisciplinary skill of
communication (thinking as well as writing in a planned and rational way). The educators also focuses
on “big ideas” in the concepts of evaporation, condensation, and thermal energy. These concepts refer

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to other lessons beyond wind and rain machines; thus, the lesson develops a higher level of thinking
than if students simply focused on the wind and rain machines.

Is the example of learners learning math as well as core curriculum in the course of clogging and the
arts an interdisciplinary one? Certainly, if learners are learning skills along with concepts beyond the
immediate lesson it is interdisciplinary. In learning through the Art, such as, learners learn math along
with science concepts with enhancing skills while singing, dancing, painting, and sculpting.

3. Trans-disciplinary Integration

In trans-disciplinary integration, educators organize curriculum taking into consideration learner

questions and concerns (see Figure 1.3). Learners expand life skills as they apply interdisciplinary
along with disciplinary skills in a real-life context. Two directions lead to trans-disciplinary approach:
negotiating the curriculum and project-based learning.

Figure 1.3 Trans-disciplinary Approach

a. Project-Based Learning

In project-based learning, students undertake a local crisis. In a few schools it is also known as
problem-based learning or place-based learning. As described by Chard (1998), planning project-
based curriculum involves three steps:

• Educators and learners select a topic of study based on learner interests, curriculum standards,
as well as local resources.

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• The educator’s finds out what the learners already know and assists them to generate questions
to explore. The educator also assists students by giving adequate reference material and
opportunities to work in the field.

• Learners present their work with others in the culmination. Learners exhibit the results of their
investigation and review and assess the project.

Studies of project-based approach show that learners go far beyond the minimum attempt make
connections among diverse subject areas to respond to open-ended questions, retain what they have
learned, apply learning to real-life crisis, have less discipline issues, and have lesser absenteeism
(Curtis, 2002).

b. Negotiating the Curriculum

In this type of trans-disciplinary approach, learners’ questions form the basis for syllabus.
Pennsylvania, Mark Springer of Radnor, negotiated an integrated curriculum with learners (Brown,
2002). Such as, Springer led Watershed program for 11 years. His one of the curricular program is
Soundings. In which the 8th grade students build up their own curriculum, teaching strategies, and
assessments around the subject matter they were curious. Subject matter that students have
developed comprises Medical Issues Affecting Our Lives, Violence in Our Culture, and Surviving Alien
Environments.

The Soundings program is derived from the work of James Beane (1990/1993, 1997), who advocates
theme studies revolving around personal development and social issues. On standardized
examinations, Soundings learners perform regarding the same as students who have not contributed in
the program. Parents are tremendously positive regarding the program, and high school educators
report that Soundings graduates appear to talk about topics at a more refined level than learners who
have not been in the program.

How the Three Approaches Connect with Each Other?

When an educator leads a team in developing an integrated curriculum, can observed the team
unexpectedly shifting into more deeper and deeper levels of connection. The limitations of the
disciplines seemed to dissolve suddenly. Such as, in the early '90s, Ontario consents for integrated
curriculum for kindergarten till grade 9. Susan interviewed others who were developing integrated
curriculum as well as reported similar experiences of dissolving the boundaries (Drake, 1993).

Standards-based approaches further blur the limitations of these categories. Multidisciplinary

integration might remain to some extent distinct because the procedures of the disciplines are
prevailing. Modern thoughts, however, advocates that even intra-disciplinary projects should comprise
math as well as literature/media to be rich and vibrant (Erickson, 1998). Interdisciplinary approaches
propose an excellent fit for standards when teachers approach them all the way through a backward
design procedure. Although educators might organize trans-disciplinary curriculum around a real-world
circumstance, the realism of covering the standards as well as grading in distinct subject areas
promptly brings them back to the disciplines.

Is there an evolutionary continuum?

We suppose that obvious differences will persist to exist in the extent to which teachers choose to
incorporate and for how long. We consider that teachers will persist to experience intensifying
connections as they happened to be more skilled in this area. In an era of standards along with

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accountability, not a single approach seems preferable. Certainly, they seem more and more alike as
educators incorporate standards-based planning with efficient teaching and learning exercises. The
multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, as well as trans-disciplinary perspectives offer diverse maps to
commence the design process. Educators can use any of the approaches at any level of learning, in a
single classroom or else in a team loom.

The table below shows the relationships among the three different approaches. Some differences in
intent are noticeable. We found, on the other hand, that the teachers who actually execute integrated
approaches are the same teachers who are curious in the most effectual ways to teach. They are the
ones who persistently ask, “How can I involve each and every of students in the learning?” These
educators are seen to use the most effective planning methods, such as a backward design process,
and are apprehensive with authentic evaluation practices. Hence, despite some discrepancies in the
degree and the intent of incorporation, the three approaches share a lot of similarities. The centrality of
standards furthermore the need for accountability brings the three approaches closer together in
practice.

Multidisciplinary Interdisciplinary Trans-disciplinary

Organizing Standards of the Interdisciplinary skills and Real-life context

Centre disciplines organized concepts embedded in Student questions
around a theme disciplinary standards

Conception • Knowledge • Disciplines connected • All knowledge

of best learned by common concepts interconnected and
Knowledge through the and skills interdependent
structure of the • Knowledge • Many right answers
disciplines considered to be • Knowledge
• A right answer socially constructed considered to be
• One truth • Many right answers indeterminate and
ambiguous
Role of • Procedures of Interdisciplinary skills and Disciplines identified if
Disciplines discipline concepts stressed desired, but real-life context
considered emphasized
most important
• Distinct skills
and concepts
of discipline
taught

Role of • Facilitator • Facilitator • Co-planner

Teacher • Specialist • Specialist/generalist • Co-learner
• Generalist/specialist
Starting Disciplinary standards • Interdisciplinary • Student questions
Place and-procedures bridge and concerns
• KNOW/DO/BE • Real-world context

Degree of Moderate Medium/intense Paradigm shift

Integration

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Assessment Discipline-based Interdisciplinary Interdisciplinary
skills/concepts stressed skills/concepts stressed

KNOW? Concepts and Concepts and essential Concepts and essential

essential understandings across understandings across
understandings across disciplines disciplines
disciplines

DO? • Disciplinary • Interdisciplinary skills Interdisciplinary skills and

skills as the as the focal point disciplinary skills applied in a
focal point • Disciplinary skills also real-life context
• Interdisciplinary included
skills also
included

BE? • Democratic values

• Character education
• Habits of mind
• Life skills (e.g., teamwork, self-responsibility)
Planning Process • Backward design
• Standards-based
• Alignment of instruction, standards, and assessment
Instruction • Constructivist approach
• Inquiry
• Experiential learning
• Personal relevance
• Student choice
• Differentiated instruction
Assessment • Balance of traditional and authentic assessments
• Culminating activity that integrates disciplines taught

Benefits

Why do you think it is essential to have integrated curriculum?

Just give a thought to the amount of learning will happen in a classroom where you learn math, science
and reading all in one lesson otherwise teaching a theme-based unit that concentrates on cultural
diversity and integrates core content area topics. Let me share about my experience. When I taught
through an integrated curriculum, my learners showed superior signs of retention at an increased rate.
But when an integrated curriculum was not implemented it was just the reverse. The reason behind this
is that they were able to relate more closely to content as well as make real-life connections in
integrated curriculum approaches.

Learners not only hook up and create more real world connections in integrated environment but they
are also actively engaged. Inculcating an integrated curriculum means that educators are charged with
having to create fun, challenging, also meaningful tasks that help learners to gather information and
connect to real-life. For example, creating a solar system integrated lesson plan which also enhances
oral language development, reading comprehension skills as well as mathematics. It also engages
students further more than just a mere lesson on the solar system separately. Incorporation helps to

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accomplish retention and commitment in classroom activities, which capitulates higher mastery of
satisfied standards.

Integrated curriculum also benefits to enhance the ability of students to get skilled in multiple
disciplines. In spite of teaching comprehension techniques in just reading session, teaching those
techniques across multiple disciplines can give learners a prospect to see and execute it frequently.
The repetition of the skills being trained creates an advanced level of understanding and retention of
information for learners in the integrated classroom.

CONCLUSION
Curriculum integration is not a package that will work perfectly for every school. Rather it is a
philosophy and ideal of true democracy that we should strive toward in our classrooms and schools. It
is far from easy, and teachers have many legitimate questions about how to make such a program
work. Instead of focussing on nuts and bolts of the perfect model of curriculum integration, consider the
goal: a democratic education that provides real learning opportunities and respect for great diversity of
human needs.

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