Integrating Units to Engage Students

When I started teaching in the early 90's, teaching was so much fun!  We were given a lot of freedom in the way that we taught, and standardized tests were minimal. (Those were the days!)  The idea of "whole language" and integration of subjects was popular.  I remember teaching with big thematic units that the students found very engaging.  One specific unit I recall was our unit on the Iditarod.  We read stories about the Iditarod, we wrote letters to mushers, we did math problems focused on the cost, distance conversions and probability.  We engaged in science experiments involving states of matter and temperature changes.  Life was good!

The good news is, that the idea of integration is coming back in favor. (Swing away pendulum!) With the push for relevance in math, teachers and administrators are starting to get on board with integrating subjects and project-based learning.  I have found that students are much more engaged when different subjects are linked together and have meaning.

As a Teachers Pay Teachers author, I've started to move towards this integration approach. Not only is it more engaging and meaningful, but it gives teachers the opportunity to fit subjects like science in.  One of my favorite creations is the space unit I developed.  Although space is typically a science topic, it's such an easy topic in which to integrate language arts activities as well as math.

Do your students and yourself a favor:  Seek out integrated units as a way to teach multiple subject areas while genuinely engaging your students.  You won't regret it!