Summary

Introduction

Every day across our state high school teachers enter their classrooms and give everything they have to their students and subject. Their focus has been on teaching specific content, sometimes in isolation, to students who were unable to connect that subject to their lives. They either lacked the vocabulary or the background knowledge to see the relevance of the subject taught to their world.

Even today, many adults can hear the headlines concerning global warming and the environment, genetics and cloning, or medical research and experimental techniques, and only have a general understanding of the topics without making a connection to personal implications for their future. Even in my own discipline, Biology, it took years for scientists to accept that we were harming our planet, though we had volumes of knowledge, we failed to see the connections.

It is here that we must begin to better educate our students; they must see the connections to our actions and their world; we must stop teaching subjects in isolation behind a closed door. We must move beyond the text book, beyond the classroom door, beyond the constraints of our own discipline, and encompass the world as our classroom.

Part of the New Schools Project and high school reform is to bring rigor, relevance and relationships to the classroom. We must engage students in learning to strive for academic excellence, to problem solve and to recognize their personal responsibility to make a difference. We accomplish this, not in isolation, but in a multidisciplinary format where connections are made and relevance is the norm.

The lessons contained in this project involved the development of Interdisciplinary strategies and activities that will meet the goals of both the high school biology curriculum and the English III curriculum. Activities will be aimed at development of higher order thinking skills and will include, vocabulary maps, prefix/suffix activities, questioning skills higher order thinking words (inference, prediction, and analysis), strategies for reading, writing and comprehension of suggested text material. The strategies will also include long term projects that engage students in research and evaluation of text by synthesizing this text into descriptive writing activities and/or presentations. While the lessons may point to specific topics the strategies may be use in a variety of situations with different text samples.

Description

My project will involve the development of Interdisciplinary strategies and activities that will meet the goals of both the High School biology curriculum and the English II curriculum, as many students are enrolled in these courses during their sophomore year. Activities will be aimed at development of higher order thinking skills and will include, vocabulary maps, prefix/suffix activities, questioning skills higher order thinking words (inference, prediction, and analysis), strategies for reading, writing and comprehension of suggested text material. The strategies will also include long term projects that engage students in research and evaluation of text by synthesizing this text into descriptive writing activities and/or presentations.

Learning objectives

• Students will gain insight into the nature of science and the processes involved in the methods of science.
• Students will develop critical thinking skills necessary to question and to explore answers to questions posed by science.
• Students will develop communication skills necessary to understand scientific writing.

National Standards

The lessons reflect the content from the following National Science Education Standards in Physical and Life sciences:

• Abilities Necessary to Do Scientific Inquiry
  • Identify questions and concepts that guide scientific inquiry.
  • Communicate and defend a scientific argument.
• Structure and Properties of Matter

The physical properties of compounds reflect the nature of the interactions among its molecules.

• The Cell
  • Cells have structures that underlie their functions.
• The Molecular Basis for Heredity
  • In all organisms, the instructions for specifying the characteristics of the organism are carried in the DNA.
• Biological Evolution

Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a scientific explanation for the fossil record.

NC Standards

Following are goals from the English III curriculum that I have successfully blended with activities that I have used to meet the Biology goals from the next grouping. As part of my project I would like to develop more activities that can be used to meet a broader spectrum of the Biology curriculum.

English III

• 1.01 Create memoirs that give an audience a sense of how the past can be significant for the present by:
  • elaborating upon a significant past episode from the student's current perspective.
  • projecting the student's voice in the work through reflective interpretation of relationships to people and events.
  • writing for a specific audience and purpose.
• 1.02 Reflect and respond expressively to texts so that the audience will:
  • discover multiple perspectives.
  • investigate connections between life and literature.
  • explore how the student's life experiences influence his or her response to the selection.
  • recognize how the responses of others may be different.
  • articulate insightful connections between life and literature.
  • consider cultural or historical significance.
• 1.03 Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print expressive texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
  • selecting, monitoring, and modifying as necessary reading strategies appropriate to readers' purpose.
  • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
  • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
  • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
  • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
  • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
  • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
  • making connections between works, self and related topics.
  • identifying and analyzing elements of expressive environment found in text in light of purpose, audience, and context.
• 2.01 Research and analyze ideas, events, and/or movements related to United States culture by:
  • locating facts and details for purposeful elaboration.
  • organizing information to create a structure for purpose, audience, and context.
  • excluding extraneous information.
  • providing accurate documentation.
• 2.03 Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print informational texts appropriate to grade level and course literary focus, by:
  • identifying and analyzing text components (such as organizational structures, story elements, organizational features) and evaluating their impact on the text.
  • providing textual evidence to support understanding of and reader's response to text.
  • demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details.
  • summarizing key events and/or points from text.
  • making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions based on text.
  • identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical or cultural influences, contexts, or biases.
  • making connections between works, self and related topics.
• 3.01 Use language persuasively in addressing a particular issue by:
  • finding and interpreting information effectively.
  • recognizing propaganda as a purposeful technique.
  • establishing and defending a point of view.
  • responding respectfully to viewpoints and biases.
• 3.02 Select an issue or theme and take a stance on that issue by:
  • reflecting the viewpoint(s) of Americans of different times and places.
  • showing sensitivity or empathy for the culture represented.
  • supporting the argument with specific reasons.
• 3.03 Use argumentation for:
  • interpreting researched information effectively.
  • establishing and defending a point of view.
  • addressing concerns of the opposition.
  • using logical strategies (e.g., deductive and inductive reasoning, syllogisms, analogies) and sophisticated techniques (e.g., rhetorical devices, parallelism, irony, concrete images).
  • developing a sense of completion.
• 4.03 Assess the power, validity, and truthfulness in the logic of arguments given in public and political documents by:
  • identifying the intent and message of the author or artist.
  • recognizing how the author addresses opposing viewpoints.
  • articulating a personal response to the message and method of the author or artist.
  • evaluating the historical significance of the work.
• 6.01 Demonstrate an understanding of the conventions of language by:
  • decoding vocabulary using knowledge of Anglo-Saxon, Greek, and Latin bases and affixes.
  • using vocabulary strategies such as context clues, resources, and structural analysis (roots, prefixes, etc.) to determine meaning of words and phrases.
  • analyzing the power of standard usage over nonstandard usage in formal settings such a job interviews, academic environment, or public speaking events.
• 6.02 Discern and correct errors in speaking and writing at a level appropriate to eleventh grade by:
  • reviewing and refining purposeful use of varying sentence types with correct punctuation.
  • reviewing and refining correct pronoun usage, antecedents, and case.
  • refining subject/verb agreement and choice of tense.
  • extending effective use of phrases and clauses.
  • discussing parts of speech as they relate to writing.
  • editing for correct spelling and mechanics.

Biology

• 1.01 Identify biological questions and problems that can be answered through scientific investigations.
• 1.02 Design and conduct scientific investigations to answer biological questions.
  • Create testable hypotheses
  • Identify variables.
  • Use a control or comparison group when appropriate.
  • Select and use appropriate measurement tools.
  • Collect and record data.
  • Organize data into charts and graphs.
  • Analyze and interpret data.
  • Communicate findings.

Goal 2: The learner will develop an understanding of the physical, chemical and cellular basis of life. (Enrichment)

• 2.02 Investigate and describe the structure and functions of cells including:
  • Cell organelles.
• 3.04 Assess the impact of advances in genomics on individuals and society.
  • Applications of biotechnology.
• 3.05 Examine the development of the theory of evolution by natural selection including:
  • Development of the theory
  • Fossil and biochemical evidence
  • The origin and history of life
• 5.01 Investigate and analyze the interrelationships among organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems.
  • Techniques of field ecology.
  • Abiotic and biotic factors.

Physical Science

• 6.05 Investigate and analyze the properties and composition of solutions:
  • Solubility curves.
  • Concentration.
  • Polarity.
  • pH scale.
  • Electrical conductivity.
• 5.03 Identify substances through the investigation of physical properties:
  • Density.
  • Melting point.
  • Boiling point.

Technology

Students will make use of internet as a resource and research instrument. They will evaluate material from internet resources in terms of its reliability and relevance and the importance of choosing factual unbiased websites for research purposes. Other forms of technology will include the use of presentation software (Microsoft PowerPoint, SMART Notebook) and hardware (document camera, Airliner tablet from SMART technologies).

Innovation

When developing multidisciplinary activities many have traditionally chosen one of the following two pathways; science and mathematics, because of the applications of mathematical analysis to collected scientific data, or English and social sciences, because of insights from literature into the human perspective of the time period. My project seeks to pair English with science. An important part of science is communication not only with other scientists but also with the public. Students need know how to respond, react, and relate to science information from varying sources.

North Carolina Students

North Carolina has a wealth of opportunities for students to pursue career interests in the sciences, however many do not choose to do so. It is part of our responsibility to address the needs of both groups of students. We need to develop communication skills in those students who wish to pursue their interest in science and to develop the skill and knowledge base of those students who do not wish enter into science disciplines. All of our citizens should be able to understand the headlines from the science community found in the daily newspapers and have the resources to ask intelligent questions of that community. When we empower students with the ability to engage in such dialogue all will benefit.

Assessment

Assessment for these activities can take many forms. Vocabulary strategies and reading comprehension can be assessed by simple quizzes. My preferred method of assessment is to have students write a summary paper sometimes presenting the paper to the class. This form of assessment gives students practice in communication skills. Another aspect of this form of assessment is that students are allowed to demonstrate what they actually did learned and synthesize from the material presented as opposed to traditional forms of assessment which emphasize more what the student didn’t learn. This can impact a student’s moral in many cases. Written assessments also allow students to practice critical thinking skills as they synthesize material. As part of my project, new rubrics will be developed and existing ones improved upon to include elements from both the language arts and the science curricula.