This article describes a new and unique context for integrating STEM and literacy instruction--Novel Engineering. Oftentimes, STEM design challenges are focused on developing solutions to the big problems that humans face such as cleaning up oil spills or contrived situations in which children are tasked with building solutions to hypothetical…

While the primary focus of the Common Core Learning Standards is in improving literacy and math, elements of Social Studies topics and skills are emphasized. Primary source analysis and understanding multiple perspectives are just two examples. This article is grounded in a qualitative analysis of integrated instruction in two elementary…

The absence of social studies curriculum is a problem because it undermines the essential purposes of schooling: to prepare participatory, contributing members of a democratic society. In this article, we argue that integrating the literacy and social studies curricula is one meaningful way to support such civic-minded social studies instruction…

Improving the reading ability of young students could hardly be a more urgent priority for our elementary schools. Two thirds of American fourth and eighth graders are not able to read proficiently--and the outcomes are far worse for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The National Assessment of Educational Progress in 2019 showed that only…

Tour Across America is an interdisciplinary, project-based, multimodal (IPM) activity where students get the opportunity to apply what they learn to a real-life situation while illustrating the interdisciplinary nature of literacy. It provides students with a high-interest, creative platform to review, reinforce, and integrate learned literacy…

With daily classroom schedules jammed with many concepts and skills to cover, integrating subjects whenever possible offers some relief. Primary classrooms can use their daily calendar time to integrate language arts and math. This teaching approach includes the use of word walls, interactive writing, journaling, and other effective teaching…

Describes how the language arts and mathematics can be integrated as students write, solve, and discuss mathematics story problems. Offers suggestions for implementing a problem-writing program in mathematics, and provides four vignettes illustrating such mathematics instruction. (SR)

Presents background and directions for an elementary-level activity combining art and language in which students study verbs and animation techniques. To understand how verbs suggest the passage of time, students visualize action sequences. (AM)

Presents a selection of language arts ideas related to the presidential election campaign. Activities cover critical listening, role playing, vocabulary development, reading, oral speaking, and writing. (SJL)

Elementary school goals for instruction focus on developing literate readers and writers. Provides examples of integrated interdisciplinary and thematic instruction. Recommends the use of thematic instruction with an interdisciplinary focus to meet National Science Education Standards and National English Language Arts Standards. (Author/SJR)

Language arts and science activities are combined in a program based on the adventures of an imaginary character. (DD)

Identifies eight resources that help educators extend and enrich the literacy experiences of students through the weaving of drama, music, and the visual arts into responses to literature, writing, and other areas of the curriculum. (RS)

Inquiry-based science instruction can provide a rich context in which to build literacy skills in the elementary grades. The authors discuss the benefits of incorporating reading, writing, and speaking into science instruction. They describe the results of research on two models for combining language arts and science--the Science IDEAS model and…

To become an integral part of the school program, local resources must be identified, documented, and cataloged at the school or district level. A form for collecting data and sample activities and ideas for using these community resources in interdisciplinary social studies/language arts courses in the elementary grades are presented. (RM)

Illustrates activities which integrate the language arts with other elements of the elementary school curriculum. (DD)