The study aimed to develop a cross-disciplinary integrative STEM (i-STEM) robotics curriculum by the thematic integration approaches of webbed and threaded models, and to understand high school students' cognitions, attitudes, and interests in robotics STEM after the instruction. The concurrent mixed methods including quantitative experimental…

The connections the "Next Generation Science Standards" ("NGSS") creates between science content and practices to literacy and mathematics are especially beneficial at the elementary level. In this article, the authors present a series of lessons a second-grade teacher taught within a thematic unit that integrated standards…

Describes the Viva Kids! Program, in an inner-city elementary school in Florida, in which students create and produce their own opera, engendering great enthusiasm and giving students a new sense of responsibility. (SR)

Describes an interdisciplinary pilot program for ninth graders at Bronxville (New York) High School using three teachers (representing social studies, English, and art) to teach an ancient history unit. The varied learning activities were based on the Coalition for Essential Schools' driving forces: personalization, the student as worker,…

A teacher of upper elementary deaf students describes a multidisciplinary study unit focused on the Alaskan dogsled race, the Iditarod. Activities included studying Alaskan geography and history, following specific racers (mushers) through daily updates faxed from Alaska, writing letters to mushers, calculating math facts related to the race,…

Presents the T-H-E-M-E-S system for designing interdisciplinary learning activities for middle school students. Participating teachers are urged to think up a monstrous list of themes, hone the list and group themes into three manageable lots, extrapolate selection criteria, manipulate and process themes, expand into activities triggered by…

This article describes a cooperative project between a teacher and sculptor to link sculpture with academic subjects within a self-contained class for 13-year-old students with learning disabilities. The nine-week project focused on biological habitats and included the construction of three-dimensional habitats on pieces of wood. (DB)

Suggests projects to help elementary students learn about man-land relationships through field experience, inquiry techniques, and a thematic, interdisciplinary approach. Children study a natural community, a human community, solid wastes, and energy conservation. (Author/AV)

This curriculum unit, intended for use with gifted students and others, uses the theme of queens and honors to develop writing skills across the curriculum. Sample learning activities are suggested for the areas of language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science. (DB)

Illustrates the project approach by describing a classroom unit on Pueblo Indians. Discusses each phase of the project, including assessment, research, hands-on activities, and evaluation. Includes instructions for the hands-on activities used in the project, and offers strategies to guide the study of Native Americans. (TJQ)

This guide uses a thematic approach to show the integration of subjects (reading, mathematics, language arts, science/fine arts) and skills to create a context for learning. The contents of this guide are presented in a holistic format. There are six major topics in the guide, each with subtopics: (1) "Getting Your Feet Wet--An Introduction to…

Describes a secondary English unit on the rural heritage of the United States that sharpens knowledge and skills in the humanities, including English, art, music, and history. Rural music, magazines and literature, historical materials and biographies, and field trips are suggested. A bibliography of materials is included. (DF)

Describes a thematic, interdisciplinary, middle-school curriculum that integrates visual and language arts. Curriculum embodies three principles: (1) visual and verbal responses depend on meaningful interaction among the artist (writer), the art object (text), the viewer (reader), and the environment (context); (2) visual and verbal thinking are…

Illustrates contemporary approaches to construction technology programs which focus on thematic approaches and learning activities that integrate subject areas. Argues for thematic instruction in technology education and describes scope of programs, methods of teaching, thematic exploration of technology, interdisciplinary approaches, technology…

Evaluates a thematic program designed for use in introductory biology courses. Main objectives include the following: to provide relevancy of biological concepts beyond the classroom, be process oriented, integrate units within a biology course, teach for higher-order thinking, and expand the use of resources beyond the textbook. (CCM)