Running Head: CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Content Knowledge in Interdisciplinary Studies

Charis Sileo
Regent University
UED 495-496, Field Experience/Student Teaching ePortfolio
Dr. Gould
November 25, 2016

In partial fulfillment of UED 495-496 Field Experience/Student Teaching ePortfolio, Fall 2016

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Introduction
The difference between a teacher who is knowledgeable of the content she teaches and a
one who is not comfortable with the information she teaches is the difference between a child
who comprehends learning objectives and one who is instructionally unfulfilled. The first step to
being knowledgeable about the content area being taught is establishing a habit of standardsbased instruction. In a school that uses standards-based approaches to educating students,
learning standardsi.e., concise, written descriptions of what students are expected to know and
be able to do at a specific stage of their educationdetermine the goals of a lesson or course,
and teachers then determine how and what to teach students so they achieve the learning
expectations described in the standards (Standards-Based, 2014). In a way, standards-based
learning resembles a scaffolding instructional approach. Because, as opposed to a standardsreferenced approach which is derived from learning standards a standards-based approach
ensures that all of the instruction that is modeled after learning standards is actually being
comprehended and retained by the students (Standards-Referenced, 2014). This distinction is
important for developing an effective, appropriate, and efficient interdisciplinary instructional
style that integrates multiple content areas into one high-quality lesson.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Rationale
My first artifact of choice is a first grade tiered lesson that incorporated fictional text with
the following standards-based skills and content areas: identifying the beginning, middle, and
end of a fictional text; identifying the characters, setting, and important events; and, identifying
plane geometric shapes based on their attributes. These VPS learning objectives are found in
Reading SOL 1.9 and Geometry SOL 1.12.
To satisfy the reading SOLs, I read Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon to my first grade
students, during which I paused throughout the story to incorporate Turn & Share periods. The
whole group would be given a prompt to discuss with their respective partners such as, what
do you think the setting is a how would you describe it? or Is this an important event to record,
and if so, why? As I read the book, my students and I cooperatively decided on the components
we were responsible for recording. Our first task was to determine the setting, characters, and
problem (this was added to throughout the book as more settings and characters were
introduced), which were collectively represented by a triangle one of our plane geometric
shapes that we had been learning to identify based on attributes like angles, sides, and vertices.
The students were given the opportunity to discuss the connection they could make between the
three text components and the geometric shape. This marked the beginning portion of the story.
Our second task was to determine and record four main events events that were
important to the story and needed to be known in order for the storyline to be complete. These
four main events were represented by a square, whose attributes (sides, angles, and vertices)
could be connected to the number of main events being recorded. This marked the middle portion
of the story.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

Our third and final task was to determine the solution to the story. This component was
represented by a circle, which the students had learned was a curved line/shape. This marked the
end portion of the story. During this entire reading, the students each held a bag of the three
plane geometric shapes representing the components of the fictional text. They pulled them out
as we discussed these components during Turn & Share for visual reinforcement.
The lesson was ended with a cooperative-learning based activity in which each pair of
students was given a sheet of paper and a triangle cutout. With two pencils, each pair of students
found an appropriate and safe area of the classroom to complete their task, which was to
collaborate as a two-person team to recall and record the three-component triangle of the
beginning of Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon the characters, settings, and the problem. The pair
were allowed to decide and agree upon whether they wanted to draw or write in these
components. Following this activity, each pair randomly paired up with another pair to share and
compare their results.
My second artifact of choice is a fourth grade tiered lesson that incorporated science,
social studies, and art. Our class was working on a weather unit, and we had been reviewing and
discussing the three main types of storms: tornadoes, hurricanes, and thunderstorms. Prior to
recess, my class and I reviewed the three types of storms by drawing pictures of them and
writing out a description of them, coupled with a group table discussion in which the students
described the type of clouds that produce these types of stormy weather. Our next unit, which
would begin the following Monday, was about Native Americans (social studies). Although we
had not begun this unit, I took the opportunity to briefly discuss how weather dictated the
lifestyle of Eastern Woodland Indians their shelter, their food, and their clothing. We
conducted a short brainstorm of ways in which our lives are directly affected by weather, and

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

how weather dictates our appearance, our plans, our travels, and sometimes even our mood. We
took recess, and then began where we left off after reentering the classroom.
I began the mini-lesson with an anticipatory set, asking the class if they had seen the
movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. With that, I explained that the book I was going to
read also had the same title, that the movie and storyline they were familiar with was based on
the book. After laying out rules and expectations, and giving the class the order of activities in
which we were about to engage, we viewed a clip from Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.
Following this, I read half of the book while the class worked on their own version of stormy
weather. This was their opportunity to use creativity they were allowed to create any type of
weather they imagined. I played sing-along music for the class as they worked on their artwork. I
then read the latter half of the book. The students ended the art activity by sharing their creations
with their table.
Reflection
Interdisciplinary instruction promotes higher-level thinking. Purposefully integrating a
multi-layered instructional approach gives students the impetus to think critically. It is easy
convenient, even to encourage a child to think on the surface. But to inspire a child to mentally
reach beyond the threshold of simple conceptualization requires the teacher herself to reach
beyond the ease of rudimentary instruction and reach for an interdisciplinary approach.
Engaging students and helping them to develop knowledge, insights, problem solving skills,
self-confidence, self-efficacy, and a passion for learning are common goals that educators bring
to the classroom, and interdisciplinary instruction and exploration promotes realization of these
objectives (Why Teach, 2010). As such, advances in cognitive ability are more frequent in

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

instruction that is supported by a multi-layered framework. Rather than intellectually
acknowledging one concept, a student in this dynamic is challenged with acknowledging,
comparing, and formulating connections between multiple concepts of different complexities and
from different subjects.
Interdisciplinary instruction addresses multiple skills simultaneously. A cross-curricular
approach to instruction may be founded on one skill such as reading but encourage the
integration of more specific skills within this broad skill. For instance, an interdisciplinary
approach to guided reading would inspire a student to account for comprehension, fluency, selfcorrection, real-world connections, prior knowledge activation, and perhaps recognizing
connective themes between different subjects or learning objectives/standards. In this mindset, a
student is most likely to effectuate informational transfers that originate from high-quality
thinking.
Interdisciplinary instruction is realistic preparation. In the real world, people are
expected to apply many difference modes of skill, intelligence, and competency. The workforce,
and society in general, is not forgiving towards a narrow, singular, or otherwise weakly
underdeveloped approach to real-world problem solving. Real-world problems are complex, so
no single discipline can adequately describe and resolve these issues (Why Teach, 2010). In this
same manner, interdisciplinary instructional approaches reflect, imitate, and prepare students for
the multi-level expectations of the quality of life they will enter into as contributing citizens.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

References
Standards-Based (2014, December 05). The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from
http://edglossary.org/standards-based/
Standards-Referenced (2014, January 30). The Glossary of Education Reform. Retrieved from
http://edglossary.org/standards-referenced/
Why Teach with an Interdisciplinary Approach? (2010, September 02). Pedagogy in Action: the
SERC portal for Educators. Retrieved from http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/inter
disciplinary/why.html