Interdisciplinary Activity

Names: Libby Goldberg Content Areas: Math and

Science

1. What big idea or CONCEPT could frame both of your

content areas?

Math and Science, studies in interdependence

2. What UNITS, in particular, would revolve around this concept

Content 1: Graphing

Content 2: Ecosystems

3. What UNDERSTANDINGS and/or ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

might you explore related to this concept. List and describe
their application/importance in both content areas
NOTE: You should include your concept in your
Understanding statements.

o Devise ONE understanding useful for BOTH content areas

units:

Students will understand that systems are made of interdependent

parts.

o Devise understandings and essential questions more

specifically designed for each content areas unit:

Content 1:

How do various factors influence a graph?

Content 2:

How are ecosystems interdependent on internal and external

factors?

4. Identify what SKILLS students could exercise or practice

within this unit. Aim for at least two skills that span content
areas and two skills specifically designed for each content area
 Interdisciplinary Activity
Sample spanning skill stems:
Making inferences
Making predictions
Gathering evidence
Analyzing cause and effect relationships
Problem solving
Finding patterns
Justifying conclusions with textual support

Content Spanning Skills:

Making predictions
Gathering Evidence
Analyzing cause and effect relationships
Justifying conclusions with textual support

Content Specific Skills:

Content 1: Math
Making predictions on factors that will affect students post assessment
results (i.e. snow days, teacher instruction, running out of time, lack of
planning, poor lesson design etc.).
Analyzing students scores on pre and post-assessments in order to
find the mean, median, and mode.
Calculate percent change, and overall improvement
Model addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of integers;
and add, subtract, multiply, and divide integers.

Content 2: Science
Making predictions on factors that will affect an ecosystem's food chain
and food web.
Analyze cause and effect relationships in an ecosystem.
Understand the role of predator, prey, producers, consumers, and
decomposers within an ecosystem.

5. Identify the KNOWLEDGE or VOCABULARY youd address in each

of these units. The Knowledge will most likely be specific for each
content area.

Content 1: Math
x-axis, y-axis, graphing components , percentage, mean, median,
and mode, addition, subtraction, division, multiplication

Content 2: Science
 Interdisciplinary Activity
ecosystem, predator, prey, producers, consumers, decomposers,
food chain, food web, phototropism, hibernation, and dormancy.

HOOK:

Activity:
http://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/children/tales/session10/12349
9.shtml

Describe how youd go about introducing this concept to your

students. You may use any of the strategies from Chapter 5, a
childrens book, or any other ideas you have (Note: If you use
the childrens book idea, follow the directions below).

The teacher can ask any or all of the questions. I would probably allot
students about three minutes to write. I would then have a class
discussion on their responses.

I would start off by asking my students some guiding questions such

as:
Is it better to be independent or interdependent?
What or who do you rely on?
Was there a time when someone relied on you?
Was there a time you were mutually reliant one someone or
something?
Write about a time in your life where a decision has impacted
your or affected another person/outcome.

I would then complete the activity connected to the link. The activity is
all about interdependence and how everyone in the group is affected
by someone whether it is positive or negative. I would have a
debriefing discussion with students on the topic of interdependence
and how it is relevant to math and in life.