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Integrated Curriculum 1

Running head: INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE

LA VERNE, CALIFORNIA

BENEFITS OF AN INTEGRATED CURRICULUM

A Paper Prepared for EDUC 596

In Partial Fulfillment of

The Requirement for the Degree

Master of Education

Carly Starn

March 2008


Table of Contents

SECTION I: The Problem Page 3

SECTION II: Literature Review Page 5

SECTION III: Procedure 3

SECTION IV: Evaluation Page 25

REFERENCE LIST Page 26

APPENDIX:

The Project

Weekly Calendars Page 28

Standards Page 36


The Problem

Purpose of the Project

The purpose of this project is to research the benefits of an integrated curriculum and to

create an 8-week fully integrated 8th

grade American History and English/Language Arts unit.

The unit is history-driven, but infused with language arts lessons. The literature selected was

either written during the era being studied or about the area studied. This project should serve to

show teachers that it is possible to use

In the last few years I have seen more middle schools adopt a “team teaching” approach

to studying history and language arts. However, despite this “team” approach, I saw very few

teachers make much of an effort to create integrated lessons. I personally teach both language

arts AND history to the same groups of students in what is called a “Humanities Course.”

Despite the classes being combined in name, they are not in content. At the beginning of the year

we studied the Revolutionary War, but were reading a book about the Civil War. The disconnect

between the historical and literary concepts was apparent as students had a hard time not

blending the two topics together.

Importance of the Project

I wanted to create a curriculum that would allow me to teach both subjects, but in a way

that would bring them together. Because our view of world is vastly different from a person

living in the 1700s view of the world it is sometimes difficult to put historical events into

perspective. It is important to help students find a way to be able to identify with historical

characters. My goal was to help further the students‟ understanding of the history though

literature, and further their understanding of literature through history.


If a student were studying the Salem Witch Trials while reading a biography about one of

the women involved, they could better comprehend the mindset of people living in America

during the 1600s. At the same time, when we read a poem by Thoreau, if the students have an

understanding about the period of time when he was writing they could better interpret the

messages in his poems.


Abstract

The implementation of integrated curriculum programs in schools has long been a topic of

discussion among educators. Those who support the program argue that the integration of

subjects leads to increased student motivation, increased critical thinking skills and a better,

deeper, understanding of subjects. Integrated curriculum programs can take many different

shapes. These include fully integrated programs where there is no distinction between the

subjects being taught, and shared programs where the subjects are taught in different classes, but

focus on the same idea (i.e. the Civil War). The purpose of this literature review is to explore

some of these different programs and summarize what educators and researchers have discovered

about integrated curriculum programs.


Benefits of an Integrated Curriculum

Introduction

In his article about integrated curriculums James Beane notes that “when we are

confronted in real life with a compelling problem or puzzling situation, we don‟t ask which part

is mathematics, which part is science, which part is history, and so on. In stead we draw on or

seek out knowledge and skill from any and all sources that might be helpful” (Beane, 1991, p. 9).

In another article he again calls on teachers to change the way they educate students by saying

that “life itself does not know the boundaries or compartments of what we call disciplines of

knowledge” (Beane, 1995, p. 1) Beane argues that students should be taught in a way that will

help them to succeed in the world where problems are not divided into subjects. He would like to

see a middle school that works on teaching students about themselves and the world around them

– the curriculum should be structured around their questions and concerns about life. He wants

the schools to wait until high school to be “subject-centered” (Beane, 1991, p. 10). Beane

recognizes that schools have been making efforts to create a better, “more positive school

climate” (Beane, 1991, p. 10). Some ways that schools have tried to change include “block

scheduling and interdisciplinary collaboration” (Beane, 1991, p. 10). Indeed, studies have shown

that in recent years more and more schools have turned to interdisciplinary teaching, or

integrated curriculum, as a way of instructing their students. One such study reported that 79% of

the 1,400 middle schools surveyed use interdisciplinary teaming (Hackmann, et.al., 2002). This

number, they noted, had increased from the 57% reported in 1992. The schools all choose to

structure their programs differently, based on their needs and resources, but they all integrate at

least two of their subjects in some fashion.


Because more schools are including some aspect of an integrated curriculum, it is

important to understand the benefits of such a program, as well as some of possible drawbacks.

Because an integrated curriculum is more complex than individual subject, teacher-driven

lessons, schools and teachers need to understand exactly what is necessary to make this type of

learning possible. This literature review looks at the different ways schools implement integrated

curriculum program and the potential benefits of such programs.

Integrated Curriculum Defined

Over the years “integrated curriculum” has been given many different titles and

definitions. Some may refer to integrated curriculum as “interdisciplinary teaching,” or “thematic

teaching.” James Beane takes the idea of integrated curriculum beyond just the blending of

subjects and suggests that educators, in essence, stop using the subject-specific model of

education for middle schools and instead adopt a more question driven “learning experience”

model (Beane, 1995). While this is an interesting concept, and would probably attract students,

in an era of standardized testing and standards, it is an impractical one. With the implementation

of standards and testing it is important that, if an integrated curriculum model is used, the

standards are still followed and students are prepared for the end-of-the-year tests. With this in

mind, the most practical form of curriculum integration would be a form in which subjects were

still clearly defined, but taught in concert with one another.

For the purposes of this literature review, the term “integrated curriculum” will be

operationally defined using Shoemaker‟s definition, “education that is organized in such a way

that it cuts across subject-matter lines, bringing together various aspects of the curriculum into

meaningful association to focus upon broad areas of study” (as cited in Lake, 1994, p. 1). What


this means is that any program that somehow incorporates at least two subjects is an integrated

curriculum program.

Additionally, the term “team teaching” has many different connotations – and has been

called at different times, “team teaching, cooperative teaching, or collaborative teaming”

(Piechura-Couture, Tichenor, Touchton, Macisaac & Heins, 2006, p. 40). For the purposes of this

review, the term “team teaching” will be assigned the definition given to “multidisciplinary

teams” by Jean Spraker. Team teaching shall mean “[shared] instructional responsibilities for

content as a team.” (as cited in Piechura-Couture, et. al., 2006, p. 40).

The Continuum of Integration

Just as there are many definitions for integrated curriculum, there are many ways to

structure an integrated curriculum program. In her article, Lake introduces the “continuum of

integration” (Lake, 1994, p. 3). The continuum includes ten different levels of curriculum

ranging from fragmented, which means that the subjects are treated as individual entities to

networked, which gives the student control of the integration process.

Beane‟s concept of an integrated curriculum is in line with the networked plan. He wants

students to possess some control over the curriculum and he wants total blending of the subjects.

In one of his articles he says:

Young people and adults have been led to believe that the purpose of education is to

master or „collect‟ facts, principles and skills that have been selected for inclusion in one

or another subject area instead of learning how those isolated elements might be used to

inform larger, real-life purposes (Beane, 1995, p. 3).

He pushed for middle school teachers to remove themselves from dividing themselves along

subject lines and wanted to have middle schools focus on the “big picture” rather than start them


on specific subjects. As previously stated, with standards and standardized testing this idea is

difficult to put into practice. One that is easier to implement and still cover all standards is the

fifth level of the continuum - the shared level.

The shared level is often used by team teachers (or one teacher teaching both subjects)

and “involves two disciplines focused on shared concepts, skills or attitudes” (Lake, 1994, p.3).

For continuity purposes, when referring to integrated curriculum programs, unless otherwise

stated the programs operate at the shared level of the integrated curriculum continuum.

At Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, CA, the 11th

grade US History and

English teachers have devised a shared curriculum plan. As the students move through each

historical period, the English teachers introduce literature either from or about that time period.

This helps to both paint a picture of life during the era and give context to the literature. Many of

the research articles referenced in this review observed integrated curriculum structured in the

same manner.

Pros of an Integrated Curriculum

One positive outcome of Beane‟s integrated curriculum being based on student concerns

and questions is that will help to create a buy-in for the students. His system gives them a “voice

in curriculum planning” and so they feel more connected to the curriculum, as opposed to a

curriculum where the students are told what they will be learning and are passive participants

(Beane, 1991, p. 12).

Several studies have shown that when schools use an integrated curriculum they see

positive results. In a case study conducted by Oitzinger and Kallgren, the two professors

combined their academic backgrounds (English and American history) to observe the

effectiveness of team teaching and student presentations. They developed a course called


Modern Times at the University of Wisconsin-Marinette that covered both American history and

literature in the “post-Civil War period” (Oitzinger & Kallgren, 2004, p. 64). They each lectured

and taught their students how to lead group presentations, ending each term with presentations

on the various novels assigned to the class. The stated goal of the course was to “look at

literature through the lens of history and history through the lens of literature” (Oitzinger &

Kallgren, 2004, p. 66). Each term they passed out a questionnaire, asking the students how they

felt about the course. They found that students had a positive reaction toward the makeup of the

class and felt that the inclusion of both English and history helped to paint a better picture of life

during the eras studied. Their student retention rate was 24% higher than other classes on campus

and found that the cognitive growth for the students in the Modern Times class was three times

higher than that of the control group, which was taught by a single teacher and lecture oriented

(Oitzinger & Kallgren, 2004).

Bilof‟s case study supports Oitzinger and Kallgren‟s findings (Bilof, 1996). He also

utilized integrated curriculum to fuse history and English, using a novel, The Killer Angels by

Michael Shaara, to motivate his students and increase their understanding of the Civil War.

Bilof, a teacher in New Jersey, asked his 11th

grade US history students to read the book during

their Civil War unit. By means of the book‟s plot, characters and images Bilof highlighted

information about the time period and helped the students to better understand the “human

aspect” (Bilof, 1996, p. 21) of the Civil War. After reading the book, the students wrote a paper

about one of the three main figures in the book, incorporating nonfiction sources to support

Sharra‟s story. The essay was the main way Bilof gathered his results. He focused on how well

the paper was written in addition to how the students balanced historical record with a fictional

book. He found that not only were the papers well written, the students seemed to have a better


understanding of the people who made history. The students all found different aspects of

General Lee, Lieutenant-General Longstreet and Colonel Chamberlain to focus on, but the essays

were particularly perceptive. Also, to ensure candid feedback about the unit, Bilof had the

students fill out anonymous questionnaires, which provided him with ideas for how to improve

the assignment for students the next year. Of the 54 students questioned, 52 said that the

assignment was a powerful one that should be done again, and that they “enjoyed reading the

novel („…much better than reading the battle in a boring textbook; …an enjoyable way to learn

about history‟)” (Bilof, 1996, p. 22). Combining literature and history helped the students to

connect with the material in a way that the textbook could not.

Another study that looked at interdisciplinary curricula, done by Applebee, Adler and

Flihan, looked at 11 teams of teachers and 542 students in New York and California (Applebee,

Adler & Flihan, 2007, p. 1002). They studied the effectiveness of several different types of

integrated curriculums to see if any of them “increase student achievement” (Applebee, Adler &

Flihan, 2007, p. 1002). Each of the 11 teams were chosen based on nominations from both their

and district, demographic examinations and interviews with the teams. They visited each team to

ensure that they were in fact sticking to the curriculum they claimed to use. All of the teams

included, at the very least, history and English, though some incorporated other subjects as well.

Of the 11 teams, three were 7th

grade, one was 8th

grade, three were 9th

grade and four were 11th

grade. All of the 11th

grade teams emphasized American studies, as that is the focus for both the

history and English standards. In each interdisciplinary team at least six students were selected as

“focus student” the students represented a range of achievement level and represented the “racial

and ethnic composition and language backgrounds within each class” (Applebee, Adler &

Flihan, 2007, p. 1010). They collected data for two years to see how the programs developed and


changed with different students and team members. Each school had a teacher who acted as the

liaison and provided the researchers with all pertinent information. The researchers spent some

time in each classroom to collect observable data, but spent the rest of the time reviewing work

submitted by the teacher. The focus students were interviewed at the end of the year to gather

final thought about their individual programs. Most of their data came in the form of qualitative

results – they took notes about meetings with/observations of each of their subjects and turned

that into their data. They found that, when compared to programs where subjects are just loosely

connected, in the shared curriculum program there was an increase in the minutes of discussion

among students and the number of minutes per hour where connections to the other subjects

were emphasized (i.e. connections to English concepts made in a history class). In the loosely

connected classes only 3.6 minutes were devoted to interdisciplinary studies, versus 13.8 minutes

per hour in shared classrooms (Applebee, Adler & Flihan, 2007, p. 1014). Applebee and his

fellow researchers noted that one of the best outcomes of one particular shared program was the

sense of community developed within the interdisciplinary team, “the program created a family

atmosphere that helped them to retain students who would typically drop out. He [one of the

teachers] believed that attendance also improved as a result of the program” (Applebee, Adler &

Flihan, 2007, p. 1022). That particular program focused on American studies in their English,

history and art classes. The three classes concurrently studied America‟s history from the 1800s

to the 1960s and completed projects that would highlight the artistic and literary

accomplishments of that time period as well as the historical events. The researchers noticed that

students were able to reference things they had learned about in English while in their history

class – this is a positive outcome of the program as it shows that the students are able to retain

the information from one class and apply it to another. Instead of forgetting about English as


soon as they have left the classroom they are able to continue on the conversation begun in their

other class. All of the classrooms in the team were “relaxed, informal places where students and

teachers seemed genuinely interested in learning from each other. Students generally asked

questions or made comments to the whole class without raising their hands. Classroom

management did not seem to be an issue for any of these teachers” (Applebee, Adler & Flihan,

2007, p. 1023). This type of classroom, where students can feel more relaxed and are expected to

make a contribution, is closer to what a college classroom and the business world is like and will

better prepare students for life outside secondary school.

It is not uncommon for history and English to be combined in an integrated curriculum

program. The nature of these two subjects makes it quite easy to create a logical connection.

Whelan‟s analysis of a middle school history-English unit supports the other researchers‟ claims

that integrated units help to capture the students‟ interests and make the subjects more interesting

and understandable (2004). Whelan‟s case study looked at a group of 50 middle school students

who, in their history and English classes, wrote a research paper and put together a small “history

museum” in their town hall. While the program that he studied lasted for only one part of the

year, rather than the entire year, he comes to many of the same conclusions as those who studied

year-long programs. The unit he observed was put together by a history teacher, an English

teacher and a librarian and lasted about three months. The students were each focusing on a

different event in history, and with the help of the three faculty members, wrote a history paper,

created a historical newspaper and display board for the museum, and put together a five-minute

oral presentation that was delivered in front of other district teachers and community members.

The teachers gave the students an outline for the assignment, but allowed the students, for the

most part, to be self-directed. Each teacher (including the librarian, who taught the students


about research methods) focused on the part of the assignment that was covered by his or her

teaching standards. However, Whelan noted that it was not just those three teachers helping the

student. Everyone on the campus, even the janitor, was seen at some point to be helping the

students. This, he says, is one of the benefits of an integrated curriculum – it turns the “school

into an extended, integrated educational community, one in which adults work collectively with

students toward goals” (Whelan, 2004, p. 56). When teachers work in “self-sustaining” (Whelan,

2004, p. 56) classrooms they are more likely to isolate themselves, whereas programs that

require teacher collaboration foster a greater sense of community. Besides just observing the

students, Whelan interviewed them during and after the process and found that all of the students

felt that while “they had never worked so hard in school” (2004, p. 59), they had learned a lot

and felt proud of their accomplishments. And, although the English teacher admitted that much

of those three months was devoted to one project, the students were still receiving spelling

lessons, learning new vocabulary and working on their speech skills. Plus, she said that the unit

required that the students “read and write for real” (Whelan, 2004, p. 60). The unit did not

involve the rote memorization, or drill-and-kill, as many other history classes do, but the students

proved through their display boards and oral presentations, that they can remember and

comprehend historical facts as well anyone else.

Lee, who also looked at how an integrated curriculum works at the middle school level,

wrote an article about an integrated unit studying the American Revolution. During her

background study into the concept of integrated curriculum she discovered research done by

McDonald that said, “improved motivation is one positive outcome of integrated instruction” (as

cited in Lee, 2007, p. 159). She went on to say “when students become interested in a topic that

is taught in more than one subject, they are more likely to be motivated to pay attention in these


various classes and have a desire to learn” (Lee, 2007, 159). So, if we create connections

between classes and let students see that academic subjects are not totally independent ideas,

they may become more motivated to further their studies in the area. If a student, who loves

science but not math, can see how math ties into that subject, they may begin to appreciate math

more. She continues her article by outlining how a teacher could integrate at least nine other

subject areas into a unit about the American Revolution. Some supplementary lesson suggestions

are to look at statistics about the Revolution to cover math, read a book about the time period for

language arts, analyze paintings of the American Revolution to draw in art and practice

“marching in military formation” to integrate physical education (Lee, 2007, p. 162). Lee

completed a trial run of the lessons at a middle school in Michigan and found that with the

exception of one lesson, the integration of the other subjects was successful. The math teacher

noted that the students were excited about the lesson and were proud of the graphs they created

(Lee, 2007). Because the lessons were presented simultaneously, the students were able to see

how subjects can be blended together to further their understanding of one specific topic.

Morris, who focused on younger children in his article, outlines the benefits of a program

where a hands-on approach is used to teach both science and social studies. His program, which

is only an interdisciplinary unit rather than a whole year‟s curriculum, has students learn how

blacksmiths work to study both the history of blacksmithing and the era when blacksmiths were

more common, as well as science and technology.

Students are surrounded by metal products, and they make daily choices about how to use

metal. Though this lesson, students can connect the metalworking experience of their

daily lives to the historic process of blacksmithing… Students can learn about science,

the environment, trade, and the past” (Morris, 2007, p. 100).


The teacher Morris followed for this article, Marvin Kuhn, teaches students all about

blacksmithing in an effort to teach them about history and science in a way that is meaningful to

them – rather than lecturing or giving them handouts they learn by doing. The subjects are

seamlessly blended and as Kuhn introduces a new tool for the students to use he teaches about

the evolution of that tool. “They may not be apprentices, but they have a firsthand experience

with science, technology, and a process that affected early American society” (Morris, 2007, p.

101). By the end of the unit the students have learned about multiple subjects in a way that they

are not likely to soon forget. Plus, if people from outside the community become involved, it can

help to create a link between the school and the outside world and introduce the students to new

people (Morris, 2007).

Integrated curriculum units have also been found to be particularly beneficial for English

language learners. Warnod, the Bilingual Program Coordinator for Camberwell Primary School

looked at how an integrated curriculum could “widen opportunities for learning when teaching

and learning content in a second language” (2002, p. 1). She imagined that if the students

learning a second language were taught using a curriculum that was “rich in concepts which will

provide many opportunities for „life experiences‟” they would learn the new language faster

(Warnod, 2002, p. 1). If they could connect the new language with life experiences it would be

more meaningful. She noted that this broad concept approach combined with being encouraged

to share the information they were learning with peers would further develop their “language

skills” (Warnod, 2002, p. 7). After looking at how this type of curriculum is organized she

concluded that an integrated curriculum program would “maximize their learning of both

language and content” (Warnod, 2002, p. 8).


Researchers have found that the benefits of a collaborative or integrated curriculum

extend beyond just the students. Teachers also benefit from the collaborative effort, though in

different ways. Spraker found in her “meta-analysis of more than 200 research studies… that

teachers in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams feel less isolated and more supported”

(as cited in Piechura-Couture, et. al., 2006, p. 40). Teachers can feel isolated within their own

campuses, but if they utilize team teaching or simply collaborate with another teacher in order to

create an integrated curriculum, they can increase their sense of community and create a better

environment for themselves and their students.

Cons of an Integrated Curriculum

While the different researchers all cite the benefits of implementing an integrated

curriculum, they, and others, admit that it is not a program without problems. Whelan, while

promoting the integrated curriculum unit he studied, conceded that there are some potential

troubles (2004). One is the amount of time spent on one unit project. Even though only four

weeks of class time were spent creating their mini museum, the teachers he observed spent 3

months talking about one project. This means that the students in their classes spent that much

time studying only one event in history. When you are expected to cover all major events in

American history from pre-Columbus times to post-Civil War, three months cannot be spent

looking at one event. If this were replicated as a year-end project, after the students had covered

everything else it would work, but as a collaborative, end-of-unit assessment it is not feasible.

He also pointed out that many of the “benefits” gained from an integrated curriculum unit are

difficult to assess – how to you grade imagination, creativity or initiative? While those are all

commendable byproducts of the project, they are not what the students are ultimately held

accountable for at the end of the year.


While some mentioned having concerns over how much time is spent on a single project

- as integrated projects seem to be more involved because the student have to prove mastery in

more than one skill - others are concerned about teachers being able to strike the right balance

between the subjects. Oitzinger and Kallgren had students request that the two subjects (history

and English) be more integrated, rather than treated as two subjects taught in one class period

(2004). Students must be given the proper context to understand why it is important, or useful, to

study the subjects together.

Another potential problem that every researcher brought up is the problem of not having

enough time to plan an integrated unit. Especially at the middle and high school levels, most

teachers are specialists in only one area, so to integrate a lesson they need enough time to plan

with other teachers. Whelan says that this is one reason why most teachers prefer teacher-

centered, single subject lessons – they are easier to plan (2004). Another study mentions time for

planning as being one of the biggest considerations when planning an integrated curriculum

(Hackmann, Petzko, Valentine, Clark, Nori & Lucas, 2002). Oitzinger and Kallgren echoed the

sentiments, claiming that “faculty workload, resistance to change and cost” (2004, p. 65) are

among the reasons why teachers do not want to attempt to integrate subjects. When teachers are

already busy just planning lessons on their own, finding time to accommodate other teacher‟s

schedule is daunting.

Applebee, Adler and Flihan do not only provide evidence of the positive aspects of

integrated curriculum, they also bring up some problems. One problem, which they briefly

alluded to, is that one subject can become the “dominant” subject causing the others to be

overshadowed. This, they said, sometimes had negative results. “Teachers who felt that their

subject was being eroded… began to be dissatisfied; some eventually left their teams”


(Applebee, Adler & Flihan, 2007, p. 1035). Many of the teams they observed took their lead

from the social studies class, as the chronological approach is much more difficult to alter or

adapt, and so it is conceivable that the teacher of another subject sometimes feels pigeonholed or

undervalued and want to change directions. Another potential problem occurs when the teachers

are “[pressed] to preserve interdisciplinary connections [and create] unnatural disjunctions in the

curriculum” (Applebee, Adler & Flihan, 2007, p. 1035). Not all classes move at the same pace so

it is quite possible that an English class will spend more time talking about a book relating to the

Civil War than the history class will need to study the war. Advanced planning is crucial to the

success of any interdisciplinary program.

An article about problem-based learning (PBL) brought up some of the potential

complications with interdisciplinary units, especially in society where so much of a school‟s

success is based on test scores. Problem-based learning is a style of teaching where the class is

presented with a broad topic/problem and then requires the students to learn the information

necessary to solve the problem. Rather than the teacher giving the students the information up

front, they learn it as the work on their task (Nowak, 2007). Problem-based learning is

integrative because they are “modeling real-world problems… [and] students are required to

cross the traditional disciplinary boundaries in their quest to solve a problem” (Nowak, 2007, p.

62). Problem-based and integrated learning styles are scrutinized because so much emphasis is

placed on standardized testing, which tests students on very specific knowledge. These teaching

styles can tend to focus less on specific details and more on broad concepts so students may not

perform as well on standardized tests. When the author, Nowak, tested both problem-based and

non-problem-based classrooms, he found that students in the non-problem-based classes

performed better on multiple-chose tests that were similar to standardized tests (2007). Each


group of students was given a pre-test before the unit and a post-tests after the unit. One of the

topics he focused on, astronomy, showed that between the pre and post-test the non-PBL

students‟ scores only went up 3.58 points, compared with an increase of 15 points for the PBL

students (Nowak, 2007, p. 65). Nowak concludes that problem-based learning can “appear to „do

harm‟ to students in terms of content acquisition on fact-based tests” (2007, p. 66). Teachers

need to be careful, when they create a curriculum that is based on a broad topic and try to

incorporate many different subjects, that they do not neglect teaching the facts that will help their

students succeed on standardized tests, especially in a high stakes testing society.

A study of interdisciplinary classrooms at elementary schools found that some teachers

who attempt to create interdisciplinary units lack the skills necessary to create effective

programs. The researchers studied 55 elementary school teachers across three states and

surveyed their approaches to creating a curriculum. The researchers detailed the teachers‟

teaching methods and „[identified] themes that emerged from the data” (Douville, Pugalee &

Wallace, 2003, p. 390). The survey that followed looked at how the teachers combined math,

science and literature, the types of strategies they used to combine the subjects and how their

planning process worked (Douville, Pugalee & Wallace, 2003, p. 390). They found that “one

fourth of the participating teachers did not identify any process for planning integrated

instruction” (Douville, Pugalee & Wallace, 2003, p. 394). If teachers do not have a plan for

creating an integrated curriculum, the thoroughness of the program comes into question. They

also found that while some of the teachers used pieces of literature that were about the topic they

were studying in science, they made no effort to discuss the connections in class. The point of an

integrated curriculum is to see the connections between subjects; if the teacher does not make the

connections then it is an ineffective program. The researchers concluded that if integrated


programs were going to be successful, teachers should be trained in how to help prepare lessons

that are truly interdisciplinary. Otherwise they are just teaching about a similar topic, without

teaching the students how to draw on their understanding of one topic to further their studies in

another subject.

George provides a veritable laundry list of arguments against integrated curriculum

(1996). He mentions, among other things, that there is little evidence that an integrated

curriculum provides for more independent learning on the part of the student, student

involvement, depth of understanding, transfer and retention of knowledge, academic

achievement or group citizenship. Rather, he says that encouraging teachers to adopt the

integrated curriculum models requires that many ignore their training and teach in a manner that

is foreign, which could be detrimental for the students. He also mentions a lack of proper

planning time and resources. Though the article was written before No Child Left Behind and the

push to raise standardized test scores, he brings up an argument that ties into current school

issues. Integrated curriculum, he argues, does not always provide as thorough coverage on a

single subject as the state and national testing might require. When you have to adapt a subject to

meet the needs of another, important information may get left out. George admits that the idea of

integrated curriculum may be attractive to teachers, but it may not always be the best plan.

Conclusion

After reviewing the literature, both research articles and opinion pieces, it appears as

though using the integrated curriculum model can be extremely effective, when properly

constructed. The literature points to an increase in teacher communication, student interest and

motivation when subjects such as history and English are combined. Nearly all of the integrated

units studied involve some type of comprehensive project that assesses students‟ knowledge of


both subjects. The evidence shows that the students found the projects to be meaningful and

learned a lot from the process. What also became clear is the importance of properly planning an

integrated curriculum. The cons mentioned could be avoided through proper planning and

consideration. The types of lesson plans created for this type of curriculum cannot be created the

morning of, as there are usually multiple teachers to plan with. Overall, the benefits of an

integrated curriculum seem to outweigh the potential conflicts, and though it may not be possible

to integrate all subjects at once, it is certainly possible to do on a smaller scale.


Procedure

Development and Approval of Project

The concept for this project was developed during our EDU 504 course and developed

during EDU 596. At the end of EDU 504 every student submitted a project proposal that outlined

their topic and their plans for the project. My proposal stated that I would be studying the idea of

integrated curriculum and would then put together a fully integrated 8th

Grade English and

American History unit.

How was the Project Developed?

I first chose the four main history topics I wished to cover for my project. After selecting

the topics and corresponding state history standards, I looked through the history book that my

school uses to see what specific concepts and events were emphasized and the order in which

they present the information. I created a list with only the historical topics and then searched the

school adopted literature book and the history book‟s publisher material to get an idea of the type

of language arts activities I could introduce during each topic. I also looked at the history

standards to see which authors they suggested studying and tried to find excerpts from their work

for the class to study. From there I added language arts activities to the list and created a calendar

that represented how long I thought each activity should take.

Once I had created lesson plans, I matched each activity with its appropriate language

arts or history standard and gave the activity a number (i.e. 1-1), which represented the week in

which the activity took place and the order within that week. I then entered all of the activity

numbers into a table that included the California history and English/language arts standards.

The table helped me to make sure that I had covered all the history topics I originally planned to


study and I could see how many language arts standards had been covered in the eight-week unit

and whether or not I wanted/needed to add more language arts activities..

Who was Involved?

When creating the footprint for the unit I relied on the curriculum calendar that Kathy

Waters, a teacher at Balboa Middle School, created for her own 8th

Grade Humanities Course.

Although she does not teach a fully integrated course, the pacing calendar she created for the

history lessons was one that easily lent itself to my project. I used the calendar to determine what

emphasis I should place on each history idea, and how long I should spend on a topic, and then I

developed language arts activities that would fit.

Implementation

Because the unit I created was based on what I was teaching at the time I have already

started implementing part of the project. This project would be most useful to someone who

teaches both history and language arts because it was developed with the intention that the

students are in the same classroom for a significant block of time each day. However, it could be

adapted for team teachers. Because it follows the history standards exactly, it can be used as soon

as the class begins studying Washington‟s presidency and ends with the country on the brink of

the Civil War. All the worksheets I developed for the lessons are included – there is only one set

of worksheets that was not included in the project, and that is because they need to be purchased

from Brown University in order to be used. All of the videos used are commercial videos and are

easily obtained.


Evaluation

After I completed the project I gave it to two teachers, Katie Tedford and Kathy Waters,

to review. Katie is a history teacher at Foothill Technology High School in Ventura, CA and

Kathy is a history and English teacher at Balboa Middle School in Ventura, CA. Both teachers

hold credentials in the subjects covered in the lessons and have, in some fashion, created

interdisciplinary lessons themselves.

Katie teaches 11th

grade American History and works closely with the 11th

grade English

teacher at the school, as the emphasis for the junior year is American literature. She said that my

project was one that could be easily implemented in a classroom like mine and that I did a good

job of incorporating language arts activities that fit with the historical topics. She gave me some

suggestions for ways to create lessons that required the students to think more critically about the

speeches we read, and her ideas were incorporated into the lesson. She liked the idea of having

the students write journal entries during the Lewis and Clark Activity because it allowed the

students to be creative, while trying to understand the people of that time period.

Kathy gave me very similar feedback. We had talked earlier in the year about the lack of

early American literature in the literature books, making an integrated curriculum for 8th

grade

difficult, so she was interested to see how I got around that difficulty. We talked about creating

an entire year‟s curriculum similar to this one. She was impressed by the unit and wanted a copy

of the CD so that she could have a digital copy of all the lessons.


References

Applebee, A., Adler, M., & Flihan, S. (2007). Interdisciplinary curricula in middle and high

school classrooms: Case studies of approaches to curriculum and instruction [Electronic

version]. American Educational Research Journal, 44, 1002-1039.

Beane, J. (1991). The middle school: The natural home of integrated curriculum [Electronic

version]. Educational Leadership, 49, 9-13.

Beane, J. (1995). Curriculum integration and the disciplines of knowledge, Phi Delta Kappan,

76, 616-622. Retrieved December 26, 2007, from http://0-proquest.umi.com.garfield.ulv.edu.

Bilof, E. (1996). The Killer Angels: A case study of historical fiction in the social studies

curriculum [Electronic version]. The Social Studies, 87, 19-23.

Douville, P., Pugalee, D., & Wallace, J. (2003). Examining instructional practices of elementary

science teachers for mathematics and literacy integration [Electronic version]. School

Science and Mathematics, 103, 388-396.

George, P.S. (1996). Arguing integrated curriculum. Education Digest, 62, 16-21. Retrieved

October 13, 2007, from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.garfield.ulv.edu/

Hackmann, D., Petzko, V., Valentine, J., Clark, D., Nori, J., & Lucas, S. (2002). Beyond

interdisciplinary teaming: Findings and implications of the NASSP national middle level

study [Electronic version]. National Association of Secondary School Principles. NASSP

Bulletin, 86, 33-47.

Lake, K. (1994). Integrated Curriculum. Northwest Regional Education Laboratory: School

Improvement Research Series. Retrieved October 10, 2007, from http://www.nwrel.org.

Lee, M. (2007). Spark up the American Revolution with math, science and more: An example of

an integrative curriculum unit [Electronic version]. The Social Studies, 98, 159-164.


Morris, R. (2007). Social studies around the blacksmith‟s forge: Interdisciplinary teaching and

learning [Electronic version]. The Social Studies, 98, 99-103.

Nowak, J. (2007). The problem with using problem-based learning to teach middle school

earth/science in a high stakes testing society [Electronic version]. Journal of Geocience

Education, 55, 62-66.

Oitzinger, J., & Kallgren, D. (2004). Integrating modern times through student team

presentations: A case study on interdisciplinary team teaching and learning [Electronic

version]. College Teaching, 52, 62-68.

Piechura-Couture, K., Tichenor, M., Touchton, D., Macisaac, D., & Heins, E. (2006).

Coteaching: A model for educational reform [Electronic version]. Principal Leadership,

6, 39-43.

Whelan, M. (2004). Back to basics, but that‟s just the beginning: Some reflections after

observing an exemplary middle school unit [Electronic version]. The Social Studies, 95,

53-61.

Warnod, H. (2002, May). Integrated Curriculum: Designing curriculum in the immersion

classroom. ACIE Newsletter. Retrieved December 27, 2007, from

http://www.carla.umn.edu/immersion/acie.


The Project

The pages that follow outline the lesson plans and the standards covered in my eight

week integrated curriculum unit. To see the actual lessons and the appropriate worksheets, see

the lesson plan folder on the CD. Each week‟s activities are in a separate folder. The number at

the beginning of each activity‟s name corresponds to the activity number on the weekly lesson

plans.

The unit covers American history from Washington‟s inauguration to the state of the

country on the eve of the Civil War.


Week 1 – Nationalism Introduction and Washington’s Presidency

Week 2: Presidents Adams and Jefferson

Day Activity Standards Covered

Monday Introduce Nationalism to Sectionalism Unit

(Transformation of America between 1789 and 1850) and

assign timeline

Work on Timeline (Activity 1-1)

Homework: Chapter 5 Vocabulary (Activity 1-2)

History: 8.4 & 8.4.1

ELA: Reading 1.3

Tuesday Review Vocabulary Homework (Activity 1-2)

Watch History Channel‟s “The Revolution” (Segment

about Washington preparing to become president)

Read and discuss Pgs 279-281 (Beginning of Chapter 5,

Section 1 – The First President)

Homework: Create a resume for George Washington and

write a cover letter explaining why he should be our first

president. (Activity 1-3)

History: 8.4.1

History: 8.3

History 8.4.1

ELA: Writing

Applications 2.5

Wednesday New Nations: Problems and Parties Lecture and Foldable

(Activity 1-4)

Homework: Create a resume for George Washington and

write a cover letter explaining why he should be our first

president. (Activity 1-3)

History: 8.3, 8.3.4,

8.3.5, 8.3.6, 8.4, 8.4.1,

8.4.3

History 8.4.1

ELA: Writing

Applications 2.5

Thursday Positions: Federalists or Democratic-Republican – Tea

Party Activity (Activity 1-5)

“Reminiscence of Federalism” (Activity 1-6)

History: 8.3, 8.3.4,

8.3.6

History: 8.3, 8.3.4

Friday Collect and share George Washington resumes and cover

letters

History Channel presents “The Presidents” Washington

Segment (with video notes) (Activity 1-7)

First President Crossword (Activity 1-8)

Homework: Finish Crossword

History 8.4.1

ELA: Writing

Applications 2.5

ELA: Listening and

Speaking 1.8, 1.9

History: 8.4


Week 3: Lewis and Clark & American Culture


Monday Washington‟s Farewell Address (Activity 2-1)

Election of 1796 – Read and Discuss Chapter 5, Section 3

(Pages 290-293 – Ending with President John Adams)

(Activity 2-2)

History: 8.4.2

ELA: Reading Comp.

2.0, 2.4, Listen. &

Speaking 1.2; Reading

1.3 + Synthesizing Info

History: 8.3.4, 8.3.6

ELA: Reading Comp

2.0

Tuesday Second President Notes (Activity 2-3)

History Channel presents “The Presidents” Adams

Segment (Activity 2-4)

History: 8.3.4, 8.3.6,

8.4.1, 8.5.1

ELA: Listening and

Speaking 1.8, 1.9

History: 8.4.1

Wednesday “Remember the Ladies” - Abigail Adams (Activity 2-5)

ELA: Reading – Lit

Response 3.7; Written

& Oral Lang 1.0

Thursday The Jeffersonian Era Lecture (PowerPoint) and outline

notes (Activity 2-6)

History Channel presents “The Presidents” Jefferson

Segment (Activity 2-7)

History: 8.3.4, 8.4.1,

8.4.2, 8.5.1, 8.5.2, 8.8.2

ELA: Listening and

Speaking 1.8, 1.9

History: 8.4.1, 8.5.1

Friday Read Chapter 6, Section 2 and complete our Expanding

Nation: Lewis and Clark – Map and Journal Activity (Activity

2-8)

Homework: Study for Tuesday‟s Quiz (First Presidents

and Louisiana Purchase)

History 8.4.1, 8.5.2,

8.8.2

ELA: Writing 2.1

Day Activity Standards

Covered


Week 4: War of 1812

Monday Lewis and Clark‟s Journey (Activity 3-1)

Homework: Finish Lewis and Clark Worksheets and

prepare for quiz

History 8.4.1, 8.5.2,

8.8.2

ELA: Listening and

Speaking 1.3, 1.6, 2.4

Tuesday Crossword Puzzle Assessment – First Presidents and

the Louisiana Purchase (Activity 3-2)

Read and discuss Chapter 6, Section 3 (Pages 320-

329) (Activity 3-3)

History: Reviews all

Standards from

Jefferson and Lewis

and Clark Actitities

History: 8.4, 8.4.1,

8.4.4

Wednesday American Culture

o Washington Irving Literature Circles (Activity 3-4)

History: 8.4.4

ELA: Reading Comp

2.0, 2.3, 2.4; Literary

Response 3.0, 3.2, 3.4

Thursday American Culture

o Washington Irving Literature Circles (Activity 3-4)

o Discuss Stories – (Activity 3-5)

History: 8.4.4

ELA: Reading Comp

2.0, 2.3, 2.4; Literary

Response 3.0, 3.2, 3.4

ELA: Speaking

Applications 2.2

Friday Write a short story about life in the early 1800s

(Activity 3-6)

Homework: finish story – due Monday

ELA: Writing

Applications 2.1;

Writing 1.1, 1.2, 1.3,

1.6

History: 8.4.4


Covered


Week 5: The Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny

Monday Chapter 7 Vocabulary Activity (Activity 4-1)

Tecumseh Speech - Primary Source (Activity 4-2)

HW: Read War of 1812 Simulation Introduction

History 8.5

ELA: Read 1.2, 1.3

History: 8.5, 8.5.3

ELA: Read Comp.

2.0; Lit. Response

3.4, 3.7; Listening

and Speaking 1.2

Tuesday War of 1812 Simulation (Activity 4-3)

o Part II: Failure of Peaceable Coercion & Study Guide

Part II

o June 1812: The Moment of Decision

o Options in Brief and 4 Options – Start preparing

presentation (Day 3 Activity Plan)

History: 8.5, 8.5.1,

8.5.2, 8.5.3

ELA: Listen & Speak

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5,

1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.4, 2.5

Wednesday War 1812 Simulation: Prepare Presentations (Day 3

Activity Plan) (Activity 4-3 cont.)

History: 8.5, 8.5.1,

8.5.2, 8.5.3

ELA: Listen & Speak

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5,

1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.4, 2.5

Thursday War 1812 Simulation: Present Presentations (Day 4

Activity Plan) (Activity 4-3 cont.)

Epilogue: The War and Its Consequences Worksheet

History: 8.5, 8.5.1,

8.5.2, 8.5.3

ELA: Listen & Speak

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5,

1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 2.4, 2.5

Friday War of 1812 Video (History Ch.) (Activity 4-4) w/

video notes

Pass out vocabulary terms for Chapter 7/Manifest

Destiny Test (Activity 4-5)

History: 8.5-8.5.3

Covers all History

Standards

ELA: Reading 1.0


Covered


Week 6: Nationalism to Sectionalism

Monday Read Chapter 7, Section 3 (Pages 362-367) Complete

Section 3 Handouts (Activity 5-1)

History 8.5, 8.5.1,

8.5.2

Tuesday Manifest Destiny Activity (Activity 5-2)

o Map and Art Activity

Homework: Finish Manifest Destiny; Finish Chapter

7 Study Guide

History, 8.5.2, 8.5.3,

8.8.2

Wednesday Review Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny work

and share responses to Activity 5-1

Key Terms Review (Jeopardy) (Activity 5-3)

Review of History

Standards 8.5-8.5.3

Thursday War of 1812 and Manifest Destiny Test (Activity 5-

4)

History: Review of

all historical

standards from past

few weeks

ELA: Reading 1.3

Friday Written Assessment: Response to Literature

Students read and respond to “Crossing the Panther‟s

Path” (Activity 5-5)

o Story is in the US History Book (Page 346-351)

ELA: Reading: Lit

Response 3.0, 3.2,

3.4, 3.6; Writing 1.0,

1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.6, 2.0,

2.2; Written & Oral

Lang 1.0, 1.1, 1.3,

1.4, 1.5, 1.6


Covered


Week 7: The North – 1790-1850

Monday Evaluate Essays – Have students read other essays

and make notes/comment (Activity 6-1)

Grammar Worksheets based on student sentences

from Response to Literature essays (Use correct and

incorrect sentences – have students correct them and then

discuss with class) (Activity 6-2)

ELA: Reading Comp

2.7; Writing 1.6,

Written and Oral

Lang 1.4, 1.5, 1.6

ELA: Writing 1.6;

Written and Oral

Language 1.4, 1.5,

1.6

Tuesday Nationalism to Sectionalism Notes (Activity 6-3)

Watch Erie Canal Music Video during Transportation

information

History: 8.4, 8.6,

8.6.1, 8.6.2, 8.7,

8.7.1, 8.8, 8.8.2

Wednesday Sectionalism Children‟s Book (Activity 6-4) History: 8.4, 8.6,

8.6.1, 8.6.2, 8.7,

8.7.1, 8.8, 8.8.2

ELA: Writing 2.4;

Written and Oral

Conventions 1.0, 1.1,

1.4, 1.5, 1.6

Thursday Sectionalism Children‟s Book (Activity 6-4) History: 8.4, 8.6,

8.6.1, 8.6.2, 8.7,

8.7.1, 8.8, 8.8.2

ELA: Writing 2.1;

Written and Oral


1.4, 1.5, 1.6

Friday Sectionalism Quiz (Activity 6-5)

Accelerated Reading (AR) Time (Students read a

book of their choice) (Activity 6-6)

History: Covers all

standards covered

during Sectionalism

Activities

ELA: Reading 2.0



Week 8: The South – 1790-1850

Monday Introduce Northeast vs. South Foldable (Activity 7-1)

Set-up Northeastern half of foldable (Activity 7-2)

Read and discuss Chapter 8, Section 1 – Economic

Growth (pages 382-387)

Work on foldable (Activity 7-3)

History 8.6 -8.7

History 8.6

History: 8.6, 8.6.1

Tuesday Read and discuss Chapter 8, Section 2 – Transportation


History: 8.6, 8.6.2

History: see above

Wednesday Read and discuss Chapter 8, Section 3 – The North‟s

People


History: 8.6, 8.6.1,

8.6.3, 8.6.4

History: see above

Thursday Read and discuss Chapter 8, Section 4 – Reforms and

Reformers


Homework: A Reformer‟s Letter to the Editor (Activity

7-4)

History: 8.6, 8.6.5,

8.6.7

History: see above

History: 8.6, 8.6.5,

8.6.7

ELA: Writing 2.4;

Written and Oral


1.4, 1.5, 1.6

Friday Read and discuss Chapter 8, Section 5 – The Women‟s

Movement


Homework: Study for Monday‟s Chapter 8 Test and

finish foldable

History: 8.6, 8.6.5,

8.6.6

History: see above

History: 8.6 – 8.6.7


Covered


Grade Eight – ELA Standards

READING

1.0 Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development

4-5

Students use their knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as

Monday Chapter 8 Test (Activity 8-1)

Watch beginning of Ken Burns‟ “Not for Ourselves

Alone” (Activity 8-2)

History: 8.6-8.6.7

History: 8.6.6

Tuesday Set-up Southern part of Foldable (Activity 8-3)

Read and discuss Chapter 9, Section 1 – Southern

Cotton Kingdom (pages 422-426)


History: 8.7

History: 8.7, 8.7.1

History: see above

Wednesday Read and discuss Chapter 9, Section 2 – Life in the

South (pages 427-431)


History: 8.7, 8.7.3,

8.7.4

History: see above

Thursday Read and discuss Chapter 9, Section 3 – The Peculiar

Institution (pages 432-437)


Homework: Read and respond to Thomas Gray‟s

introduction to Nat Turner‟s confession (Activity 8-5)

History: 8.7, 8.7.2,

8.9, 8.9.1

History: see above

History 8.7.2

ELA: Reading 1.1,

3.4, 3.6, 3.7

Friday Chapter 9 Quiz (Activity 8-6)

North vs. South Venn Diagram (Activity 8-7)

History 8.7-8.7.4

History: 8.6 – 8.7.4


historical and literary context clues, to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade-level-appropriate words.

Vocabulary and Concept Development

1.1 Analyze idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes to infer the literal and figurative meanings of phrases.

8-5

1.2 Understand the most important points in the history of English language and use common word origins to determine the historical influences on English word meanings.

4-1

1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context and show ability to verify those meanings by definition, restatement, example, comparison, or contrast.

1-2, 2-1, 4-1, 5-4

2.0 Reading Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)

2-1, 2-2, 3-4, 4-2, 6-6

Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They describe and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of the text by using their knowledge of text structure, organization, and purpose. The selections in Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight illustrates the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students. In addition, students read one million words annually on their own, including a good representation of narrative and expository text (e.g., classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, online information).

Structural Features of Informational Materials

2.1 Compare and contrast the features and elements of consumer materials to gain meaning from documents (e.g., warranties, contracts, product information, instruction manuals).

2.2 Analyze text that uses proposition and support patterns.

Comprehension and Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

2.3 Find similarities and differences between texts in the treatment, scope, or organization of ideas.

3-3,

2.4 Compare the original text to a summary to determine whether the summary accurately captures the main ideas, includes critical details, and conveys the underlying meaning.

2-1, 3-4,

2.5 Understand and explain the use of a complex mechanical device by following technical directions.

2.6 Use information from a variety of consumer, workplace, and public documents to explain a situation or decision and to solve a problem.

Expository Critique

2.7 Evaluate the unity, coherence, logic, internal consistency, and structural patterns of text.

6-1

3.0 Literary Response and Analysis 3-4, 5-5

Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. They clarify the ideas and connect them to other literary works. The selections in Recommended Readings in Literature, Kindergarten Through Grade Eight illustrate the quality and complexity of the materials to be read by students.

Structural Features of Literature


3.1 Determine and articulate the relationship between the purposes and characteristics of different forms of poetry (e.g., ballad, lyric, couplet, epic, elegy, ode, sonnet).

Narrative Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Text

3.2 Evaluate the structural elements of the plot (e.g., subplots, parallel episodes, climax), the plot’s development, and the way in which conflicts are (or are not) addressed and resolved.

3-4, 5-5

3.3 Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters from different historical eras confronting similar situations or conflicts.

3.4 Analyze the relevance of the setting (e.g., place, time, customs) to the mood, tone, and meaning of the text.

3-4, 4-2, 5-5, 8-5

3.5 Identify and analyze recurring themes (e.g., good versus evil) across traditional and contemporary works.

3.6 Identify significant literary devices (e.g., metaphor, symbolism, dialect, irony) that define a writer’s style and use those elements to interpret the work.

5-5, 8-5

Literary Criticism

3.7 Analyze a work of literature, showing how it reflects the heritage, traditions, attitudes, and beliefs of its author. (Biographical approach)

2-5, 4-2, 8-5

WRITING

1.0 Writing Strategies 5-5

Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays. The writing exhibits students’ awareness of audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed.

Organization and Focus

1.1 Create compositions that establish a controlling impression, have a coherent thesis, and end with a clear and well-supported conclusion.

3-6, 5-5

1.2 Establish coherence within and among paragraphs through effective transitions, parallel structures, and similar writing techniques.

3-6, 5-5

1.3 Support theses or conclusions with analogies, paraphrases, quotations, opinions from authorities, comparisons, and similar devices.

3-6, 5-5

Research and Technology

1.4 Plan and conduct multiple-step information searches by using computer networks and modems.

1.5 Achieve an effective balance between researched information and original ideas.

Evaluation and Revision

1.6 Revise writing for word choice; appropriate organization; consistent point of view; and transitions between paragraphs, passages, and ideas.

3-6, 5-5, 6-1, 6-2

2.0 Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive essays of at least 500 to 700 words in each genre. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard American English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0. Using the writing strategies of grade eight outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:

5-5

2.1 Write biographies, autobiographies, short stories, or narratives: 2-8, 3-6, 6-4

a. Relate a clear, coherent incident, event, or situation by using well-chosen


details.

b. Reveal the significance of, or the writer’s attitude about, the subject.

c. Employ narrative and descriptive strategies (e.g., relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, comparison or contrast of characters).

2.2 Write responses to literature: 5-5

a. Exhibit careful reading and insight in their interpretations.

b. Connect the student’s own responses to the writer’s techniques and to specific textual references.

c. Draw supported inferences about the effects of a literary work on its audience.

d. Support judgments through references to the text, other works, other authors, or to personal knowledge.

2.3 Write research reports:

a. Define a thesis.

b. Record important ideas, concepts, and direct quotations from significant information sources and paraphrase and summarize all perspectives on the topic, as appropriate.

c. Use a variety of primary and secondary sources and distinguish the nature and value of each.

d. Organize and display information on charts, maps, and graphs.

2.4 Write persuasive compositions:

a. Include a well-defined thesis (i.e., one that makes a clear and knowledgeable judgment).

7-4

b. Present detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning to support arguments, differentiating between facts and opinion.

c. Provide details, reasons, and examples, arranging them effectively by anticipating and answering reader concerns and counterarguments.

2.5 Write documents related to career development, including simple business letters and job applications:

a. Present information purposefully and succinctly and meet the needs of the intended audience.

1-3

b. Follow the conventional format for the type of document (e.g., letter of inquiry, memorandum).

2.6 Write technical documents:

a. Identify the sequence of activities needed to design a system, operate a tool, or explain the bylaws of an organization.

b. Include all the factors and variables that need to be considered.

c. Use formatting techniques (e.g., headings, differing fonts) to aid comprehension.

WRITTEN AND ORAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE CONVENTIONS

The standards for written and oral English language conventions have been placed between those for writing and for listening and speaking because these conventions are essential to both sets of skills.

1.0 Written and Oral English Language Conventions 2-5, 5-5. 6-4, 7-4

Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level.

Sentence Structure


1.1 Use correct and varied sentence types and sentence openings to present a lively and effective personal style.

5-5, 6-4, 7-4

1.2 Identify and use parallelism, including similar grammatical forms, in all written discourse to present items in a series and items juxtaposed for emphasis.

1.3 Use subordination, coordination, apposition, and other devices to indicate clearly the relationship between ideas.

5-5

Grammar

1.4 Edit written manuscripts to ensure that correct grammar is used. 5-5, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, 7-4

Punctuation and Capitalization

1.5 Use correct punctuation and capitalization. 5-5, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, 7-4

Spelling

1.6 Use correct spelling conventions. 5-5, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4, 7-4

LISTENING AND SPEAKING

1.0 Listening and Speaking Strategies Students deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background and interests of the audience. They evaluate the content of oral communication.

Comprehension

1.1 Analyze oral interpretations of literature, including language choice and delivery, and the effect of the interpretations on the listener.

4-3

1.2 Paraphrase a speaker’s purpose and point of view and ask relevant questions concerning the speaker’s content, delivery, and purpose.

2-1, 4-2, 4-3

Organization and Delivery of Oral Communication

1.3 Organize information to achieve particular purposes by matching the message, vocabulary, voice modulation, expression, and tone to the audience and purpose.

3-1, 4-3

1.4 Prepare a speech outline based upon a chosen pattern of organization, which generally includes an introduction; transitions, previews, and summaries; a logically developed body; and an effective conclusion.

4-3

1.5 Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate and colorful modifiers, and the active rather than the passive voice in ways that enliven oral presentations.

4-3

1.6 Use appropriate grammar, word choice, enunciation, and pace during formal presentations.

3-1, 4-3

1.7 Use audience feedback (e.g., verbal and nonverbal cues): 4-3

a. Reconsider and modify the organizational structure or plan.

b. Rearrange words and sentences to clarify the meaning.

Analysis and Evaluation of Oral and Media Communications

1.8 Evaluate the credibility of a speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased material).

1-7, 2-4, 2-7, 4-3

1.9 Interpret and evaluate the various ways in which visual image makers (e.g., graphic artists, illustrators, news photographers) communicate information and affect impressions and opinions.

1-7, 2-4, 2-7


2.0 Speaking Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics)

Students deliver well-organized formal presentations employing traditional rhetorical strategies (e.g., narration, exposition, persuasion, description). Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English and the organizational and delivery strategies outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0. Using the speaking strategies of grade eight outlined in Listening and Speaking Standard 1.0, students:

2.1 Deliver narrative presentations (e.g., biographical, autobiographical):

a. Relate a clear, coherent incident, event, or situation by using well-chosen details.

b. Reveal the significance of, and the subject’s attitude about, the incident, event, or situation.

c. Employ narrative and descriptive strategies (e.g., relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, comparison or contrast of characters).

2.2 Deliver oral responses to literature: 3-5

a. Interpret a reading and provide insight.

b. Connect the students’ own responses to the writer’s techniques and to specific textual references.

c. Draw supported inferences about the effects of a literary work on its audience.

d. Support judgments through references to the text, other works, other authors, or personal knowledge.

2.3 Deliver research presentations:

a. Define a thesis.

b. Record important ideas, concepts, and direct quotations from significant information sources and paraphrase and summarize all relevant perspectives on the topic, as appropriate.

c. Use a variety of primary and secondary sources and distinguish the nature and value of each.

d. Organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.

2.4 Deliver persuasive presentations: 3-1, 4-3

a. Include a well-defined thesis (i.e., one that makes a clear and knowledgeable judgment).

b. Differentiate fact from opinion and support arguments with detailed evidence, examples, and reasoning.

c. Anticipate and answer listener concerns and counterarguments effectively through the inclusion and arrangement of details, reasons, examples, and other elements.

d. Maintain a reasonable tone.

2.5 Recite poems (of four to six stanzas), sections of speeches, or dramatic soliloquies, using voice modulation, tone, and gestures expressively to enhance the meaning.

4-3

Grade 8 – Social Studies Standards United States History and Geography: Growth and Conflict Students in grade eight study the ideas, issues, and events from the framing of the Constitution up to World War I, with an emphasis on America’s role in the war. After reviewing the development of America’s democratic institutions founded on the Judeo- Christian heritage and English parliamentary traditions, particularly the shaping of the Constitution, students trace the development of American politics, society, culture, and economy and relate them to the


emergence of major regional differences. They learn about the challenges facing the new nation, with an emphasis on the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. They make connections between the rise of industrialization and contemporary social and economic conditions.

8.1 Students understand the major events preceding the founding of the nation and relate their significance to the development of American constitutional democracy.

1. Describe the relationship between the moral and political ideas of the Great Awakening and the development of revolutionary fervor.

2. Analyze the philosophy of government expressed in the Declaration of Independence, with an emphasis on government as a means of securing individual rights (e.g., key phrases such as “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights”).

3. Analyze how the American Revolution affected other nations, especially France.

4. Describe the nation’s blend of civic republicanism, classical liberal principles, and English parliamentary traditions.

8.2 Students analyze the political principles underlying the U.S. Constitution and compare the enumerated and implied powers of the federal government.

1. Discuss the significance of the Magna Carta, the English Bill of Rights, and the Mayflower Compact.

2. Analyze the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution and the success of each in implementing the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

3. Evaluate the major debates that occurred during the development of the Constitution and their ultimate resolutions in such areas as shared power among institutions, divided state-federal power, slavery, the rights of individuals and states (later addressed by the addition of the Bill of Rights), and the status of American Indian nations under the commerce clause.

4. Describe the political philosophy underpinning the Constitution as specified in the Federalist Papers (authored by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay) and the role of such leaders as Madison, George Washington, Roger Sherman, Gouverneur Morris, and James Wilson in the writing and ratification of the Constitution.

5. Understand the significance of Jefferson’s Statute for Religious Freedom as a forerunner of the First Amendment and the origins, purpose, and differing views of the founding fathers on the issue of the separation of church and state.

6. Enumerate the powers of government set forth in the Constitution and the fundamental liberties ensured by the Bill of Rights.

7. Describe the principles of federalism, dual sovereignty, separation of powers, checks and balances, the nature and purpose of majority rule, and the ways in which the American idea of constitutionalism preserves


individual rights.

8.3 Students understand the foundation of the American political system and the ways in which citizens participate in it.

1-4, 1-5, 1-6,

1. Analyze the principles and concepts codified in state constitutions between 1777 and 1781 that created the context out of which American political institutions and ideas developed.

2. Explain how the ordinances of 1785 and 1787 privatized national resources and transferred federally owned lands into private holdings, townships, and states.

3. Enumerate the advantages of a common market among the states as foreseen in and protected by the Constitution’s clauses on interstate commerce, common coinage, and full-faith and credit.

4. Understand how the conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton resulted in the emergence of two political parties (e.g., view of foreign policy, Alien and Sedition Acts, economic policy, National Bank, funding and assumption of the revolutionary debt).

1-4, 1-5, 1-6, 2-2, 2-3, 2-5

5. Know the significance of domestic resistance movements and ways in which the central government responded to such movements (e.g., Shays’ Rebellion, the Whiskey Rebellion).

1-4,

6. Describe the basic law-making process and how the Constitution provides numerous opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process and to monitor and influence government (e.g., function of elections, political parties, interest groups).

1-4, 1-5, 2-2, 2-3,

7. Understand the functions and responsibilities of a free press.

8.4 Students analyze the aspirations and ideals of the people of the new nation.

1-1, 1-4, 1-7, 3-1, 3-3, 6-3. 6-4

1. Describe the country’s physical landscapes, political divisions, and territorial expansion during the terms of the first four presidents.

1-1, 1-3, 1-4, 2-3, 2-4, 2-6, 2-7, 2-8, 3-3,

2. Explain the policy significance of famous speeches (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address, Jefferson’s 1801 Inaugural Address, John Q. Adams’s Fourth of July 1821 Address).

2-1, 2-6

3. Analyze the rise of capitalism and the economic problems and conflicts that accompanied it (e.g., Jackson’s opposition to the National Bank; early decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court that reinforced the sanctity of contracts and a capitalist economic system of law).

1-4,

4. Discuss daily life, including traditions in art, music, and literature, of early national America (e.g., through writings by Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper).

3-3, 3-4, 3-6,

8.5 Students analyze U.S. foreign policy in the early Republic. 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 5-1, 5-3

1. Understand the political and economic causes and consequences of the War of 1812 and know the major battles, leaders, and events that led to a

2-3, 2-6, 2-7, 4-3, 4-4, 5-1,


final peace. 5-3

2. Know the changing boundaries of the United States and describe the relationships the country had with its neighbors (current Mexico and Canada) and Europe, including the influence of the Monroe Doctrine, and how those relationships influenced westward expansion and the Mexican-American War.

2-6, 2-8, 3-1, 4-3, 4-4, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3

3. Outline the major treaties with American Indian nations during the administrations of the first four presidents and the varying outcomes of those treaties.

4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 5-2, 5-3

8.6 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced, with emphasis on the Northeast.

6-3, 6-4, 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 8-1, 8-7

1. Discuss the influence of industrialization and technological developments on the region, including human modification of the landscape and how physical geography shaped human actions (e.g., growth of cities, deforestation, farming, mineral extraction).

6-3, 6-4, 7-1, 7-3, 8-1, 8-7

2. Outline the physical obstacles to and the economic and political factors involved in building a network of roads, canals, and railroads (e.g., Henry Clay’s American System).

6-3, 6-4, 7-1, 7-3, 8-1, 8-7

3. List the reasons for the wave of immigration from Northern Europe to the United States and describe the growth in the number, size, and spatial arrangements of cities (e.g., Irish immigrants and the Great Irish Famine).

7-1, 7-3, 8-1, 8-7

4. Study the lives of black Americans who gained freedom in the North and founded schools and churches to advance their rights and communities.

7-1, 7-3, 8-1, 8-7

5. Trace the development of the American education system from its earliest roots, including the roles of religious and private schools and Horace Mann’s campaign for free public education and its assimilating role in American culture.

7-1, 7-3, 7-4, 8-1, 8-7

6. Examine the women’s suffrage movement (e.g., biographies, writings, and speeches of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Margaret Fuller, Lucretia Mott, Susan B. Anthony).

7-1, 7-3, 8-1, 8-2, 8-7

7. Identify common themes in American art as well as transcendentalism and individualism (e.g., writings about and by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Herman Melville, Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow).

7-1, 7-3, 7-4, 8-1, 8-7

8.7 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the South from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced.

6-3, 6-4, 7-1, 8-3, 8-4, 8-6, 8-7

1. Describe the development of the agrarian economy in the South, identify the locations of the cotton-producing states, and discuss the

6-3, 6-4, 7-1, 8-4, 8-6, 8-7


significance of cotton and the cotton gin.

2. Trace the origins and development of slavery; its effects on black Americans and on the region’s political, social, religious, economic, and cultural development; and identify the strategies that were tried to both overturn and preserve it (e.g., through the writings and historical documents on Nat Turner, Denmark Vesey).

7-1, 8-4, 8-5, 8-6, 8-7

3. Examine the characteristics of white Southern society and how the physical environment influenced events and conditions prior to the Civil War.

7-1, 8-4, 8-6, 8-7

4. Compare the lives of and opportunities for free blacks in the North with those of free blacks in the South.

7-1, 8-4, 8-6, 8-7

8.8 Students analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the West from 1800 to the mid-1800s and the challenges they faced.

6-3, 6-4

1. Discuss the election of Andrew Jackson as president in 1828, the importance of Jacksonian democracy, and his actions as president (e.g., the spoils system, veto of the National Bank, policy of Indian removal, opposition to the Supreme Court).

2. Describe the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives associated with westward expansion, including the concept of Manifest Destiny (e.g., the Lewis and Clark expedition, accounts of the removal of Indians, the Cherokees’ “Trail of Tears,” settlement of the Great Plains) and the territorial acquisitions that spanned numerous decades.

2-6, 2-8, 3-1, 5-2, 6-3, 6-4

3. Describe the role of pioneer women and the new status that western women achieved (e.g., Laura Ingalls Wilder, Annie Bidwell; slave women gaining freedom in the West; Wyoming granting suffrage to women in 1869).

4. Examine the importance of the great rivers and the struggle over water rights.

5. Discuss Mexican settlements and their locations, cultural traditions, attitudes toward slavery, land-grant system, and economies.

6. Describe the Texas War for Independence and the Mexican-American War, including territorial settlements, the aftermath of the wars, and the effects the wars had on the lives of Americans, including Mexican Americans today.

8.9 Students analyze the early and steady attempts to abolish slavery and to realize the ideals of the Declaration of Independence.

8-4

1. Describe the leaders of the movement (e.g., John Quincy Adams and his proposed constitutional amendment, John Brown and the armed resistance, Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, Benjamin Franklin, Theodore Weld, William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglass).

8-4

2. Discuss the abolition of slavery in early state constitutions.

3. Describe the significance of the Northwest Ordinance in education and


in the banning of slavery in new states north of the Ohio River.

4. Discuss the importance of the slavery issue as raised by the annexation of Texas and California’s admission to the union as a free state under the Compromise of 1850.

5. Analyze the significance of the States’ Rights Doctrine, the Missouri Compromise (1820), the Wilmot Proviso (1846), the Compromise of 1850, Henry Clay’s role in the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854), the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision (1857), and the Lincoln-Douglas debates (1858).

6. Describe the lives of free blacks and the laws that limited their freedom and economic opportunities.

8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex consequences of the Civil War.

1. Compare the conflicting interpretations of state and federal authority as emphasized in the speeches and writings of statesmen such as Daniel Webster and John C. Calhoun.

2. Trace the boundaries constituting the North and the South, the geographical differences between the two regions, and the differences between agrarians and industrialists.

3. Identify the constitutional issues posed by the doctrine of nullification and secession and the earliest origins of that doctrine.

4. Discuss Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his significant writings and speeches and their relationship to the Declaration of Independence, such as his “House Divided” speech (1858), Gettysburg Address (1863), Emancipation Proclamation (1863), and inaugural addresses (1861 and 1865).

5. Study the views and lives of leaders (e.g., Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee) and soldiers on both sides of the war, including those of black soldiers and regiments.

6. Describe critical developments and events in the war, including the major battles, geographical advantages and obstacles, technological advances, and General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.

7. Explain how the war affected combatants, civilians, the physical environment, and future warfare.

8.11 Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of Reconstruction.

1. List the original aims of Reconstruction and describe its effects on the political and social structures of different regions.

2. Identify the push-pull factors in the movement of former slaves to the cities in the North and to the West and their differing experiences in those regions (e.g., the experiences of Buffalo Soldiers).

3. Understand the effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions


placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen, including racial segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.

4. Trace the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and describe the Klan’s effects.

5. Understand the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and analyze their connection to Reconstruction.

8.12 Students analyze the transformation of the American economy and the changing social and political conditions in the United States in response to the Industrial Revolution.

1. Trace patterns of agricultural and industrial development as they relate to climate, use of natural resources, markets, and trade and locate such development on a map.

2. Identify the reasons for the development of federal Indian policy and the wars with American Indians and their relationship to agricultural development and industrialization.

3. Explain how states and the federal government encouraged business expansion through tariffs, banking, land grants, and subsidies.

4. Discuss entrepreneurs, industrialists, and bankers in politics, commerce, and industry (e.g., Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller, Leland Stanford).

5. Examine the location and effects of urbanization, renewed immigration, and industrialization (e.g., the effects on social fabric of cities, wealth and economic opportunity, the conservation movement).

6. Discuss child labor, working conditions, and laissez-faire policies toward big business and examine the labor movement, including its leaders (e.g., Samuel Gompers), its demand for collective bargaining, and its strikes and protests over labor conditions.

7. Identify the new sources of large-scale immigration and the contributions of immigrants to the building of cities and the economy; explain the ways in which new social and economic patterns encouraged assimilation of newcomers into the mainstream amidst growing cultural diversity; and discuss the new wave of nativism.

8. Identify the characteristics and impact of Grangerism and Populism.

9. Name the significant inventors and their inventions and identify how they improved the quality of life (e.g., Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, Orville and Wilbur Wright).

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