Activity Directions: Interdisciplinary Connections

1. Secure a room with tables and chairs.

2. Gather the following materials: chart paper, markers, standards, copy paper, yarn or string, tape

1. Divide the participants into small groups. 

2. Using the standards and benchmarks, each group makes a chart identifying key concepts and skills in each content area for a grade level.

3. Each group places its chart on a wall (or alternatively within a common electronic document) and the whole group looks for commonalities among the charts (that is, completes a “gallery walk”). Highlighters or colored dots could be used in this process.

4. From those concepts and connections identified, select a few to explore more deeply and assign one to each group.

5. Each group creates a concept map on chart paper by placing that idea in the center and branch out into ways that idea is taught and learned in different content areas. This may include considerations of academic language, discourse, types of evidence and argument, analytic processes, etc.

6. Share and discuss the products. Save or take pictures of products for later curriculum and instruction work.

7. As a wrap up, have participants reflect on the following:

· What do these connections mean for instruction and learning? 

· How might we modify our practice to aid students in understanding and demonstrating these concepts across content areas?

1. Secure a space with space large enough to accommodate movement for a few small groups (for example, gym, lunch room, or outdoor open space)

2. Gather the following materials: chart paper, markers, standards, copy paper, writing utensils, one skein of yarn per group (Optional: clipboards)

1. Divide the participants into small groups. 

2. Using the standards and benchmarks, each group makes a chart identifying key concepts and skills in each content area for a grade level.

3. Each group places its chart on a wall (or alternatively within a common electronic document) and the whole group looks for commonalities among the charts (that is, completes a “gallery walk”). Highlighters or colored dots could be used in this process.

4. From those concepts and connections identified, select a few to explore more deeply and assign one to each group.

5. Use copy paper to create signs, one naming the key concept and others naming examples of how that concept is taught in different content areas. Then, have each member select one sign to hold for the next step and move into an area large enough for each group to form a circle.

6. The person with the sign for the concept should stand in the center of a circle surrounded by the other group members.

7. Holding the end of the yarn, the key concept throws the skein of yarn to one of the surrounding ideas and describes the connection between the two ideas (I’m throwing this to ... because…)

8. This continues until all ideas have at least one connection.

9. Lay the signs and the yarn representing the connections on the floor. 

10. Have each group complete a gallery walk to review the concept maps of the other groups. Take pictures of the resulting concept maps.

11. As a wrap up, participants should reflect on the following:

· What do these connections mean for instruction and learning? 

· How might we modify our practice to aid students in understanding and demonstrating these concepts across content areas?