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Teaching Children Science: A Project-Based Approach, 2/e

Joe Krajcik, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Charlene Czerniak, University of Toledo
Carl Berger, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

How Do I Plan a Project-Based Curriculum?

INVESTIGATING YOUR BELIEFS ABOUT CURRICULUM INTEGRATION

Materials Needed:

An elementary or middle grade science textbook
Pencil and paper


1		Examine a fourth-grade science textbook for a selected topic. A traditional textbook will usually contain topics such as the human body, electricity, magnetism, sound, light, animals, plants, machines, the earth's crust, volcanoes, earthquakes, and the -solar system.



2		Form a team with four other classmates and assign yourselves the roles of particular subject matter specialists (science teacher, mathematics teacher, social studies teacher, language/reading teacher, and art teacher). Take the topic selected and together design a set of integrated lesson ideas for teaching the topic.



3		After you have finished planning, individually critique the lessons using the following criteria. This should establish what you personally believe about integrated planning. Then, have your group critique the lesson ideas using the same criteria. Make sure your group comes to a consensus. What prior knowledge and experiences do students need before engaging in integrated lessons? Will important content and inquiry objectives be met? If not, what is missing? Explain. If a teacher teaches this way for the entire school year, will there be important topics that are not covered? Standards that are not met? Are the learning performances watered down or less meaningful in these lessons? Explain. Should the topic stay as it is in the textbook (taught separately by subject matter)? Why or why not? Is curriculum integration beneficial? Why or why not? Do you know enough about each subject area to teach this way? Explain.



4		Put your ideas in your portfolio.

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