  
How
Does Curriculum Integration Work?
Models of integration.
Curriculum integration can happen to various degrees.
The Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
(NWREL) article on
Integrated
Curriculum for the School Improvement Research
Series presents an array of integration
options, from “fragmented” –
where the disciplines are all taught separately
–
to “networked.”
In the networked option, the student directs the
integration by accessing a network of experts
(teachers and practitioners) and resources around
one area of interest and across disciplines. In
between are strategies that involve two or more
teachers coordinating their content areas so that
they address common concepts, skills or attitudes,
or so they address common themes. Themes may include
career areas such as Multimedia, or Health and
Bioscience, or areas of general interest to the
school community, such as environmental studies,
community action or international studies.
Focusing on the integration of
academic and applied learning, SRS (School Restructuring
Support) Associates offers the following continuum
of course integration options, from most simple
to most complex: (“Integrating Academic
and Career Opportunities”, presentation
by Dr. Barbara Nemko, Executive Director, 21st
Century Project, Napa County Office of Education,
at the Building a School-to-Work System, conference
sponsored by the National School-to-Work Office,
February 11-13, 1997.)
The
Infusion Model. This model is
the most basic way of integrating academic and
applied learning and involves the infusion of
academic content into career-technical studies
or vice versa. For example, incorporating the
technology field into an English course by having
students research and write a report on the
pros and cons of technology in their lives.
A more sophisticated approach to infusion is
the creation of an “applied academic course”,
where new course content is created. In any
case, only one course is involved usually.
The
Linked Model. This model involves
the linking of two courses to allow concepts
and applications to be taught together. Teachers
start their curriculum integration efforts by
identifying the relationships between classes
and disciplines, and then developing curriculum
and assessment that correlates activities from
various subject areas. A common example of this
model is English and Social Studies teachers
working together to coordinate a unit focused
on a particular theme.
The
Multidisciplinary Model. This
model describes coordinated courses with a common
core of outcomes and a common assessment. Teachers
choose a central focus – a career theme
– whereby career interests and occupational
applications provide the unifying ideas which
create connections between the classes and disciplines.
Career academies facilitate this kind of multidisciplinary
approach, e.g. a “Health and Bioscience
Academy", "Future Teachers Academy,”
or an “Information Technology Academy".
Please see the Career
Academy Support Network (CASN) for more
information.
Developing Successful
Integrated Curricula. The New
Urban High Schools Practitioner’s Guide:
Integrated Curriculum Units—A Planning Guide
for Teachers 
lists the following conditions that support the
development of successful integrated curriculum
units (ICUs):
- Cooperation
and teamwork
- Agreement
on core learning goals
- Risk-taking
and flexibility
- Focus
on lifelong learning skills
- Focus
on the deeper structures and understandings
of a discipline
- Peer
observation and feedback
- Encouragement
of student ownership
Four steps for Designing Integrated
Curriculum Units include:
- Mapping
Learning Goals
- Brainstorm
Generative Theme
- Create
Activities, Web Diagram, and Time Line
- Evaluate
the Integrated Curriculum Unit
Another helpful resource for developing
ICUs is the Coalition for Essential Schools (CES)
web site. It is full of information about curriculum
integration. Specifically, see:
Tools
and resources are listed at the end of this section
under “Tools
for Integrating Curriculum and Project-Based Learning”
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