Do you struggle to find instructional time to teach science, social studies, and information literacy? If so, you are not alone. The current emphasis on reading, writing, and math instruction places great demand on already-limited instructional time; as a result, many teachers are struggling to find the time to teach content (e.g. science and social studies) and information literacy skills.
Creating integrated lessons – those that provide students with opportunities to reach learning goals in two or more areas at the same time — could provide a solution to this problem. For example, consider a lesson that requires students to create a presentation identifying the five classes of vertebrate animals. This project – a science project – also reinforces the following multidisciplinary skills:
- Information literacy skills as they access, evaluate, and use the needed information;
- Science as they learn about the classes of vertebrate;
- Reading as they read to access information from print (text or electronic);
- Writing as they take notes and create a final product; and
- Technology skills as the students do research online and present their findings using word processing, presentation or other software.
Lessons such as this one may be co-taught by the subject area teacher and the library media specialist.
In terms of an analogy, think of information literacy as a hand. Two of the four fingers are reading and listening (accessing information), the other two fingers are writing and speaking (using and communicating information), and the thumb is the content (e.g. science, social studies) or the information that needs to be accessed, evaluated, and used. While each of the fingers and the thumb are important (reading, writing, listening, speaking, content), they become even more important when they function as part of the hand (solving information problems). While the hand can function without a finger or a thumb, it is most capable when all four fingers & the thumb are functioning well.
Advantages of integrated lessons
Integrated lessons provide a number of benefits to students and teachers. Here are just a few.
First, students can take advantage of higher-level learning. It is true that an integrated assignment would probably require more time than listening to the teacher share information or reading from text. However, integrated instruction of this type encourages students to make valid connections to prior learning. This purposeful learning often allows students to reach a higher level of understanding and mastery.
Second, integrated learning makes effective use of limited time, addressing several learner goals at once. When integrated lessons are well designed, they may actually lead to using less time to reach objectives. For instance, instead of 2 ½ hours of in seriatim instruction (30 minutes each of reading, writing, science, information literacy skills, and computer instruction) students may be able to spend 1 ½ or 2 hours on an integrated activity that incorporates all of these skills.
Third, integrated lessons create opportunities for practice. By integrating reading, writing, and information literacy skills into every lesson, students are given multiple opportunities to practice and improve these important skills.
Fourth, integrated learning is brain-friendly learning. Integrated lessons are often presented in the context of solving a problem; this creates authentic and in-context learning experiences for students. As students go through the process of problem solving, natural connections to both process and content are made. Active problem solving demands a higher level of engagement on the part of students, leading to increased learning. In addition posing problems tends to stimulate student interest and the perceived importance of the instruction.
Fifth, integrated learning and teaching stimulates collegiality and can lead to excellent instruction. Teachers who collaborate to plan and teach integrated lessons benefit from having the support and expertise of their colleagues.
Using Big6 to Design Integrated Instruction
The Big6 problem solving process is a natural fit for integrated instruction. First, it is an efficient and effective way to ensure students are taught information literacy skills. Any and all information literacy skills can be taught within the framework of this powerful process. Students who learn and use the Big6 are information literate.
Big6 is also a natural fit with teaching content. In order to practice a problem solving process there must be a problem to solve; science and social studies content presents plenty of excellent examples.
As students go about solving instructional problems they must use information (Big6 #4). Using information requires students to engage (get information from source into the brain, Big6 #3, Location and Access). When the information is in a print form, it must be accessed in one of two ways, either reading or listening as someone reads it to you. This reading for a purpose (not just for the sake of reading) can be highly motivational for students. The importance of reading skills becomes obvious to students thus encouraging them to improve their individual reading skills. As students solve their problem and communicate their solution, they use Big6 #5, Synthesis. Communicating or presenting the finished product often requires students to do some writing, e.g. report, journal, poster, or presentation.
Planning an Integrated Lesson
1. Begin by identifying the content area objectives to be addressed. What do you want students to know or do as a result of this knowledge?
2. Create a problem for students to solve and determine what the final product might look like.
3. Big6 the problem. Go through each of the six steps of Big6 and identify information literacy skills to be addressed. For instance:
- Do you want students to learn to use a print encyclopedia or a search engine on the Internet?
- Do you want students to work on identifying essential questions?
- Do you want students to focus upon creating a word document? A web site? An electronic presentation?
4. At this point, if you are collaborating with another teacher, determine responsibilities and timeline for the instruction.
5. You are now ready to gather materials and begin to teach.
Conclusion
Reading, writing, and math skills are important, however information literacy or problem solving skills and content (e.g. science, social studies) are equally as important. Integrated instruction provides a proven method to meet all of these needs. Use the Big6 skills to design integrated instruction for an efficient and effective method to insure our students gain all the skills necessary to become life long learners and critical thinkers.
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