Interdisciplinary Studies

I’ve always been a fan of interdisciplinary studies. I mean, in real life we rarely use one subject area in isolation – when I do math, it’s to figure out measurements or distribution of something for an art project, or calculating student grades, or maintaining a budget – it isn’t math for math’s sake. When researching information for a lesson or unit plan, I read and write, incorporate history, math is usually in there, often something scientific. So WHY do we teach subjects in isolation? And why do so many teachers act as if their subject area is the end-all and be-all of existence?

Part of the mural project was to include as many subject areas as possible. The math is inherent in the project, given all the measuring and working to scale and enlarging with a grid. I’ve had reading and writing projects, both to expand the students’ knowledge as well as to incorporate those skills. Social studies – we have art history (basically, “ancient” history is all based on art and architecture of the times), we had elections to learn about democracy in action, the grid work incorporates mapping skills.

And science. What do we do with science? How does science fit into a mural?

My students and I have become expert meteorologists. Also known as weather guessers. Every morning, even before my shower, I check the weather report online. I look at the weather maps, the radar and Doppler and satellite images. I turn on the TV and watch the local weather report (on the 8s!). I get to school and go online and double-check the weather reports.

Yesterday, we didn’t work on the wall. Students asked why, since it was so nice and sunny outside. I showed them the computer image, showing rain approaching. We talked about the key showing rain intensity, and looked at the approaching blobs of yellow and red. So we worked inside, and by the end of class, it was dark outside. About five minutes after the class left for the buses, the skies opened up and we had torrential rain. And yes, we could have worked outside and stayed dry. But all the blue bonding agent that we’d have painted on would have washed off in that rain, or all the rain throughout the night.

As I said, we’ve become expert weather guessers. So yes, science. And technology.

And did I mention physical education? Painting blue bond on the wall burns about 300 calories an hour. Tiling burns about 250-300 calories an hour. Walking up to the wall, carrying our equipment and supplies, and walking back, burns about 250 calories an hour.

Mmmm hmmmm, we’ve got phys ed covered too.