An Argument for Cross-curricular Planning

Today, I would like to introduce you to one of my favourite ways to teach the Mathematics curriculum; Cross-curricular Planning. Most of you might already do something like this in your own classrooms, or are planning to do so once you land yourself a steady job. In today’s modern classrooms, the lines between subject areas continue to blur as new technology and the philosophies they carry ingratiate themselves in the lives of teachers and students. If you are in charge of a tech-friendly class, why not have them google statistics about the human cost of the Nepal Earthquake (you might find this), or the amount the Pan Am Games is costing taxpayers (here’s a few different perspectives: Toronto Sun & the Games official website).

As I’m a big proponent of cross-curricular planning or interdisciplinary lesson planning, people have often asked me questions such as: Won’t students get distracted? Or, how do you keep the focus on math? My first response to these questions is often: are your students not often distracted during regular math lessons? Do many of them have trouble focusing during your mathematics instruction? Cross-curricular planning doesn’t look to replace mathematics with Social Studies, Science, etc. It actually aims to bring math to the forefront and to demonstrate to skeptical students that not only is math important for their cognitive development, but also that it is so intertwined with our daily lives there is no escaping it! For better or worse, mathematical thinking affects every decision we make, from making daily purchases to city planning to the way their school day is structured. Several years ago, Lynn Steen wrote an article for Educational Leadership that in part presents an excellent argument for why Cross-curricular planning is so important, especially considering the current cultural context:

“To make mathematics count in the eyes of students, schools need to make mathematics pervasive, as writing now is. This can best be done by cross-disciplinary planning built on a commitment from teachers and administrators to make the goal of numeracy as important as literacy. Virtually every subject taught in school is amenable to some use of quantitative or logical arguments that tie evidence to conclusions. Measurement and calculation are part of all vocational subjects; tables, data, and graphs abound in the social and natural sciences; business requires financial mathematics; equations are common in economics and chemistry; logical inference is fundamental to history and civics. If each content-area teacher identifies just a few units where quantitative thinking can enhance understanding, students will get the message” (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/nov07/vol65/num03/How-Mathematics-Counts.aspx).

In her article, Steen presents us with a coherent, yet urgent argument for why cross-curricular planning is necessary in today’s classrooms. With a little bit of extra effort, we should be able to find the connections that are students are craving.

The following video does a great job of illustrating the interconnectedness of the various educational disciplines.

Check out some of the links below for more cross-curricular ideas:

Attention Kindergarten Teachers! Mix Math and Art here: http://www.kinderart.com/across/

A great list of children's books with a mathematics theme: http://www.dearteacher.com/math-books