“You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax. All you need is a book.” — Dr. Seuss
By: Lauren Erb — November 12, 2014
Mrs. Nelson, a third grade teacher, has been perfecting the following days lesson for hours. Little does she know, all of her hard work is just a waste of time. By teaching all of the subject areas separately, without connecting them to each other or the students’ personal lives in any way, the students will never be able to apply the material outside of school walls. The information is simply meaningless.
“Students, who learn only information without experiencing a “romance” with the knowledge obtained, will not have access to that knowledge in real-world situations” (Sandy Kaser 2001)
Integrating Literacy and Mathematics
“Pure Mathematics is, in it’s way, the poetry of logical ideas” — Albert Einstein
Initially, it can be difficult to visualize how literacy can be incorporated into mathematics in a way that further enhances students’ learning experience. Although the two appear to be very different, by stepping back to view the broader picture, you will notice that they share some major similarities. Matthews and Rainer also found it difficult, at the beginning of their research, to integrate literacy and math. Using their personal experiences and collaborating with other teachers, they identified some similarities. Both literacy and math require captivating children’s interests and personal experiences, the understanding of concepts and the application of skills, and most importantly are a part of everyday life. It is through these similarities that they developed a framework for learning, that enhances learning within literacy integrated math content (Matthews and Rainer 2001).
“Writing is thinking on paper” (Pehra 1995)
One way to integrate literacy, within the framework for learning context, is through math notebooks. Students do any and all math work in these notebooks, regardless of whether it’s homework, practice problems, or a quiz. However, not only will students use their math notebooks to solve quantitative math problems, they will also use them to write their process for doing so. Click here to see an example of what this might look like.
Integrating Literacy With Social Studies and History.
“I Had No Idea That History Was Being Made, I was Just Tired of Giving Up” – Rosa Parks
History, which includes many important dates, people, and events, can be a difficult subject for children to grasp and understand. History is also commonly referred to as uninteresting and difficult for children to make connections with or relate to. This negative way of thinking can change, for it is not history that is boring, it is simply the way it is being presented. Research by Harvey and Goudvis supports, reading biographies and historical fiction, such as journals and diaries, children are able to experience the feelings and emotions associated with individuals of that time period (Harvey and Goudvis 2007). This type of literature exposes students to authentic information in a way that they find interesting.
Literature can also demonstrate authentic information through picture books. Harvey and Goudvis ( 2007) express how reading picture books to the class, no matter the grade level, can help students understand difficult content material. They can also help students visualize what individuals and places from the time era might have looked like (Harvey and Goudvis 2007). Historical literature provides a gateway for the class, as a whole, to share the same experiences while still making personal connections with the text.
“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn” – Benjamin Franklin
Drama and theater, not only get every student involved, they bring History to life. It is through plays and skits that students must not only learn the material, but really understand it as well. They learn to consider other view points and perspectives different from their own. Students are given the opportunity to experience the event, through an individual from that time period, as if they were living through it. Drama and theater create a connection between the student and History, which becomes forever memorable for the student. Using this genre, all students can participate, no matter their reading ability level.
Art is also an example of how literature can enhance students learning in Social Studies and History. By implementing art into the classroom in a variety of different ways, students can be creative and develop connections that are meaningful and authentic. Harvey and Goudvis (2007) describe great examples of some common forms of art literature that can be included into literacy social studies and history include illustrations, timelines, diagrams, concept maps, biographical maps, concept maps, and maps of countries (Harvey and Goudvis 2007).
Through my personal teaching experience, I have found that writing and mailing letters to pen pals all over the world is a very popular literacy and Social Studies integration amongst children. Students are able to learn from through real individuals all over the world. They are so captivated by the whole process. They seek more and more information from their pen pal, awaiting with excitement and anticipation for a response. This activity gives is also beneficial in that it gives writing a purpose. Students are not just writing because it is writing workshop, they are writing for a purpose. It does not get much more authentic than that. Click HERE to see an introductory pen pal letter.
Integrating Literacy and Science.
“We should not teach children the sciences but give them a taste for them” — Jean Jacques Rosseau
In a science literacy context, instead of teaching students how to do science, students do what actual scientists do. They are immersed in literature, develop questions, make observations, and investigate to make meaning. This type of learning environment is composed of various hands on activities. It is not enough to simply add to, or replace, science textbooks with outside literature. Instead, literature is used to enhance learning experiences within children.
By studying content that children can connect with or relate to, it becomes more meaningful to them. Throughout the science topic study, students make observations, sparking curiosity and motivating them to seek out additional information.
Students must be recognized as active participants in their own learning.
In order for a science literacy framework to be successful, students must have an active role in developing the curriculum for a science study. It is only by having a voice in what they will study, that students will find the curriculum meaningful. Students discover topics most meaningful to them by being immersed in a wide variety of literature genres. Kaser (2001) accomplished this by creating a “text set” for each topic presented. Each “text set” included numerous literature texts, each being a different genre. Picture books, biographies, magazines, poems, newspaper articles, pictures, paintings, and maps are all examples of genres that could be found in a “text set” (Kaser 2007). The wide variety of texts selected makes it impossible for a student to not find a topic they find interesting or can connect with. To see some examples included in a “text set”,click HERE. During this time, students begin asking questions and making observations based on their previous experiences and current knowledge.
“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new” – Albert Einstein
By incorporating literature into science, students are exposed to different perspectives. It is through biographies that students can relate to famous scientists such as, but not limited to, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, and Isaac Newton. By immersing themselves into these types of texts students realize that, like themselves, scientists fail too. However, paths that lead to dead ends are equally as beneficial as those that lead to success. For it is through these dead end paths that we learn what did not work in the field of science. In this science literacy framework, students engage in the same process that scientists endure in their everyday life. Therefore, it is important to show them that the disappointment, frustration, excitement, and success they face are all part of the process. Students will do and experience what scientists do, making learning much more authentic. Like scientists students also ask questions, make observations, and investigate to make meaning.
Why Does It Matter?
“Active literacy in all content areas is the means to deeper understanding, and diverse flexible thinking” (Harvey and Goudvis 2007 p. 206)
Content literacy gives all children an opportunity to succeed by supporting students, whether gifted, struggling, or somewhere in between. The wide variety of literature genres students are immersed in, make it inevitable for a student to lack connections with or interest in a topic. By doing so students are engaged in the material, and voluntarily seek out to acquire more information or answers to questions and observations. When students are captivated by and make a connection with an idea, they are more likely to remember and recall the information surrounding that idea.
Literature also promotes discussion between students and their peers, in which they think critically and solve problems. By talking amongst each other regarding concepts related to a subject content area, students consider point of views different from their own and learn to argue their beliefs in a respectful and professional manner. Students will translate this process, into their own lives, when they are faced with problems and situations in their lives outside of school.
Genres
Below is a website that I created to demonstrate what integrating literacy and subject areas looks like within a classroom. The website shows an example of integrating literacy with Math, Science, and History. I hope this helps teachers and other individuals, who share the same passion as myself for integrating literacy with content subjects, see actual examples of how to do so. There are numerous ways for incorporating literacy with other subjects, allowing teachers to include their own creative ideas for doing so.
Pen Pal Letter
My second genre piece is an example of a letter written to a pen pal. This is the first letter that was written to the pen pal. Students introduce themselves to their pen pal, sharing their interests and hobbies. This is a great example of integrating literature into Social Studies and History. Students use letters to communicate and learn about individuals from all over the world. The authenticity of this activity, students acquiring information from real individuals within other cultures, is much more beneficial than reading about them in a textbook.
Resources
Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Kaser, S. (2001). Searching the Heavens with Children’s Literature: A Design for Teaching Science. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Matthews M. W. & Rainer, J. D. (2001). The quandaries of teachers and teacher educators in integrating literacy and mathematics. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Tower. C. (2005). What’s the purpose: Students talk about writing in science. Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.
Peha, S. (1995). Writing across the curriculum. Teaching that makes sense. Retrieved from, http://www.ttms.org
