This article details an experiment in an 11th and 12th grade 3-week intensive course, the Science and History of Contagious Disease. The course was an interdisciplinary survey of how diseases are spread along with an examination of social responses. Although both lecture and discussion based, the course revolved primary around a trip in which we…

There are many important questions teachers and administrators need to ask as they grapple with how to ensure high school graduates are college and career ready. What does it mean to prepare students for a world that is rapidly changing--a world in which science and technology are altering how we live, work, play, and interact? If teachers focus…

In Chapter 3 of Moby Dick, Ishmael, in a "towering rage," questions his landlord concerning Queequeg, the savage "purple rascal" harpooner, he has yet to meet. "What sort of bamboozling story are you telling me?" he nervously asks after learning that Queequeg is peddling shrunken heads-- and on the Sabbath, no less…

This protocol guides the review of research that informs the recommendations contained in the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) practice guide, "Teaching Secondary Students to Write Effectively." The review-specific protocol is used in conjunction with the "WWC Procedures and Standards Handbook (version 3.0)." The practice guide…

This paper discusses a K-12/university collaboration in which students participated in a four-day scenario-based summer STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) camp aimed at making difficult scientific concepts salient. This scenario, Jumpstart STEM-CSI: Chocolate Science Investigation (JSCSI), used open- and guided-inquiry…

A focused scientific research effort on writing research and its relationship to language development and reading is needed to address the writing and broader literacy needs of today's and tomorrow's learners and workers. In the United States, as well as in many other nations, research on writing has been neglected in relation to the emphasis on…

In 2006, the grade 12 program "Headwaters" was initiated and offered the following four courses: (1) Environment and Resource Management; (2) Canadian Literature; (3) Outdoor Activities; and (4) Interdisciplinary Studies. The author has always described the program as simply "school." The teachers teach curriculum courses…

This 21st Century Skills Map is the result of hundreds of hours of research, development and feedback from educators and business leaders across the nation. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has issued this map for the core subject of English.

"Foods and Literature of the World" is a dual class taught at Bismarck High School in Bismarck, North Dakota. There are two components of the class--English and family and consumer sciences (FCS). (The English component fulfills the 12th grade English requirement.) Culture is explored through class discussion, essay writing, research,…

Teaching drama gave one instructor a chance to renew herself, and drama became an important part of a personal teaching renaissance. An elective class for grade 12 entitled "Humanities and the Arts" offered opportunity for collaborative teaching with colleagues in their areas of expertise. In a class on "Modern Drama" designed…

Describes a new approach to research projects based on an interdisciplinary global education model. Students integrate their learning from several courses in a unified research essay. Discusses the benefits of this approach and summarizes the research project for an environmental theme. (LZ)

Discusses a project to transform a short story into a play and perform it on stage in order to enhance student understanding of the Japanese cult of obedience and of the political events that led Japan to join the Germans in World War II. The article emphasizes that students become more motivated when they are exposed to subject matter in an…

The Minnesota Zoo's School of Environmental Studies is an optional, interdisciplinary program open to juniors and seniors from four comprehensive high schools. The problems posed, like those in the world, require students to think across disciplines. Students measure, analyze, map, photograph, display, and present findings to the local community…

Described is an interdisciplinary program designed to coordinate the physics and calculus courses for seniors in a Massachusetts high school. Target audience, benefits, team coordination, and impact are discussed. A list of suggested crossover topics is provided. (CW)

What does a student achieve and learn by the time he or she graduates from high school? How are various schools educating and evaluating students in their final year of school? Interdisciplinary senior courses at Phillips Exeter Academy encourage students to exercise their analytical, interpretative, and decision-making skills; to define their own…