Collaborative efforts between university methods courses and elementary classroom teachers provide laboratory experiences that facilitate preservice teachers understanding of thematic instructional approaches to teaching elementary science and social studies. Preservice teachers in these field-based programs learn to apply the theories to which they were exposed in university courses. The major emphasis of the methods classes in curriculum and instruction at the University of Montevallo (Alabama), specifically the elementary school science and social studies block, is the integration of content and practice. The collaborative nature of the model provides opportunities for preservice teachers, public school teachers, children, and university faculty to develop a better understanding of inquiry-based content integration. This laboratory model provides content enrichment for elementary students, application and implementation for preservice teachers, and updated curriculum modeling for classroom teachers. Three attachments provide elements of the model: (1) Requirements for Individual Show Portfolio; (2) Format of Theme Unit; and (3) Oral History Presentation. (Contains 23 references.) (MAH)