The Interdisciplinary Teacher's Handbook: A Guide to
Integrated Teaching Across the Curriculum
Stephen Tchudi and Stephen Lafer have written one of the most useful guides to
conducting workshops and institutes. They skillfully combine theory and practice, outlining the
traits of interdisciplinary teaching, describing the qualities of good themes for student
investigation, and suggesting a planning model that respects the need for both structure
(organization and direction) and spontaneity (drawing upon student interests and imaginations).
More importantly, the authors offer many concrete examples of how teachers plan, implement,
and evaluate an interdisciplinary unit, project, or course. Examples include a Thematic Study
Proposal Form, Weekly Lesson Plan for a Thematic Unit, Group Progress Report Form,
Multiple User Journal, and Project Procedure Checkpoints.
Tchudi and Lafer are codirectors of the Truckee River Project, a summer institute for
teachers that focuses on interdisciplinary exploration of issues concerning the western United
States. Their passion for place-based, exploratory methods is evident throughout but particularly
in the second part of the book, where they include many ideas for starting and organizing
interdisciplinary projects. The authors suggest teachers should incorporate into the planning
process local businesses, government agencies, and "people and places with histories and stories
to tell." Veteran as well as beginning teachers will be informed by the authors' frameworks for
planning a unit and examples of how to organize learning around issues and problems using
questions and inquiry, small group and project work, and multiple resources.
Tchudi, Stephen, and Stephen Lafer. Interdisciplinary Teacher's Handbook: A Guide to
Integrated Teaching Across the Curriculum. Portsmouth NH: Boynton Cook, 1996.
ISBN 0-86709-398-6.
Bringing History Home: Local and Family History
Projects
for Grades K-6
If you and your colleagues are planning student projects and interdisciplinary units that
include the following activities or topics, you may want to consult this reference for organizing
ideas.
Student Biographies
Grandparent's Day
Family Trees
Internet Searches
Census Records
Family Heirlooms
Family Recipes
Storytelling Festival
Interview Questions
and Subtopics for
Community and
Local History
Immigration |
Timelines
Time Capsules
Local Geography and
Landmarks
Neighborhood Maps
City Sites
War Memorials
Gravestone Rubbings
Teaching Local History
with Postcards
Using Old Time
Radio Recordings
Mock Trials |
Local History Simulations
Folklore Themes
Foods in Folktales
Women's Local History
Cultures in Community
Family and School Rules
Thinking About Laws
Studying Cultural
Diversity
|
The author includes an index of suggested activities and recommended grade levels; an
annotated bibliography; and an appendix of professional organizations, family history and
genealogy Web sites, and other resources.
Hickey, Gail M. Bringing History Home: Local and Family History Projects for Grades
K-6. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999. ISBN 0-205-28169-9.
