Interdisciplinary learning: Tips for writing across the school curriculum

Writing across the school curriculum is an effective way of teaching writing because it gives children the opportunity to learn language arts skills while learning other subjects. Using writing assignments is an effective way of teaching any subject and it will also improve writing skills.

Skills for college

Writing skills are the most important skills for students who are planning to go to college, so by incorporating writing skills into every subject teachers can better prepare students for their future college degrees.

Skills for life

Writing skills are important for every person. Students not planning college can use their writing skills in a variety of service occupations. Writing skills involve communication and the better a person is able to to communicate the better he is able to apply for jobs, write his own resume, fill out job questionnaires, and handle life skills tasks, such as applying for a mortgage, doing tax returns, applying for insurance. As an adult there are many forms to be filled out and with excellent writing skills a person is more capable of functioning in today's complex world.

Interdisciplinary learning

In elementary school, children usually do write across the curriculum with interdisciplinary learning incorporated into all the subjects. However as students progress into the higher grades interdisciplinary learning is not as active but it should continue. There can be interdisciplinary learning with a variety of subjects, such as math can be used in chemistry and physics; or environmental science can be taught in biology. But here we are concerned with writing being taught in all the curriculum subjects.

Children as early as the third grade today are studying and writing narratives, informational articles, persuasive articles, and responses to literature. This should continue into the higher grades with a variety of writing types such as essays, term papers, critical analysis reports, and poetry.

Tips for writing across the curriculum

1) Science

Students can write term papers in this class that can go hand in hand with a science fair project. Or they can write term papers without the science fair project, but on a scientific topic that interests them.

They could be assigned to pick out a newsworthy science article and write up a report about the article.

2) Math

Students could write an essay on some aspect of math discovery and history.

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about Interdisciplinary learning: Tips for writing across the school curriculum?
We want to hear your view. Write now!