Interdisciplinary Instruction for All Learners K-8: A Practical Guide

**ADVANCE COPY**

Interdisciplinary Instruction: A Practical Guide for Elementary and Middle School Teachers
Karlyn E. Wood, State University of New York College at Old Westbury

"Wood's approach to interdisciplinary instruction is comprehensive and practical. Not only is there a strong theoretical foundation laid out for the reader, but also there are helpful step-by-step procedures for creating and implementing an interdisciplinary approach to instruction. Wood provides a rationale for implementing interdisciplinary studies and demonstrates how diverse student populations can benefit from the instructional approach." –Bruce R. Young, Covenant College, GA

The fourth edition of Interdisciplinary Instruction continues to provide a brief practical guide to planning, designing, creating, and implementing interdisciplinary instruction for all learners. Now following the backward design process, the text also includes outlines for planning interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary units. The author uses lesson plans that are familiar to elementary and middle school teachers and all of the lesson plans follow five specific planning protocols. Each protocol is then explained in a step-by-step manner and readers are given numerous opportunities to practice creating their own lesson plans. By the end of the book, readers will have experienced the entire process involved in planning for and implementing the interdisciplinary method in the classroom.

NEW TO THIS EDITION:

• An increased emphasis is placed on the connections between the interdisciplinary approach and two important contemporary concerns in education—student diversity and differentiation of instruction.
• Discussion of No Child Left Behind legislation and the challenge it presents to innovation and the development of interdisciplinary programs in particular.
• Explanation of the differences between interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and integrated instruction appear in the introductory chapter.
• Now features backward design as the main approach to lesson and unit planning with unit and lesson plan examples integrated in Chapter 3, 4, and 5.
• Includes new rubric examples that follow a format suggested by NCATE in Chapter 6 on assessment.
• Reorganizes the text from seven to six chapters to provide a more logical sequence of topics.

Every K-8 teacher should have a copy of Interdisciplinary Instruction for All Learners K-8 on their desk. This brief practical guide provides classroom teachers with a step-by-step guide to planning, designing, creating, and implementing interdisciplinary instruction for all learners. Now following the backward design process, the text also provides teachers with outlines for planning interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary units.

The author uses lesson plans that are familiar to elementary and middle school teachers and all of the lesson plans follow five specific planning protocols. Each protocol is then explained in a step-by-step manner and teachers are given numerous opportunities to practice creating their own lesson plans. By the end of the book, teachers will have experienced the entire process involved in planning for and implementing the interdisciplinary method in the classroom.

About the Author

Karlyn Wood received his Ed.D. from Hofstra University and is Professor of Humanities in the School of Education at the State University of New York/College at Old Westbury on Long Island, where he teaches courses in interdisciplinary methodology and child development. He supervises and conducts seminars for student teachers and is currently the Chair of the Childhood Education and Literacy Department. Karlyn has taught at the elementary level, served as a district reading consultant, administrator, and coordinator for an experimental elementary program. His publications include articles in Language Arts, Childhood Education, The Journal of Child Development, and The Journal of Teacher Education. His papers have been included in Sociological Abstracts and ERIC documents. He belongs to the American Educational Research Association, Association Montessori Internationale, the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, and he is a member of the Kappa Delta Pi honor society.