All Interdisciplinary resources

Journal Article

Concentrating on Cross-Disciplinary Connections: Using reaction rates to help students make connections between chemistry and biology.

Too often, science courses (e.g, biology, chemistry, and physics) are disconnected from one another. When this happens, students often don’t see how the different disciplines relate to one another. For example, we have heard students ask, “Which...

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High School Biology Chemistry Crosscutting Concepts Interdisciplinary Physics Science and Engineering Practices

Journal Article

Multiple Representations and Multiple Expressions: Simulating Enzymatic Reactions to Showcase Learning

The purpose of this article is to describe a lesson aimed at teaching students the function of enzymes in order to obtain mastery of NGSS Standard HS-LS1-2. The lesson is designed to engage learners through the frameworks of the 5E process and sensem...

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High School Biology Chemistry Instructional Materials Interdisciplinary Labs NGSS Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Using Photo-journals to Support Real-World Connections to Classroom Content

Many teachers are asked by their students how the science content they are learning in class matters in the "real world." Although these connections may be clear to expert teachers, students often require additional support and scaffolding to see how...

High School Biology Instructional Materials Interdisciplinary Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

A Solar Panel Modeling Project for Chemistry

The Solar Panel Modeling Project challenged 10th-grade chemistry students to apply knowledge of Atomic Models to explain electricity generation in a solar panel, deepening their scientific literacy about climate solutions. Here, I describe the proje...

High School Chemistry Instructional Materials Interdisciplinary Labs NGSS Physical Science Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Bookending STEM Lessons: Co-teaching with an Education Librarian for Elementary Picture-Perfect Success

No abstract required....

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Elementary Interdisciplinary Literacy Teacher Preparation Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Bugging Out with Bugscope

Looking for something REALLY exciting, creepy-crawly, accessible and pertains to phenomenon-based/ storyline-based NGSS? Bugscope is a free educational project at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. K-12 classrooms have an opportunity to ...

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Elementary Biology Citizen Science Interdisciplinary Technology

Journal Article

Reading Like a Scientist: Teaching Students to Strategically Read Multimodal Science Texts

Calls for disciplinary literacy instruction in elementary schools encourage teachers to provide authentic opportunities for students to read and write like scientists. Enacting disciplinary literacy with problem-based learning practices to inquire ab...

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Early Childhood Elementary Instructional Materials Interdisciplinary Literacy Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

"Signs, Signs, Everywhere the Signs": Interpretive Trail Signage for Biodiversity Education

Postsecondary science faculty face challenges in balancing the engagement of undergraduates while concomitantly ensuring knowledge is gained and retained, either in standard lectures or labs as well as in outdoor activities. Designing on-campus trail...

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Biology Instructional Materials Interdisciplinary Labs Life Science Teaching Strategies

Journal Article

Eliciting Student Thinking

Interdisciplinary Sensemaking Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning

Journal Article

Exploring Socioscientific Issues through Evidence-Based Argumentation with MEL Diagrams

Critical thinking skills are best taught as students participate in the scientific practice of argumentation. When engaged in scientific argumentation students are expected to engage in active listening and social collaboration through the process o...

Middle School Equity Inclusion Interdisciplinary Teaching Strategies Three-Dimensional Learning

Journal Article

Making Scientific Sensemaking Visible

Many teachers and schools are coming to recognize the importance of sensemaking in the science classroom. But what does an NGSS-informed sensemaking lesson look like in practice, and how might our students respond to this shift in our instruction? Th...

Middle School Crosscutting Concepts Disciplinary Core Ideas Interdisciplinary Science and Engineering Practices Sensemaking Three-Dimensional Learning