Teachers Embracing Interdisciplinary Common Core Implementation

Education Week (3/13, Heitin) reports that some teachers involved in Common Core implementation "are calling attention to an approach they say is working well: interdisciplinary thematic units. Whether they've had these types of units in their repertoires for years or are just now jumping into such cross-curricular work, educators say the new standards support this type of teaching in several ways." Notably, teachers say that the increased focus on informational text lends itself well to the interdisciplinary approach, as such materials can be introduced in non-English arts courses, such as math and social studies. "In addition, the common standards lay out specific literacy requirements for history/social studies, science, and technical subjects, and they emphasize research and synthesizing skills."