Best Practice of Cross-Curricular Teaching

Table of Contents

1

Best practice of cross-curricular teaching

Introduction: what an “Area di Progetto” is

Example of Best practise: WORLD WATER DAY

Timetable

1st year – Approach to water as a common resource

Objectives (1st year)

Some features (1st year)

2nd year: Water quality control: chemical and microbiological analysis

Objectives (2nd year)

Some features (2nd year)

Assessment

Index of tables

Index of figures

1

Best practice of cross-curricular teaching

Introduction: what an “Area di Progetto” is

A “Project Area” is in effect a cross-curricular project. In Italy each class of Technical Schools is expected to realize such a project (D.M. 9 march 1994).A period of time corresponding to 10% of total agenda( normally 2 weeks corresponding to 72 classes) is scheduled for it. During A.d.P. a full immersion special activity is planned by teachers, or by students with teachers' help, and timetable is modified to fit the project . A project can be developed also for more years, to take advantage of the increasing cognitive abilities and competencies of students in order to face more specific aspects (in the last year to professionalize them).The aims are:

• to develop group working abilities
• to learn how to solve problems
• to create connections between different subjects
• to improve autonomy and creativity

Similar projects can be realized in other schools by using normal curricular classes for a longer period instead of a short period of full immersion.

Example of Best practise: WORLD WATER DAY

This is an example of long-term cross-curricular activity, extending on two years of school, one week per year. Such an activity can be carried out in schools where some time is scheduled for such purpose or where syllabus allows it.

1st year: Water as a resource

2nd year: Water quality control: chemical and microbiological analysis

A hint in deciding the topic can be given by special events, local problems, need to deepen specific aspects of curricular subjects. When the topic has been decided and accepted by the class teachers board (in the guidelines students and families are also called to select the topics but these aspect is not always applied)

- goals must be clearly formulated

- a timetable must be set down

- what the final production will be must be decided

All of this is to be done well in advance in order to allow teachers to share opinions and to cooperate in preparing well all materials.

Reasons for choice of the topic: The international observance of World Water Day is an initiative that grew out of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.

The United Nations General Assembly designated 22 March of each year as the World Day for Water by adopting a resolution. This world day for water was to be observed starting in 1993, in conformity with the recommendations of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development contained in chapter 18 (Fresh Water Resources) of Agenda 21.

States were invited to devote the Day to implement the UN recommendations and set up concrete activities appropriate in the national context. Water for Development was the theme for 2002. The International Atomic Energy Agency was the coordinating UN agency. The currently poor and deteriorating state of water resources in many parts of the world demand integrated water resources planning and management. In 2009 the theme of World Water Day on March 22, has been Transboundary water. Sharing waters means sharing opportunities. UNECE and UNESCO are the leading UN agencies this year. More information is available on the official UN World Water Day website.

What we expect from students: At the beginning of project area a contract with students is made, clearly explaining what they are expected to do and what teachers will do. An example of contract is the following one:

1st year:Students will write an answer to the authors of articles they read, expressing technical and personal viewpoints

1. In order to realize this goal students are expected:

• to read different texts and to analyze their genre
• to write a text to uphold their thesis in a fitting style
• to collect data and to tabulate them

2. Students will work in groups of four and will confront their results to reach a common conclusion

3.Their work will be assessed taking into consideration their behaviour and the content of the documents produced

2nd year: At the end of the AdP, students will actively participate to the “World Water Day” event, in Mantova.

1.In order to realize this goal students are expected:

• to perform physical-chemical and microbiological analysis of surface waters
• to collect and process data(from their analysis)
• to interpret analysis results
• to share these activities by means of peer-tutoring actions

2. Students will work in groups of four, will keep a “logbook” of their activities and gather their results in a common table

3.Their work will be assessed taking into consideration their behaviour and content the of the documents produced

Timetable

This is the timetable of the project examined :

Maria Pia Coceano - Graziella Mocellin / ISIS Malignani 1/17

 AdP III Ch. A/B - WORK PLAN
“World water day”
Date / Activity / Teachers
MONDAY
17 february / 8.25 – 9.45
Presentation of AdP: work-plan with both classes together
Brainstorming:what is an AdP? What are you expecting from it? What do you think we are expecting from you?
Management: creation of groups (3/4 people per group, having different skills)
Reasons for the choice of the topic
9.45 – 13.40
Analysis of the text of the leaflet “Water World contract” (one page given to each group: group analysis and reporting)
Problem solving: ricreate the exact sequence of pages, giving reasons.
Homework:
a) looking for information about Water Contract (
b) list habits related to usage of water:
Personal habits, indoor and outdoor
Family habits / Chemistry
English
TUESDAY
18 february / 8.25 – 10.05
Administration of a test about cognitive styles and elaboration of results
10.05 – 12.00 Presentation of GREEN-GLOBE project (prof. Rigonat)
11.50 – 13.40 Consideration by students of their own study style: strong and weak points of each style. How to avoid weaknesses. / Chemistry
External Expert
L1
THURSDAY
14 february / 8.25 – 9.15 Reporting activity on water usage: habits and consumption
Synthesis of data collected. Tabulation of data as homework.
9.15-10.05
Group activity. Discussion: “Which behaviours can be modified at:
Personal level Family level Local levelNational level
Global level…?”
10.05-10.55
Inter-group reporting.
11,10– 13.40
Production of a Concept Map synthesizing all different hypothesis. Tabulation and multi-medial presentation of the results. Poster. / Maths
History
Maths
Chemistry
FRIDAY
15 february / 8.25 – 10.55 Analysis and interpretation of texts related to the topic
11.05– 13.40 Discussion and synthesis of different view points coming from different stakeholders – role play / L1
SATURDAY
16 february / 8.25 – 10.05 Brainstorming: does it exist a fracture in the ecologic equilibrium, according to the texts analyzed?
10.05-10-55 Listenig to a musical version of: S.T. Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (what does this music evocate – reflection on musical choices)
Analisys of an excerpt of : “Water, water, water everywhere”
11.10-13.00 DoesColeridge message and its metaphoric use of water as a symbol present any analogy with the leaflet examined the first day? Discussion
13.00–13.40 Self-evaluation and teachers evaluation of the week. / Chemistry
English(L2)
English(L2)
L1

 AdP IV Ch. A - WORK PLAN

“World water day

MONDAY
17 march / 8.25 – 10.05
Presentation of A.d.P.: work plan and meaning of the event.
Description of GREEN e Globe projects.
10.05 – 13.40
GREEN project parameters: meaning and use
Experimental activity: determination of dissolved oxigen, pH, conductivity by means of portable equipement and field-kit.
Homework :
reading specific articles (texts) assigned to each group. / External expert
Chemistry
Chemistry Lab
TUESDAY
18 march / 8.25 – 10.05
Experimental activity: determination of nitrates e phosphates by means of portable equipement and field-kit.
10.05 – 11.05 Group work: elaboration of documents
11.05 – 13.40 Microbiologic parameters / Chemistry
Chemistry Lab
Italian(L1)
Organic Chem.
WEDNESDAY
19 march / 8.25 – 10.05
Group work on assigned texts –production of posters (prof. Sganghero)
10.05 – 11.05 Group work: elaboration of documents
11.10 – 13.40
GREEN project parameters, meaning and use
Experimental activity: determination of nitrates, phosphates, turbidity and suspended solids by means of portable equipement and field-kit / Italian
Chemistry
Chemistry Lab
THURSDAY
20 march / Departure to Mantova : school exchange with ITIS chimici of Mantova
Visit of the town (Palazzo ducale) / Accompanying teachers
FRIDAY
21 march / Active participation to the “Acque di primavera”(Spring waters) event, as part of the “World Water Day”. / Accompanying teachers

Maria Pia Coceano - Graziella Mocellin / ISIS Malignani 1/17

1st year – Approach to water as a common resource

Objectives (1st year)

Study and analysis of texts

General objectives:

-becoming aware that a text is more than the sum of its contents

-encourage reflection on some text features that will be taken into consideration

• genre
• conventions of such genre,
• language used (rethoric and vocabulary)
• ideal reader
• content
• upheld viewpoint
• features and structure of the argumentation

-give reasons for the choice of genre and explain its advantages to uphold the reasoning

-develop a concept map gathering and connecting the key-points/problems in the texts analyzed

-write an abstract in less than 300 words

-transform the concept map into a report having scientific features but easy to be popularized

Scientific objectives:

-understanding the importance of water as a resource essential for life

-analyze local and personal habits regarding water usage

-reflection on habits which can be to modified to improve water availability

-reporting activity on water usage: habits and consumption

-synthesis and tabulation of data collected

Some features (1st year)

In the first day, after the introduction explaining the meaning and the goal of Area di Progetto, students face an easy “problem solving” to induce them to meditate both on communication styles and on water importance. The leaflet printed for the “World Water Day” is divided in its pages, one of them is given to each group and, after having examined and discussed it, the groups must decide the right order of pages in the leaflet. Here is a picture of it s two sides :

Figure 1: World Water Day leaflet (side1)

Figure 2: World Water Day leaflet (side 2)

A meaningful aspect is also the reflection, asked to each student, about habits related to usage of water in his/her community, in his/her family and his/her own. The result should be a list to share with classmates.

Such lists are the basis of a reporting activity leading to synthesis and tabulation of the data collected (3rd Day)

Afterwards, such synthesis constitutes the starting point of a group discussion about behaviours that can be modified at different levels.

Again the results of discussion are synthesized, tabulated and presented in multi-medial way or by posters.

The 4th day is devoted to the reading of texts and newspaper articles regarding water availability, consuming and waste in different parts of the world, but especially in our area.

Different goals are set, some linguistic, some ecological.

In the language field students are helped to recognize the language used (rhetoric and vocabulary) , the features and structure of the argumentation, the reasons for the choice of genre and its advantages to uphold the reasoning.

In the ecological-scientific field students are expected first to understand and represent the viewpoints upheld by different stakeholders by means of a role play, and than to discuss and synthesize them.

The final production expected is a report having scientific features but easy to be popularized.

A further action is a letter, to the author of one of the articles read, expressing agreed students’ viewpoint

In the last day student listen to a musical version of: S.T. Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, by Iron Maiden. They are expected to reflect on what does this music evocate and on musical choices.

An excerpt of : “Water, water, water everywhere” is analyzed to reason on the importance of freshwater and a discussion takes place: does Coleridge message and its metaphoric use of water as a symbol, present any analogy with the leaflet examined the first day?

Lyrics:

The rime of the ancient Mariner(Iron Maiden)

Maria Pia Coceano - Graziella Mocellin / ISIS Malignani 1/17

Hear the rime of the ancient mariner
See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the sea.

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by
Caught by his spell and the mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice
To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross
Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North
Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on.

The mariner kills the bird of good omen
His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and north across the sea
Sailing on and on and north 'til all is calm.

The albatros begins with its vengeance
A terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea
And the thirst goes on and on for them and me.

Day after day, day after day,
we stuck nor breath nor motion
as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere and
all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink.

There calls the mariner
There comes a ship over the line
But how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide.

See...onward she comes
Onward she nears out of the sun
See, she has no crew
She has no life, wait but there's two.

Death and she Life in Death,
They throw their dice for the crew
She wins the mariner and he belongs to her now.
Then...crew one by one
they drop down dead, two hundred men
She...she, Life in Death.
She lets him live, her chosen one.

One after one by the star dogged moon,
too quick for groan or sigh
each turned his face with a ghastly pang
and cursed me with his eye
four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan)
with heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one.

The curse it lives on in their eyes
The mariner wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he.

And by the light of the moon
He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break
The albatros falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the sea
Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen
See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak and they're lifeless in their eyes

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again
Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted
And the mariner sights his home
spirits go from the long dead bodies
Form their own light and the mariner's left alone.

And then a boat came sailing towards him
It was a joy he could not believe
The pilot's boat, his son and the hermit,
Penance of life will fall onto him.

And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea
And the hermit shrives the mariner of his sins.

The mariner's bound to tell of his story
To tell this tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things that God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man
And the tale goes on and on and on.

Maria Pia Coceano - Graziella Mocellin / ISIS Malignani 1/17

The A.d.P. ends withself-evaluation and teachers evaluation of the week

2nd year: Water quality control: chemical and microbiological analysis

Objectives (2nd year)

-develop professionalizing competences regarding chemical-physical and microbiological analysis of surface waters

-develop an experimental work methodology ( data collecting and processing )

-acquire key concepts to interpret results

-raising awareness that water is a vital resource to be protected

-share activities regarding water by means of peer-tutoring actions

Some features (2nd year)

In the first day , after the introduction clarifying the meaning and the goal of the Area di Progetto, a presentation of GREEN-GLOBE projects takes place (when this A.d.P was realized FYR did not exist, so GLOBE and GREEN protocols were used to perform analysis on the field ).

A fundamental part of this A.d.P is the explanation of the meaning and importance of physical, chemical and microbiological parameters to measure. Students in fact must be able not only to perform measurements, but also to interpret results, understanding their meaning for water health.

The parameters studied and measured are dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, nitrates, phosphates, turbidity and suspended solids and ,among microbiological parameters, faecal coliforms as a signal of possible contamination.

In order for students to be able to perform analysis, a clear explanation must be given on how to use portable equipments and field-kit for each parameter; then analysis can be carried out. (All these aspects will be shown in the activities on the river hat will take place during this week.)