The Kaleidoscope of Curriculum Integration: Discovering Depth Through Interdisciplinary Learning

Reflecting on her 43 years of experience as a teacher, Dorothy L. Dobson shares a deep insight into creating an integrated curriculum for a more profound learning experience. Consider using School Signals to communicate and educate parents about the strengths of this approach. Let’s explore her text as she says, “I believe (as did John Dewey) that children learn best by investing deeply in a subject.”

School Signals

As I write this, fires rage through areas JUST north of my childhood home. I would be three blocks away from mandatory evacuation if I still lived in that home. I have friends whose childhood home is gone.

My former sister-in-law’s high school is a memory. The cute little shopping area in the Pacific Palisades, which is probably quite different from when I was last there, is not gone but again changed. And the stunning homes along the coast of my beloved Pacific Ocean are nothing but charred sticks and ash. I have been following this very closely – probably too closely for being 800 miles away, as I can physically do nothing from Utah.

 

The Power of Planning Webs

What does all this have to do with curriculum integration? You will know I include frequent citations if you have read my two previous posts. I intend to do the same with this entry. I began my search on integrated curriculum development this morning and found an organizational tool in the shape of a web. This device has been my “go-to” for planning integrated studies for as long as I have prepared them, so I naturally focused on it. And in the center of the web? “FIRE.” I had found a timely connection to the integrated curriculum.
integrated learning

The web above differs from what my planning web would look like for the same focus. That is one of the beauties of the integrated curriculum. A grade-level group of three classes could all study fire in-depth, and each teacher’s web could focus on fire from a different perspective. This web appears to have a deep focus on The Great Chicago Fire. Another teacher’s web could center on the Yellowstone fires of 1988. And yet another could deeply dive into the San Francisco fire of 1906. Classes could teach each other. As a large group of three classes, you would be able to study how fire suppression has changed through the years.

 

Defining Curriculum Integration

Let’s step back and discover what “curriculum integration” really is.

“Bringing various subjects together for learning is known by a variety of names such as interdisciplinarity, cross-disciplinarity, cross-curricular learning, and curriculum integration, and has a long history reaching back to the American educational philosopher John Dewey (1859-1952).” (source)

John Dewey greatly influenced my educational career. I believe (as did he) that children learn best by investing deeply in a subject. And one of the best ways to invest deeply is to look at a topic through various lenses. And what happens when you combine those diverse lenses? The focus deepens even further, sometimes in beautiful and unpredictable ways – like a kaleidoscope.

 

Five Types of Integrated Curriculum

According to Snehnath Neendoor in an article written for HurixDigital, there are five types of integrated curriculum:

  • A theme-based curriculum revolves around a central theme. In the example web above, the theme is obviously “fire,” with activities and lessons from various disciplines addressing that theme.
  • A place-based curriculum, centering on students’ communities, explores a specific area’s history, culture, government, and resources (both natural and human).
  • A STEAM curriculum is designed to be comprehensive and involves science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.
  • An inquiry-based curriculum relies on children’s natural curiosity and the human desire for answers to questions. In this curriculum, teachers become the guides to help children answer their questions using diverse subject areas.
  • A project-based curriculum, in which each student is involved in a project, employs research, analysis, and presentations (both oral and written).

As John Muir wrote in 1911, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” The five methods above allow students to see the relationships between subject areas. Their understanding of curriculum will be deepened, and their comprehension of the complexities of life will be strengthened. Their kaleidoscope of learning will become ever more colorful.

 

Steps to Curriculum Integration

Curriculum integration isn’t simple. I’m not going to lie – curriculum integration takes time. There is planning, aligning with state curricular expectations, coordinating with other teachers, probing connections between curricular areas, and even more planning. It’s a lot. And I will forever believe it is worth it to watch kids ask deep, thoughtful questions supported by focused knowledge they have internalized through reading, writing, studying, experimenting, illustrating, measuring, discussing, and maybe even building, dancing, and composing. I want my students to have the capacity to look at the world deeply, to discuss topics with civility, and, most importantly, to be lifelong learners. I believe the best way to achieve that goal as a teacher is to use curriculum integration.

As a teacher, knowing the end goal before you begin is essential. What skills, ideas, and information do you want or need your students to acquire? Now … how will you get them there? With those goals in mind, what subject areas will you include in your integration? As you explore the integration of the subject areas, what readings and activities will further your specific goal? Are you able to use whole-group direct teaching, small-group collaborations, and individual exploration? Are you providing creative opportunities for students?

According to a recent Gallup study, “Eighty-seven percent of teachers and 77% of parents agree that teaching approaches that inspire creativity in the learning process have a bigger payoff for students.” In my experience, students’ investment in learning grows by leaps and bounds when part of their heart is in it through creativity. And lastly, is there a final product or performance that shows the learners’ accomplishments and demonstrates their learning? A product that can reveal the beauty of each student’s kaleidoscope?

 

A Mini Demonstration: The Battle of Yorktown

Let me set the scenario…

I am teaching in a learning community of four fifth-grade classrooms. We are studying the Revolutionary War. We have decided as a team that each of our classes will study a critical battle of the American Revolution in-depth and that each class will create a presentation to teach the other classes about “their” battle. The four battles are:

  • The Battle of Lexington and Concord
  • The Battle of Trenton
  • The Battle of Brooklyn
  • The Battle of Yorktown

Of course, I pounced on Yorktown immediately. (Any good Hamilfan would, wouldn’t they?) I would then set up my web as follows:
the Battle of Yorktown. integrated curriculum

I would then run the web by my teaching partners. I would also ask the “Specials” teachers for their buy-in. I would start lining up experts to either come see us or for us to visit. Among these experts would be costume designers, dancers, flintlock rifle experts, cartographers, and musicians.

I would look for varying accounts of the battle and sample maps. I would also do some pre-teaching centered on collaboration. The creators of “Hamilton” are well-known for their ability to work exceptionally well together; I would love for my students to emulate their processes. When the teaching begins, you can tell from my plan that the students will make many decisions. In this way, students will have further opportunities to “own” their own learning!

 

Conclusion: The Worth of the Work

There is a multitude of information available on all types of curriculum integration. I encourage you to find curriculum integration that works for you. You will realize the extra work is so worth it! You will discover that as you utilize approaches that give precedence to integrating curriculum leading to learning that requires collaboration and critical thinking, your students will experience profound and significant learning experiences. Each student’s educational kaleidoscope will twist into a beautiful image that is uniquely theirs and will excite them for future learning.

 

References

Gallup. Creativity in Learning.  Link

McPhail, G. (2020, September 10). An introduction to curriculum integration. Link

Neendoor, S. (2024, July 29). Why Curriculum Integration Should Be a Priority in Education? Link

Utah Education Network. (2025). Utah Core Standards. Link

Van Tassel-Baska, J. (2025, January 10). Integrated Curriculum Model. Link

 

Dorothy L. Dobson

Explore, Learn, and Grow: Outdoor Adventures for Pre-K to 6th Grade

Set a Trial Account