Interdisciplinary Project building in ELA
Written by Destinee Anderson | destinee.anderson@uamaker.nyc
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Problem of Practice
For this inquiry cycle, we noticed students becoming disengaged with our content, “A Raisin in the Sun”; students not wanting to read aloud, not showing up to class, not completing our last PT of the year on time or at all, and/or more phone usage while in class. We wanted to encourage students who were exhibiting these particular behaviors to become excited about our last unit of the year and to increase their grade.
Hypothesis
If we make the last unit more fun, relatable, interactive, and connected to their other content classes, then we can increase engagement and get students to re-engage in the class as measured by Jumprope grades and student-feedback surveys.
Target group
This unit was designed particularly for students who had issues engaging in ELA content throughout the entire year. This particular group of students had 65 or below in ELA for MP5 and were also students who understood the skills of argumentation and could perform well if given the proper scaffolds.
While this unit was designed with those students in mind, all 4 of my sections participated in this interdisciplinary unit.
Planning & resources
Parental / Advocate Involvement
I sent out an email to any student who had below a 70 in ELA at the beginning of this unit to outline the assignments and tasks so that everything was clear to not only students, but also parents and staff.
2. ChatGPT
I used ChatGPT to help me define and understand some of the context around our driving question: Should we prioritize exploring Earth 2.0 (Mars) over maintaining our current environment? I needed to understand the setting of Mars, how long it takes to get there, arguments for and against colonizing the planet, the logistics surrounding the atmosphere, and more!
I also used AI as a lens to analyze the use of technology in conversations around migrating to Mars
3. Shaolin/Miles/Other Departments
I also relied on the knowledge students already had about Mars from other classes to support the work we were doing in ELA. I met with Shaolin and other teachers over the course of this unit to solidify plans and ideas about how ELA would be integrated within the Earth Science Final PT
4. Slido
To ensure that all students had an opportunity to show understanding in argumentation, I also included a live stream component in the socratic seminar in which students participated both silently and verbally. While in the outside circle, for 20 minutes students were posing and answering questions in relation to the topic, while the inside circle were speaking directly to the driving question. Then, they switched from inner to outer for Round #2.
Student Work
Student Work
See the slido livestream linked ➡️ to see questions and comments from students during the Socratic seminar.
Discussion prep
Students came prepared for the discussion with these packets completed from two weeks of in-class time to work on them.
“Exploring Earth’s End w/ group work” (Given to my A Band)
“Exploring Earth’s End w/ independent work” (Given to my C, D, E Bands)
Reflection
How did you measure success?
We created a student feedback survey in which we measured success of engagement through anecdotes.
We also measured the success of whether this unit was more accessible for the target group through JumpRope grades for the Socratic Seminar.
Teacher reflection:
Our recent unit was a big hit with students who hadn't engaged all year. The interdisciplinary approach and relatable theme really sparked their interest. Using technology like Slido for the Socratic seminar allowed everyone to participate in a way that suited them best, whether it was speaking up or writing their thoughts. Seeing these students come alive during discussions was incredibly rewarding, especially for students like Jayden Luna.
However, I realized that including more non-fiction texts would have been beneficial. These texts could have provided additional evidence and real-world examples, strengthening students' arguments and critical thinking. Next time, I’ll ensure we have a better mix of fiction and non-fiction to support their learning.
Another takeaway is the potential for deeper connections with other subjects. While we collaborated with Earth Science, I see opportunities to integrate Social Studies, Math, and CTE more fully. This would make learning even more engaging and show students how different fields of knowledge are interconnected. I'll be working closely with colleagues to create units that offer a more holistic learning experience.
Overall, this unit was a great step forward. Moving forward, I'll incorporate these ideas to keep improving student engagement as it relates to students who often opt/tap out.
Student reflection:
Overall, this unit was a HUGE success. It allowed students to re-engage in our content and raise their grade in ELA. Based on the above data, we will be repeating this strategy with some tweaks next year.
Actionable steps
If you want to use this strategy in your classroom, I recommend …
Use Technology to Enhance Participation
Tools like Slideo allow students to participate in discussion in various ways. This can cater to different comfort levels and learning styles, ensuring that more students are actively engaged. Additionally, it can make activities feel more modern and relevant, some of the gamers were excited to participate in a livestream.
Foster Parental and Community Involvement
Communicate with parents and advocates about the unit goals and student expectations. I would also include inviting them to witness the socratic seminar and/or recording it to liven up the expectations and outcomes. Students feel more invested when they know there is a specific audience.
Collaboration
Make sure to collaborate with other colleagues in all content areas to get a well-rounded design for the unit. This allows for students to see the broader context and thus become more engaged as the burden for opting out would mean opting out in multiple classes rather than just one.
Reach out to Destinee Anderson if you have any questions, or want support adapting this practice to your classroom!
Email: destinee.anderson@uamaker.nyc
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