IMPLEMENTING AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH AT YOUR SCHOOL

​A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on tips for implementing a multidisciplinary approach and proposed the planning template below as a solution. 

(planner extends vertically until the end of the unit)

Given the similarities that exist between a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach, could the same 2-in-1 unit/lesson planner be used? To answer this question, let’s first take a look at the definitions of both approaches:
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1. Multidisciplinary planning refers to an approach wherein a singular topic is studied from the perspective of multiple curriculums.
2. Interdisciplinary planning is the collaboration between two or more subject areas to investigate a central problem or inquiry.

Given that both approaches are based on similar principles, the answer is yes, the above planning template (with a few modifications) as shown below could also work.

(planner extends vertically until the end of the unit)

This modified template was designed using our upcoming software, ESBPlanners. When looking at the template, you will note that the top half (above Week 1) serves as the unit planner and the bottom half (below Week 1) is the lesson planning portion. Using our “shared planner” feature, this single template could be filled in by a team, each teacher having the ability to fill in the required information on the planner for their own subject area. Where the difference lies between the original template presented and the modified one is that instead of focusing on a topic, the modified template focuses on answering a question. After deciding on the question, each teacher would then brainstorm ideas for how concepts from their respective subject area (math, language arts or science) could serve to support addressing the question, and from there list learning outcomes that connect to it. After that, each teacher would list possible lesson and assessment ideas that relate to answering the question and note any materials that may be needed throughout the inquiry. With the unit planner complete, the team could then use the lesson planner portion on the bottom half to plan daily lessons for the week. In the above scenario, teachers are on a 2-day schedule, and thus have been provided with the space to plan for lessons twice a week; and the template would extend vertically per week until the end of the unit. Because the unit planner is attached, the team can easily refer to brainstormed ideas when planning individual lessons and because all three teachers are planning on a singular document, the team will be able to address the question in a consistent and unified manner.
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Wanting to use this planner at your school? This interdisciplinary planning template will be available on ESBPlanners in 2022 in our template bank and can be searched using the following tags: #interdisciplinary #2-in-1 planner. This template can be saved into your personal account and modified to suit your needs – happy planning!
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