LAPS Female Student Internship 04

Middle School Integrated Service Learning Units: Components for Success

Interdisciplinary Thematic Service Learning Units for Engaged Learning

Integrating Science, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, Technology, Arts, Music, Media, Study Skills, and Habits of Mind

Interdisciplinary Thematic Units are not only the backbone of middle school academics, they also drive much of the emotional and social aspects that make learning successful for early adolescents. By adding Service Learning to an interdisciplinary unit will make it even more successful and allow you and your students to use the people and organizations in your community to assist you with teaching and learning.

Interdisciplinary Service Learning Units will have many previously disengaged students deeply focused on learning. The following components are what make these units successful. Every one does not need to be included to make a unit effective, but the more that are included the more effective for the students and teachers:

  • Student-centered
  • Relevant to students' lives
  • Clear connections across curriculum areas
  • Buy in by the team (dedication)
  • Parent participation
  • Culminating event or project
  • Schedule flexibility
  • Teacher training and preparation
  • Resources
  • Guiding questions (essential question)
  • Framework objectives
  • Consistent communication
  • Space considerations
  • Differentiated instruction and learning
  • Ongoing reflection
  • Challenging, yet fun
  • Teacher open-mindedness.
  • Open to revision during the unit
  • Multicultural
  • Artifacts
  • Hands-on components
  • Appropriate length of time
  • Culminating celebration
  • A compelling theme
  • Field trips and speakers
  • Student driven to a reasonable degree
  • Community involvement (perhaps service learning)
  • Clear expectations - rubrics
  • Multiple intelligences
  • Inclusion of unified arts
  • Leadership roles for teachers and students
  • Launch activity
  • Preparation time
  • Varied assessments
  • Build on prior knowledge
  • Budget
  • ITU should promote team building
  • Meaningful work assigned outside of school
  • Inquiry oriented
  • Assessment of prior knowledge

LEVELS OF INTERDISCIPLINARITY: WHERE DOES YOUR UNIT FALL?

Teams should consider which level is the most effective for what they are trying to accomplish.

Level I: Least integrated; separate subjects in isolation
Level II: Material blended from disciplines within a subject area; not coordinated between subjects; possible common themes
Level III: Material kept in separate disciplines, but coordination of topics and common themes
Level IV: Few distinct discipline boundaries. Teacher teams working on one or more projects around a theme. Usually some team teaching in same room.
Level V: Most integrated; no discipline boundaries.

Faculty Spotlight

Faculty David Nurenburg

David Nurenberg
Adjunct Professor

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Faculty Suzanne Zmijewski

Suzanne Zmijewski
Adjunct Professor

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Spotlight
Integrated Units to Use with Your Team

Explore this collection of Integrated Thematic Service Units created by Lesley Middle School graduate students, with topics ranging from revolutions to food production to elections and the immigration experience.