Voices from the Middle - Models of Integration, Apr 1997

Describes how a seventh-grade teacher incorporated poetry writing into her science class, helping students to learn the science material and helping the teacher to evaluate the students’ knowledge.

Describes a popular yearly activity at one middle school in which a production of a Shakespearean comedy becomes the centerpiece of an interdisciplinary unit on the Elizabethan Period involving language arts, social studies, math, science, music, art, technical education, home economics, and the learning center.

Describes a year-long project which combined the curricula of a language arts class, a library skills class, and an art class as 3 teachers and 163 sixth-grade students designed and created a 58-foot mural depicting the Dewey Decimal System. Notes that the mural adorns the school library and assists library users in locating the volumes they seek.

Describes how a seventh-grade teacher incorporated all the strands of language arts in a science unit on butterflies. Discusses insights learned in this journey of learning that honored the mystery of science as “knowing.” Describes how teacher and students became actively engaged in a pedagogic experience that acknowledged the connections between science and creative expression.

Describes a nine-week South Dakota history unit for junior high school students that incorporated writing for learning. Describes the eight writing assignments that were the key activities of this unit. Concludes that writing helps students comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information.

Presents an interview with award-winning author Karen Hesse, discussing her writing for children and young adults. Discusses how ideas for particular books arose, as well as the research and writing processes that went into them. Appends reviews of nine books by Karen Hesse.