It was always beneficial to create lessons that were cross-curricular and enhanced the classroom community among my students. I like how integration brings together related concepts that would otherwise be taught separately. Clustering curriculum expectations to meet expressed student needs entails creativity and open-minded “big picture” thinking. As well, curriculum integration creates increased opportunities to give students practice in meeting a range of curriculum expectations. As BC’s Ministry of Education is changing our curriculum to these big ideas, I loved having the flexibility to create cross-curricular lessons for my students.
Any opportunity for the students to work together and make food is always a fun lesson! Students are engaged and cannot wait until they are allowed to sample their projects. I wanted students to learn the basic technique of bread making, and have a recipe they could demonstrate at home as well. Each group member had a specific task when it came to this lesson, and I was able to see how well they got along. Once the dough was made, each student had their own individual bun they could shape and personalize with a mark on top. Our unit was covering a lot of content, and I believe this activity allowed the students to have fun and build a sense of community within our classroom. This activity was cross-curricular by having the students practice their measuring techniques and develop social skills, while contributing to a sense of confidence and self-esteem. We had the opportunity to extend our learning by linking it to our study of ancient cultures.