The Benefits of Thematic Learning Units in the Classroom

The Benefits of Thematic Learning Units in the Classroom

Hey, y'all! I've seen some pushback on thematic learning over the last couple of years, mostly by big curriculum publishers who make big bucks on their pre-packaged curriculums. But is that the best thing for our students?

Think about it. What do YOU do throughout the year and in each season? 

In the fall, we visit a pumpkin patch, we drink our pumpkin drinks, and we relish in the change of the seasons. We admire the leaves and make the stews and break out the fall colored sweaters. In the winter, it's the same thing. We drink the hot tea and light the peppermint candles and decorate with lights to ease away the darkness from the winter solstice. I could go on with spring and summer, but you get the idea. 

So why do we hesitate to do the same thing in the classroom? I know many of us incorporate some seasonal activities into our lessons, but over the years, we've gotten away from the thematic units. We've taken the depth out of learning in favor of going wider. 

Remember when we did a full on apple unit and we read about apples, and we incorporated them into our math centers, and we explored them with magnifying glasses in science, and we learned about apple farmers and how food gets from the farm to the table in social studies. Remember that? Remember the joy the kids had when we integrated subjects and didn't teach straight from the district mandated curriculum ALL. THE. TIME?

Teaching was funner. 

Learning was, too. 

In the "real world," we don't do things in isolation. If I want to plan a trip, maybe to Copenhagen (in my dreams), I'd do more than just book a flight. 

I'd have to find a hotel and figure out how to get there from the airport. I'd probably research things to do and I'd most likely find some places that are historical markers. I may do a little research on those historical markers so I know what I'm looking at when I get there. I'd also try my hand at a few logistical words and phrases in Danish so that I can figure things out or place an order for a coffee or ask for directions when I get there. All these things are social studies.

But I'd also have to calculate the cost of the trip, figure out the time difference and how long my flight would be. I'd have to know the conversion of US dollars to Kronor so I'd know how much I'm spending at each stop. All math.

And it would be helpful to know what the weather will be like when I'm there so I know what to pack and wear each day. And if I'm going in winter, hoping to see the Aurora Borealis, some scientific information would be extremely helpful. 

This is just one example of real world project based learning. And it all fits into one theme. 

My teacher heart breaks every time I see a kid who can do the math on the paper or in the workbook, but can't apply those same skills to separate problems. Or the kids who can write a short informational text on their favorite animal, but when they have to write one or two sentences in a different subject, they freeze up and don't know what to do. 

When we use thematic units, or cross-curricular learning units, the kids see the connections from one lesson to another. 

And it doesn't have to be just apples. Think of your Native American units in social studies. You probably already read a lot during these as the kids are learning about the different tribes and events. You probably also have them write short answers to comprehension questions as they go. But there's so much more that can be done. Art and music and engineering of their houses and the skill they used to track animals and the science behind their planting and fertilizing techniques and the language and the relationships they had with neighboring tribes and the cooking they did and how they managed it without a stove or microwave. All of these things can be integrated across the entire week's lessons. You may have to get creative to link your math unit on fractions or decimals into this, but it can be done!

When we teach across the curriculum, we show students that the world is much more connected that the big publishers present it to be. There's no sense in reading a book about fall in the spring simply because the big guys didn't think things through. 

When we teach straight from the reading curriculum all morning and the separate math curriculum in the afternoon and sprinkle in some unrelated science or social studies in the last half hour of the day, we do our students a disservice. They don't make connections. They don't see how this skill helps them learn more about that topic. 

I'm not saying abandon the curriculum completely. That would be silly. Our students definitely need explicit phonics instruction and explicit instruction in number sense and problem solving. But they also need time to apply those skills outside of the textbook. 

When we give students the opportunity to use the skills they've acquired to solve real world problems or research real world topics, they gain confidence, strengthen their skill set, and can put things together in ways that make sense. 

My students do a mixture of STEAM stations, project based learning, and phenomenon or inquiry based learning throughout the school year. It's challenging at the beginning of the year because we're still learning to read. But as they get better at it, they make great gains in reading, in mathematical problem solving, and in their awareness of the world. 

So how do we do this with big box publishers and the DO telling us what to do at every turn? There are a couple of options. 

First, we'll need to integrate these things around the main lessons. For instance, in the morning, I teach a lesson on phonics. I cannot deviate from the prescribed sequence. However, writing is next and I CAN integrate subjects there. When we have intervention time, I can incorporate related centers into their word work, silent reading, or listening centers. During math, I teach in small groups. One group is with me doing the lesson from the publisher, one is on the district-mandated computer program, and one is solving a real world problem related to our current topic. By the time we get to science and social studies time, I've already applied the topic to other areas of our curriculum at least three different times. 

Another option is through learning plans. I setup the learning plan in Google Classroom. We do an activity to get them thinking/started on the topic, then students work through their learning plan during those open times of the day--the center time, the writing time, when they've finished other work, etc. I love learning plans because students can work at their own pace and it keeps them in charge of their learning. This is very similar to the first example, just structured a little differently. 

We see themes in our daily lives all the time. Whether it's the seasons, current events, in music or art, or wherever, themes are all around us. Incorporating them into the classroom makes learning more engaging and relevant. 

Working themes around district provided curriculum may take some finagling but it can be done and makes a world of difference in the classroom. It also makes our jobs more fun and exciting. 

I don't have all the answers, but I hope this helps you get started. Thanks for stopping by and I'll talk to you soon. Have a great week. 

Stay cozy,