From Historic Cemeteries to High School Classrooms: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Student Learning and Teacher Training Secondary Program University of North Carolina Wilmington NC-ACTE Poster Session, Watson School of Education, UNCW 9/10/08

This presentation showcases instructional approaches university faculty used to help students develop inquiry-based lessons across multiple disciplines using community resources. Experiences represent efforts to educate K-16 learners

Purpose Informal learning settings exist throughout every community, and each can add a true contextual experience for Standard Courses of Study, if integrated appropriately. Goals Provide preservice teachers with experience in: informal learning settings working as students to investigate community resources in interdisciplinary teams planning an interdisciplinary lesson with peers from other disciplines designing and implementing an effective field trip.

Oakdale Cemetery and Pine Forrest Cemetery

Pictures of Oakdale Cemetery

Our Position Importance of learning outside the classroom. K-16 students deserve learning opportunities that are plural and integrated. Informal settings (Museums, Aquariums, Zoos, Battleships, Cemeteries, etc.) provide rich contexts for authentic learning. Field trips provide experience, context and motivation for making career choices. Students need to become aware of connections within multiple disciplines.

Pictures of Pine Forrest Cemetery

Practical Applications Planning a field trip Lesson Plans PowerPoint Presentations –Interdisciplinary between Science, Social Studies, English and Math

Pictures of Pine Forrest Cemetery

Interdisciplinary Content Addressed Science content –Chemistry – chemical weathering of gravestones –Biology – disease prevention and epidemiology, succession ecology, survival curves English Content –Literature from from cemetery’s historical eras –Iconography –Epitaphs

Pictures of Oakdale Cemetery

Interdisciplinary Content Addressed Social Studies content –Historical aspects- Revolutionary and Civil Wars, WW I and WW II –Civics & Economics – citizenship, war production –Sociology- segregation and racial inequality Math content –Geometry –Algebra –Statistics

2 Cemeteries, 2 Stories We wanted students to compare and contrast two current but historical cemeteries from the 1800’s. Oakdale Cemetery – designed to serve Wilmington’s white middle to upper class Pine Forest Cemetery – designed to serve Wilmington’s African-American community.

Challenges Adapting a formal school structure to an informal experience Developing a partnership with an informal setting Time consuming with planning and implementation Administrative costs for travel, services rendered, and resources consumed (loss of integrity) Working with your interdisciplinary peers

Conclusions With the advent of school restructuring (i.e. new schools, ninth grade academies), the opportunities exist for thematic approaches. Motivation across populations (students, pre- service teachers, in-service teachers, university faculty) Tie informal settings with the missions and curriculum goals of schools