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I sympathise with those of you out there who are constantly asked
by teachers to go along with their unit plans. I really am an
advocate for Interdisciplinary Units. I, like most of you, have to plan
my projects a year in advanced so supplies can be ordered. We
have to turn in "special projects" in February or March for the
following year. Right now I am working on an archealogy unit
(special project proposal) to do next fall.

When I started teaching in my district (first with just sixth
grade/high school split), I got the sixth grade social studies
textbook, looked at the cultures they studied, selected those I was
also interested in--then typed (pre-computer days) a list of units I
was going to teach and sent it out to the teachers. We were often
doing the units at the same time. It was fun!...and it really made it
easier for me (I did not have to go into the history of the culture that
much....and the first year or two the students knew as much or
more that I did).

Now that I am full-time middle school, I send a handout to all
teachers at the beginning of the year..."These are my
units...blah...blah....etc...not etched in stone...blah, blah....(I still
had to initially do the work myself the year before by meeting with
seventh and eighth grade teachers--sixth I already had a handle
on). The basic cultures stay the same each year.....I add new
projects that I want to do....remove the projects that I will never do
again (I am sure you have all had those....). This year, thanks to
Gina from Australia (and Art Lister, too) I am going to do more with
Australia with my sixth grade students in May (that's why projects
are not "etched in stone"...I do like to be a little flexible....but when
I choose to be)

I set the hand-out up in a table and save to my computer...it is very
easy to change. You can see the format I use at:
http://elms.elida.k12.oh.us/~jdecker/yearplan.htm

Originally, I was going to link my lesson plans to the units. I hate
writing lesson plans and this way, I thought it would be more "fun"
to write them......Well, I was wrong....they are still not fun to write.

Anyway, this is how I have made Interdisciplinary Units work for
me....and believe me...most of the time the students like having
"connections".

Judy

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