Foundations for Curriculum Integration
An integrated approach to curriculum planning, instruction, and assessment in K-12 classrooms has long been discussed in educational theory and curriculum studies scholarship. Although it has taken on various terminologies and distinctions over the past century, the foundations of integrated teaching and learning fundamentally seek to organize curriculum and instructional experiences in meaningfully connected and holistic ways, so that students will experience interdisciplinary content knowledge and problem-solving skills that lead them towards real-world understandings. This chapter will explore the curriculum foundations for integration, define various ways in which integration has been discussed in the literature, and provide a brief overview of the rationale and research supporting the distinct integration of science and literacy practices.