Cross-Curricular Language Arts Lessons

One of the best ways to get students to learn and remember information is to provide lessons that are cross-curricular. When teachers tie lessons on a topic to real-world scenarios, games, or research opportunities, they are providing motivating content that can lead to higher-level thinking activities.

Language arts lessons are a perfect way to provide cross-curricular learning. Students can read a novel, be involved in a writing activity, create logic problems, or engage in public speaking. In my teaching experiences, I have found that students love to learn language arts topics by delving into a variety of subjects. The following are lesson ideas that allow teachers to integrate social studies content into the language arts curriculum and concepts.

Blending Social Studies and Language Arts

As an introduction to nonfiction literature, I have students review text features, identifying main ideas and supporting details, and summarizing. I use our school’s social studies textbooks to provide the main focus, and concentrate on the material students are currently learning in class, or what their social studies teacher would like them to review.

During a class discussion, I have students identify the various text features present in the social studies selection I have chosen. Our discussion focuses on how text features help readers find and better comprehend a selection. We also review how to distinguish main ideas from supporting details. Following the discussion, I divide students into small groups in order to practice identifying text features and distinguishing the main idea and supporting details. In order to help students visualize the difference between main ideas and supporting details, and get them ready for summary writing, I provide students with graphic organizers.

Once students have filled in their graphic organizers, they share their findings. Students use this information to compose a summary, which they then edit and revise. With final copy in hand, I lead students into another discussion on the ways a social studies textbook has features that are designed to interest, engage, and inform readers. Student responses are always the same, pointing out that these textbooks are well-organized and user-friendly, but can be boring to read.

I then ask students to use the information from their summaries to create a visual representation. The goal is to include the main idea, supporting details, organization, treatment, and scope in their summaries. I’ve also had students rewrite chapters of their text books as a graphic novel. The results have been impressive, and students’ feedback has been positive.

Geography with a Literature Twist

Sometimes when my students are studying a class novel, I ask them to identify the setting of the story. Then, I have them create maps describing the setting. In order to do this correctly, students have to utilize map skills, and provide keys and cardinal directions via a compass rose. I've also had students create a travel brochure to describe the setting. Depending upon the story they are reading, I have students include facts about cultural information, land features, and tourist attractions. Requiring them to think about a fictional story in realistic terms can help them to analyze the setting elements more effectively.

In short, integrating social studies content into language arts instruction affords students the opportunity to develop skills in each subject area. Literature choices, focused writing assignments, and activities, are ways to begin integration. What follows are lessons that you can use to integrate language arts and social studies.

Language Arts Lessons:

 

Ag in My Classroom

This lesson asks for students to compose essays focusing on the different aspects of agriculture. The lesson also integrates writing, math, and social studies concepts. Students will learn how to include different subjects into one essay.

Amelia Earhart

Students will delve into playing the role of Amelia Earhart for this lesson. They will be required to listen to and analyze several of her last known radio transmissions, and formulate a report of their findings. This integrated lesson combines both language arts and social studies skills.

Ideas for Elementary Language Arts and Social Studies

This lesson plan lists three possible activities relating to newspaper studies. You can focus on one, or allow students to choose which one sounds most interesting to them. This set of activities is a good introduction for teachers who are beginning to combine subjects.  Each activity can be modified to suit higher and lower grade level students.

The Faces of Slavery

Using various language arts skills, students study slavery in America and learn of its tragic consequences. Using social studies as the content focus, students are able to learn and practice many different skills.