Implementation

• To effectively implement a cross-curricular activity, the teacher first must choose a theme, also sometimes called a thematic unit. Suppose the teacher chooses the sea as a theme. Once it is chosen, art, math, reading, language arts, science and social studies units will be organized around that theme. Seafaring cultures and their artwork and literature may be highlighted in art, social studies and language arts classes. In science and math, ocean pollution and ecosystems might be discussed.
  
  

Purpose

• Learning by piecemeal does not always translate to real-world problem solving, and the technique often uses the theory of multiple intelligences to present new information in ways designed to serve students of different intelligence types. A more holistic teaching approach, such as cross-curricular instruction, mimics real life in a natural way that students find engaging and interesting.
  
  

Naturalistic Learning

• The language arts are present in every discipline. Archaeologists study ancient literature to understand other civilizations. Scientists present papers to share their research with their peers. Real-world problem solving uses many different skills, and cross-curricular studies give students practice in synthesizing old and new knowledge and using it to develop skills to solve problems.
  
  

Student Engagement

• Cross-curricular activities reinforce language arts skills and the subjects the students are learning about. When students are allowed to choose the topic, their interest level goes up even more, resulting in greater achievement and more peer interaction. Cross-curricular activities also usually lend themselves better to multisensory teaching, engaging students' eyes, ears and bodies in the learning process. This is beneficial to children with learning disabilities who benefit from multisensory presentation. It is also beneficial to auditory, visual and tactile learners, regardless of ability.
  
  

Assessment

• Teachers should consider how they will assess the effectiveness of cross curricular activities. Students may create a portfolio for assessment, give presentations, write essays, or take a test. Often the ideal approach is to use a mixture of portfolio and written assessments to measure student learning on cross curricular activities.