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I believe this is a transdisciplinary lesson. This project revolves around the question: How can we redesign a public space to make it more environmentally sustainable? Students would use all subjects at the same time during their design process as they are planning. While this lesson does not give step-by-step direction, I imagine students planning using art to design the actual look of the space. They could use math and engineering to work on sizing and use area and perimeter knowledge (a fourth grade standard) to help with their planning. Science would come into play when students are working on the environmentally sustainable aspect of the project. All of these subject coinciding together would make this transdiciplinary.

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Students are charged with the task of creating an environmentally sustainable redesign for a community space, such as a park, library, public square, empty lot, or community center. Students visit the space; research the local context, needs, resources, and constraints; and investigate principles of environmentally sustainable design. They engage in critique and revision processes that involve local community members and then present their solutions to key stakeholders.

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Students are charged with the task of creating an environmentally sustainable redesign for a community space, such as a park, library, public square, empty lot, or community center. Students visit the space; research the local context, needs, resources, and constraints; and investigate principles of environmentally sustainable design.

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This lesson would be transdisciplinary because students would be solving a problem in their community. The guiding question behind the project is: how can we keep our communities safe in the face of natural hazards? Students will work to gain knowledge on natural disasters and ways that people can prepare for them. They will also research natural disasters that would be more likely in their given area. They'll use the knowledge to design a plan for keeping safe. This may include designing a specific item or shelter using math, art and engineering during the planning process.

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Students work in teams to learn about the causes, features, and risks of common natural hazards* and then produce preparedness campaigns or guides for each major type of hazard. Students will conduct in-depth research on their natural hazards, including in-person or virtual interviews with people who have experienced these hazards firsthand, as well as with scientists, engineers, and disaster preparedness specialists. As they develop their readiness guides, students consider questions such as, "What precautions can communities take in advance to reduce the impact of this hazard?" and "Which communities or members of a community are most at risk in the face of this natural hazard? How can we work together to ensure safety for all?"

*Depending on your community and the specific aspects of the standards you are planning to address, you may wish to structure this project as a place-based project focusing on natural hazards that affect your local community have each team focus on a different type of natural hazard that occurs in a different part of the world.

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Students work in teams to learn about the causes, features, and risks of common natural hazards* and then produce preparedness campaigns or guides for each major type of hazard. Students will conduct in-depth research on their natural hazards, including in-person or virtual interviews with people who have experienced these hazards firsthand, as well as with scientists, engineers, and disaster preparedness specialists.

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This project is an example of an interdisciplinary STEM lesson. While constructing the miniature powered boats involves science, engineering, and math, students are not working to solve a problem. They're completing one specific task that is provided by the teacher. The one aspect that I did see missing from this lesson was art. I would try to incorporate the art through having students design their own power boat or rocket using the knowledge they gained from the experiment. Another change I might make is having kids design a powered boat and experimenting to see if they can make it work before giving them exact directions for the experiment. I like to see students problem-solve before modeling the example because they come up with some neat ideas!

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In this activity, students construct their own rocket-powered boat called an "aqua-thruster." These aqua-thrusters will be made from a film canister and will use carbon dioxide gas produced from a chemical reaction between an antacid tablet and water to propel it. Students observe the effect that surface area of this simulated solid rocket fuel has on thrust.

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My students absolutely love the Generation Genius lessons that I've done in my classroom.They do a great job of hooking students with their introduction videos and then coming up with hands-on learning activities. This interdisciplinary lesson involves students using engineering skills to build a model of wave properties using gummies and skewers. Background knowledge is first built through investigation, drawing models, and the included video. The build up leaves students wanting to be engaged in the hands-on experiment that follows.

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What you will learn from this video What you will learn

Waves are one way energy is moved from place to place.

Amplitude is the height of the wave.

Wavelength is the distance between wave peaks.

The sound we hear is a type of wave that travels through the air.

What do waves transfer?

Draw a wave and label the wavelength and the amplitude.

How is the motion of particles in a sound wave different from a water wave?

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Learn about water waves and sound waves. Energy travels through waves and in this science video for kids we explain amplitude & wavelength. Watch now!

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This interdisciplinary lesson looks like it would be extremely fun to implement in the classroom. I've struggled in the past to find lessons that are hands-on when teaching renewable and nonrenewable resources until finding this one. Students build scientific background on resources and then participate in a design challenge to build a water wheel. This lesson also includes ideas for transitioning into a transdisciplinary lesson by having students research, design, and propose renewable energy options for their building. I think I would potentially start with this lesson and then move on to the more transdiciplinary format involving all of the STEAM disciplines.

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Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources

What you will learn from this video What you will learn

Fossil fuels are sources of energy made from prehistoric plants and animals.

Non-renewable energy comes from sources that could eventually run out.

Renewable energy comes from sources that can be easily replenished.

Renewable energy includes sunlight, wind and water power.

List 2 types of fossil fuels and 2 types of renewable energy sources.

Describe two disadvantages to using fossil fuels.

Explain why using an electric car is not always good for the environment.

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What is the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy? Our fun video & lesson for kids breaks it down. Watch now to learn the science!

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This is an example of an interdisciplinary lesson that I actually used in my own classroom last year. As the teacher who planned science content, I was looking for an intriguing way to introduce balanced and unbalanced forces. My students were challenged to use balanced & unbalanced forces to drop an egg into a cup without touching it. We used the reading materials, watched the video on our devices, and incorporated the lesson ideas to build scientific background knowledge and then students used art, math and engineering to come up with a design to build. It was incredibly fun when they all got to test them and see the different designs groups came up with!

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Balanced & Unbalanced Forces

What you will learn from this video What you will learn

Force has both strength and direction.

Unbalanced forces cause an object to change its motion.

Balanced forces do not cause a change in motion.

In a game of tug-o-war, what might cause the forces to become unbalanced?

Describe the two properties of forces.

Describe 1 situation with balanced forces and 1 situation with unbalanced forces.

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Learn about balanced and unbalanced forces! Our fun science video for kids will teach you what happens when two balanced forces come together. Watch now!

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This lesson is transdisciplinary. I went back and forth between transdisciplinary and interdisciplinary before ultimately deciding that the overarching question that students need to solve makes this transdisciplinary. The question is: how can I imagine a device or robot that could prevent or clean up an oil spill? Students gain background knowledge about oil spills and participate in an experiment that models how oil spills work before designing a device or robot that could help. This process would involve students using science, technology, engineering, art, and math cohesively to make sure that their design is effective in solving the problem.

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Meaningful STEM learning can happen at home as we use our imagination to solve real problems! This STEM project introduces students to the problem of oil spills around the world. The project culminates with students using their imagination to design a solution to the problem.

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This is an example of an interdisciplinary STEAM lesson in it's current format. While it does not address a problem that students solve, it does require students to use the different disciplines to create a creature with specific adaptations. A majority of the project utilizes art and science with a potential to include math. The only discipline that seems to be lacking is engineering. It could be incorporated by having students design and build their creature using certain materials that would make sense in their environment. This lesson really stuck out to me because we're doing a lesson similar to this in our next unit. I enjoyed all of the different options of how to approach the project and make it unique to your class.

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Adaptations Activity 5: Create a Creature (Grades 2-5)

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Students apply their understanding of adaptations by designing their own organisms to survive in different habitats. Educators Guide for this unit: http://education.eol.org/lesson_plans/2-5_Adaptations_LessonOverview.pdf Lessons in this unit: Adaptations Activity 1: Adapting to the Environment Adaptations Activity 2: Physical Adaptations Adaptations Activity 3: Behavioral Adaptations Adaptations Activity 4: Go Adapt!

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Why Do NASCAR Drivers Need to React Fast?

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Why Do NASCAR Drivers Need to React Fast?

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Why Do NASCAR Drivers Need to React Fast is an example of an interdisciplinary lesson. Students are working through an investigation designing models, measuring, and discussing. While students are working to answer a question, it isn't a problem-based question where students get to come up with their own solutions. This lesson is leading students to make connections and use their schema to learn about reaction times and the process our body goes through when we react. I included this lesson because I think it's been thoughtfully designed to get students engaged through real-life examples and experimentation. I love that students get to showcase their measuring and graphing skills while building scientific background knowledge.

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Lesson Overview

NASCAR drivers move along the track at speeds of more than 200 mph. How much time do these race car drivers have to react to avoid trouble ahead? Middle school students conduct an investigation to determine their own reaction rates and use systems thinking to explain how seeing "trouble" and reacting appropriately to it can occur in less than 1 second!

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Why Do NASCAR Drivers Need to React Fast? (Part 1: Sight)

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Lesson Overview NASCAR drivers move along the track at speeds of more than 200 mph. How much time do these race car drivers have to react to avoid trouble ahead? Middle school students conduct an investigation to determine their own reaction rates and use systems thinking to explain how seeing "trouble" and reacting appropriately to it can occur in less than 1 second!

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Bee Bodies is an example of a multidisciplinary lesson. In this lesson, students begin by studying the structure of a bee and introducing students to bee anatomy. The lesson then moves into a reading, writing, and art portion. The reason I chose this lesson was because my class is currently focusing on structure and function and I saw some potential in expanding this lesson. While it's currently in a multidisciplinary format, I feel like it could be built into an inquiry-based transdisciplinary lesson by posing a question about helping the bee population and challenging students to design something to assist.

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Learn how important the honey bee's body structure is to survival in the hive. This lesson includes learning objectives, material and resource lists, background information, activities, reading selections, writing assignments, a game, assessments, and support documents. See the Educator's Guide for more video links and recommended readings.

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1. Hive Alive! Sweet Virginia Foundation: Bee Bodies Lesson

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Learn how important the honey bee's body structure is to survival in the hive. This lesson includes learning objectives, material and resource lists, background information, activities, reading selections, writing assignments, a game, assessments, and support documents. See the Educator's Guide for more video links and recommended readings.