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Henry, that's a great question! Why can't we use trade books that give us some type of phenomenon that students have to solve? I honestly don't see how we can separate math from science. When we study pollution or the effects of humans on environments, such as the BP Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico, we must include a lesson on geography. Namely, identify the states that border the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the states that have rivers that empty into the Mississippi River and which states are included in the Mississippi River Watershed. How many miles away can pollutants enter the Mississippi River and travel until it reaches the Gulf? Can't we research sites like the EPA to find out which states dump the most pollution into the river? How long does it take some of the waste to break down? How much land do we lose along the coast due to erosion? If some of the solid pollution washes up on the banks of the river, where did the waste originate? There is so much more that we can integrate between all of the core subjects. The list is endless. NSTA has some great resources, articles, and books that use the 3 Dimensional learning and help the teacher to find exactly what they need in order to integrate all subject areas. I use the Picture Perfect Science Lessons and trade books to create lessons and experiments, engineering design, and problem solving.
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