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Hello,

One subject that is easy to integrate with science is math. These two subjects basically go hand in hand. As well as writing/literacy. Students can practice writing summaries of data they collect from experiments and writing expository or nonfiction stories. If you look into the standards of the different subjects for your grade level, you might be able to find standards that match or might go well together. It will go great, and students love having opportunities to apply their knowledge in different contexts. You've got this!

Hi Amanda!

I agree that it can be very difficult to integrate other subjects into science. One thing that I really enjoy combining with science is engineering. One series of lessons that I taught with a group of second graders was about flooding. The first few lesson was about trying to figure out what they knew about floods, and getting the students engaged. The second lesson is where we brought in engineering. We posed the issue of having a house along a river that often gets flooded. We gave the students a tub with some aquarium rocks in it, and a number of other supplies, such as popsicle sticks, modeling clay, sponges, balloons, and tin foil. After explaining the idea to them, and telling them what supplies they had to use, we gave them the freedom to try to build something to protect the house. The students really enjoyed the experiment, and I think that it was a great way to bring engineering into the classroom!

Hello, Amanda,

I adore your question.

I love to introduce my students to watershed studies using our local river. It is a wonderful way to show your students how all of the sciences work together to form this beautiful system and will allow you to use many of the Crosscutting Concepts and Science and Engineering Practices with your students. Through the use of science notebooks, you are able to bring ELA and mathematics to your students. They make observations and asking questions, collect data, use graphs, make calculations, make predictions, and use technology. I have had my students write stories about being a raindrop or snowflake that becomes part of a river and describe it's journey to the Gulf of Mexico. I also bring in the local history such as gold mining and lumbering, and use of the river by the indigenous people who frequented the area. This unit becomes place-based, project-based, and problem-based. It also allows me to meet many of NGSS and Common Core expectations. I use many of the informal educators as possible including US Forest Service, and US Fish and Game personnel, and local watershed preservation and education organizations. They are always eager to help. The children become citizen scientists and look at ways to solve problems such as pollution in the river. It is truly dynamic and I admire your quest for integration. NSTA has many resources to guide you on your way! You will want to search the articles in Science and Children along with Connected Science Learning which is available digitally for both watershed studies and integration.