The integrated thematic approach is proposed as an effective instructional method. The thematic approach is a teaching and learning method that connects and integrates many curriculum areas within a theme (Romero, 2009). The lesson plan presented in this paper is about verbs for grade three students. The lesson aligns with the common core standards. It introduces the concept of verbs and engages learners in various activities. The units integrated within this lesson include art, math, reading, writing, and music. The lesson’s overarching goal is for learners to understand verbs and use them appropriately in their daily activities. A strong understanding of verbs is crucial because we use them in all our daily activities. By the end of this lesson, learners will acquire the verb knowledge required for grade four English language development. Besides, students will be able to use both regular and irregular verbs confidently. Students will be assessed according to the work they make and homework. The lesson plan below is developed to allow learners to practice and use their understanding of verbs. By the end of the unit, learners will create their instructions on creating or preparing items of their choice.
Integrated Thematic Unit Lesson Plan
| Lesson Title | Magic Pizza |
| Subject Area | English/Language Arts |
| Grade | Three |
| Time | One week |
| Goals and Objectives |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.1.D Form and use regular and irregular verbs. |
| Integrated Subjects |
Science Music Art Social studies Math Heath education |
| Anticipatory Set |
The lesson will introduce verbs to third-grade students. To begin the lesson, the teacher will play the magic pizza song and ask the children to join. Magic, magic pizza Yummy magic pizza What do you want on your pizza? I want cheese I want pepperoni And I want spiders Spiders? No! I want mushrooms I want onions And I want snakes Snakes? No! I want sausage I want green peppers And I want beetles Beetles? No! The teacher will ask the students if they have ever watched someone make pizza and describe what they saw the person doing. It will serve as an introduction to doing words/action words/verbs. |
| Direct Instruction |
Remind the learners that verbs are action/doing words. Start the lesson by reading “Pizza at Sally’s” aloud. Ask the children questions such as what does Sally do? What ingredients does Sally use to make pizza? What is the first step in making pizza? What does Sally do with the pizzas she makes? Etc. Identify some of the action verbs used and write them on the board. Ask the children to make sentences describing how to make pizza using the identified verbs. |
| Guided Practice | Students will have a chance to make their pizzas. Each student will be given a brown paper representing pizza crust. The red papers will be used as a pizza sauce, while the green, yellow, cream white, and black papers will represent pizza toppings. After making their pizzas, they will divide them into equal pieces of their choice. The children will write sentences on how to make their pizzas. Learners will be asked to be clear in their writing so that another person can use their procedures to make the pizzas. After each student has completed his/her pizza and instructions, they will be stapled together and placed on the display board. Students will write their names on their instructions papers. |
| Closure | Ask the learners, “What are verbs? What are verbs used for? (Volunteer). Ask the children to write as many verbs as they can on the board. |
| Independent Practice | For homework, students will be provided with a paper with five pictures. They will make sentences indicating what is happening in each picture. For each sentence made, students will underline the verb. |
| Required Materials |
Round brown papers Papers of any shape (red, brown, green, cream-yellow/white, and black). Scissors Stapler and staples Pencil White/chalkboard Pizza at Sally’s book |
| Assessment/Follow-up | Students will be assessed based on their pizzas and correct use of both regular and irregular verbs in their written instructions. Also, the teacher will assess their grammar and spelling. |
| Differentiation | New information will be linked to students’ prior knowledge. The teacher must identify the schema students bring and connect instruction to students’ experiences. The teacher can modify/change vocabulary instructions for English language learners because such students need instruction when a new vocabulary is introduced. Besides, students paired or worked in small groups to improve learning for poor/slow learning students. |
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Theoretical Framework
The integrated thematic unit is based on the constructivist theory of learning. The premise of this theory is that individuals learn when they acquire experience from the things learned. It means that individuals make their meanings through experiences. The constructivism theory borrows some of its principles from cognitive theories. According to Piaget, for example, people learn actively, develop schemes, comprehend, and accommodate all science types, while Piaget proposed that individuals acquire social constructivism, working in groups, and internships, among others. From a constructivism approach, an instructor provides the main idea, and learners seek details. A student’s knowledge is his/her life, style, and life experiences. As a result, both instruction and learning should be related to real-life to ensure the learning is designed so that teachers and learners share knowledge and experiences in an active way (Pritchard & Woollard, 2013) .
Constructivism perceives the formulation of knowledge as an active process that forms mental structures during association with the environment. Cognitive structures should always be changed and aligned with environmental demands and the changing being. The alignment or adjustment is a continuous reconstruction activity ( Pritchard & Woollard, 2013 ). The most vital aspect of constructivism is that learners receive emphasis. A learner should develop his/her knowledge and is responsible for his/her learning outcomes. A student’s innovativeness and liveliness assist him/her in becoming independent in cognitive life. In the thematic lesson plan, learning involves class discussions in line with the constructivist approach. Also, the unit is focused on students but not on the instructor. Therefore, based on this theory, the integrated thematic unit compiles knowledge from solid experiences, group activities, reflection, and interpretation. The learning environment is organized to motivate students to explore meanings and appreciate uncertainty.
In this unit, students understand verbs through discovery. For example, they learn about verbs by learning how to make pizza. According to Pritchard & Woollard (2013 ), instructors should incorporate four major components. These components are developing care, organizing and implementing instruction, encouraging learners’ engagement in learning activities, promoting self-regulation and social skills. In developing care, the teacher provides a refresher of the lesson so that learners embrace the lesson. In this paper’s integrated thematic lesson plan, the aspect of developing care is presented in the anticipatory set. The second phase, which is organization and implementation of instruction, involves arranging study content systematically to ensure that learners understand best. In encouraging learners’ engagement in learning activities, the instructor can identify the most effective material delivery strategies. In the last phase, the educator should organize knowledge to generate simplification, new ideas, and enhance information.
Effective Elements of the Thematic Unit
The integrated thematic approach is a framework that was developed by Kovalik (1994). The approach integrates multiple content areas to ensure that learners form a link between subjects. The approach collaborates brain research, instruction methods, and curriculum designing. Kovalik’s (1994) model is developed around making teaching strategies align with the brain’s learning methods. The theorist proposes eight elements that match with the brain and are required to execute an integrated thematic approach effectively. These essential elements are options, enough time, skills mastery enhanced environment, prompt feedback, lack of threats, collaboration, and meaningful content (Kovalik, 1994). Integrated thematic teaching ensures continuity of the learner’s development and integration of content. Instead of dividing a day into different periods, a teacher can integrate multiple subjects under a particular theme.
The thematic unit involves the use of different skills. Existing evidence indicates that learning cannot occur in areas where subjects are thinly defined. Kids do not plan or organize their day into groups of skills or particular subjects. They find enjoyment in working on activities that incorporate different skills. Besides, the unit ensures that learning is in the context of a whole. Apart from language arts, the magic pizza theme can be used in science, music, art, social studies, math, and health education. In math lessons, the pizza theme will be used to learn about grade three level fractions. In science, the theme will be applied in studying the ecosystem. Pizza ingredients such as tomatoes, mushrooms, and olives, among others will be used to study how plants survive in the environments they grow in. In social studies, students will learn about Italy, which is the origin of pizza. According to Romero (2009), thematic instruction ensures that students acquire knowledge through wholesome learning and connecting what they learn with the real world. Knowledge is acquired beast when cognitive skills acquisition is in a real-world setting and allows students to be practical and explore.
The unit connects different subjects under a common theme. It creates a meaningful point around which learning activities and evaluation are focused. Amini & Lena (2019) conducted a study to investigate the effectiveness of an integrated approach to learning. Based on their findings, integrating subjects under one theme is effective in improving learners’ performance. The improvements were identified in the achievement of learning mastery by most learners, improved student competence, improved learning outcomes, and better experimental skills (Amini & Lena, 2019). Also, the thematic unit discussed in this paper fosters students’ engagement. The learning activities such as reading, writing, and making pizzas ensure that students remain engaged throughout the lesson.
Findings of a study conducted by Brooks et al. (1998) indicate that students demonstrated significant improvements in staying on academic activities in the classroom and following directions. Brooks et al. (1998) implemented thematic integrated instruction as an intervention to address non-engagement in a group of grade three students. The identified contributing factors to non-engagement included lack of motivation and thinking abilities leading to a lack of engaged learning. Data collected after intervention indicated that engagement levels had increased, and learners became more focused on tasks. Besides, the integrated thematic unit increase students’ awareness of their duties as learners and team members. According to Brooks (1998), the awareness is seen in students’ enthusiasm to select assignment options and integrate problem-solving.
The lesson allows learners to link new information with the one they already have and connect it with knowledge structures or attach it to concepts they influence. As previously stated, when narrow components of knowledge are emphasized, it becomes difficult to go beyond making some individual connections. However, when meaning is presented in a wider and more complicated way, a person can see different ways in which other people make meaning of the world around them (Romero, 2009). Students can become anxious because of the overload of a lot of information that they have to handle. However, if they understand how things are linked to their use, it becomes easy to organize and comprehend what they are and their uses. The integrated thematic approach is an effective strategy to establish this type of connection crucial in knowledge acquisition.
References
Amini, R., & Lena, M. (2019, February 28). The effectiveness of integrated learning model to improve the students competence at elementary school | Unnes science education journal . https://journal.unnes.ac.id/sju/index.php/usej/article/view/15486
Brooks, R. S., Freiburger, M. S., & Grotheer, R. D. (1998). Improving Elementary Student Engagement in the Learning Process through Integrated Thematic Instruction . ERIC - Education Resources Information Center. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED421274\
Kovalik, S. (1994). ITI the model: Integrated thematic instruction. Kent, WA Books for Educators.
Pritchard, A., & Woollard, J. (2013). Psychology for the classroom: Constructivism and social learning . Routledge.
Romero, Y. (2009). Promoting language learning through a thematic vocabulary-based syllabus in different grades. Latin American Journal of Content and Language Integrated Learning , 2 (1), 38-45. https://doi.org/10.5294/laclil.2009.2.1.6
