The limited time available to teach content area subjects, given the intense demands for literacy and math instruction, is a common concern in U.S. elementary schools. Unfortunately, this is especially true in schools that serve students who are less economically advantaged. With time being a perennial concern for educators, integrated disciplinary literacy instruction is an alternative way to conceptualize content area and literacy instruction. The authors' purpose in this article is to show how a second-grade teacher meaningfully used literacy as a tool in a science inquiry unit focused on environmental stewardship.