ERIC Number: ED102145
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1972
Pages: 21
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Approaches to an Interdisciplinary Course in the Social Sciences for Secondary School Teachers.
Lichty, Richard
Many problems are involved in interdisciplinary teaching. Below are some proposals for an interdisciplinary course in the social sciences for secondary school teachers. This type of teaching can be done with either one instructor or a team. If one instructor is used, care must be taken not to build the course solely around that person, so that if s/he leaves, the course disappears. The instructor must have a strong interest in developing interdisciplinary courses, and be willing to spend a substantial amount of time reading material from other fields. There are at least two ways to deal with subject matter: (a) use specific problem areas as case studies, where emphasis is on methods used to arrive at answers, and (b) include games with a strong interdisciplinary flavor. If a team of instructors is used, new problems arise. The team must be closely coordinated and each member must have a fundamental appreciation of the other disciplines. One way of organizing the team is in a panel which meets with every class. Another way is for instructors to teach individually, but to work together on a selected topic for a given period of time. If commitment is made, any of these proposals is workable. It is felt, however, that one is more likely to find a single individual strongly committed to the interdisciplinary movement. Although flexibility is lost, commitment may be more important. (PB)
Publication Type: Books
Education Level: N/A
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Language: N/A
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A