"The mind that is baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings."

-Wendell Berry

An interdisciplinary curriculum is one that uses content from more than one of the standard, traditional disciplines.

Integration is a deeper application of interdisciplinary work. Specifically, disciplines are "blended" or superseded and used as tools to approach an organizing center, such as an issue or problem.

Here is one definition of integration:

"An integrated curriculum, in a nutshell, refers to the fusion of knowledge from different disciplines . . . and the tapping of real-life situations for problem solving and critical thinking in the classroom."1

In PBL, students discover and attempt to solve a real-world problem relevant to their lives.  Specific content and subject areas are learned as students recognize a need for knowledge.

PBL has its roots in the Socratic inquiry method and apprenticeships: hands-on problem-solving in which knowledge and skills are taught as needed. The method as used today was first developed in medical schools in the 1970s, and has since been used in business, law, architecture, and education schools, among others. Recently the method has been adapted to work in secondary education.

The basic premise is that students use the disciplines as a toolbox to discover and solve a real-world, relevant problem. The problem is the central stimulus that triggers the need to know and the direction of the learning: as students discover that they "need to know" something to move foreward in their problem, they are motivated to learn that thing.

Look at the Problem-Solving Process here.

In order to become citizens of an increasingly globalized world, students need to acquire the ability to tackle the type of problems that exist in this world: ones that do not respect disciplinary boundaries and to which there may not be one "right" answer.

Recent research on the brain and how it grows shows that we learn by making connections. This, in part, has led to the educational philosophy of constructivism, which is the basis for our Middle School Philosophy. In a constructivist approach, students "construct" and discover knowledge for themselves. A teacher becomes a "guide on the side" rather than a "sage on the stage." PBL aligns with constructivism.

PBL helps students learn to investigate, think critically, make connections, and construct knowledge for themselves.

Studies have shown that students using PBL do as well or better on standardized tests. They have stronger conceptual understanding, better long-term retention of content, and are better able to apply skills. Furthermore, the students are still learning the content that "needs to be covered." Because PBL helps students see the relevance of what they are learning to their own lives, students have greater motivation, confidence, self-regulation, and ownership of their learning.

Tips for helping your child

2. Be the questioner, not the answerer. If your child is really stuck--or even if he or she isn't--the best way to support him or her is to ask questions rather than provide answers. Use your questions to help guide your child to discover the solution on his or her own.

3. Point your child to the availabe resources. Let your child discover information on his or her own, but support them by pointing him or her to the library, this website, his or her teacher mentor, or another resource.