Reading for Curriculum Integration – Part 1[November 2024]

Nuggets for the Awakened Educator!

It is often the case that engaging in tasks we love sometimes take a back seat, and this my dear readers has been my experience. Though this blog series has had no new updates for the past year, please don’t think for a moment ideas for its reemergence have not been percolating in my mind! I am very happy to announce the completion of the Marcus series (Books 3-5 now in publication). The second installment – Marcus Meets a Friend was released in February 2024. Please stay tuned for the release of the three remaining titles in advance of February 2025.

• Book 3: Marcus Catches the Light (projected release: December 2024)
• Book 4: Educating Marcus (projected release: January 2025)
• Book 5: Marcus Finds His Voice (projected release: February 2025)

To Paxton, CoCo, Briana, Vitoria and all my other beautiful new readers worldwide, I hope with all my heart that you find a bit of your own magic in accompanying Marcus on his many adventures!

While parents have no difficulty seeing the value of sharing Marcus’ experiences in the form of a bedtime story. Teachers are sometimes are a bit more reluctant. They worry that students may not be familiar with many of the vocabulary. I certainly understand the challenge if educators perceive text comprehension as an ultimate goal. However, nurturing the love of reading goes far beyond comprehension. Fostering reader autonomy is my goal as an author. Children are innately curious and hardwired for growth and expansion. It is permissible, even advantageous, to offer them challenges beyond the established curriculum.

The first installment in this new blog series offers suggestions for teachers to utilize stories for launching an instructional unit or an interdisciplinary exploration. Instead of confining instruction to subject domains alone; it would be valuable to think about integrating the learning process across a variety of subject areas. As an educator myself, I wrote the Marcus series for use as a learning experience across different domains. Of course this is not to say that many children’s literature texts do not contain the same potential, its only out of familiarity that I use the Marcus series to elaborate this application.

Let’s take a look at how the first book in the series – Marcus – King of the Dandelions may be applied. The book would be read to the class as a means to motivate learner interest in nature and natural phenomenon. Once read (by the teacher), copies of the book could be made available for students who were interested to explore the story in greater depth independently.

Science-based activities

There are so many references to science based concepts within the story that could offer students a rich hands on learning experience.

Producing a rainbow within the classroom

In the story, mother is pleasantly distracted from her many morning chores by a rainbow on her kitchen wall. Students will be excited to explore how this happens for themselves by creating a rainbow within the classroom. (HERE)

Soil aeration and natural fertilization

Mother has fond memories of collecting worms for fishing. Students can begin to understand the value of decay in nature by observing the wide variety of life that is supported by a fallen tree trunk or large branch. Taking students to an outdoor park or wooded area is always a fantastic learning experience. They could turn over a fallen branch and photograph all the life forms visibly exposed under it as a result. Then in groups, students could return and attempt to identify and describe the many insects and mollusks and other species in the picture they captured.

Life cycle of a frog

Like the youthful version of mother, students will be mesmerized by the opportunity to care for and watch the amazing transformation of tadpoles to frogs. Springtime is the best time to collect a batch of newly emerged tadpoles from local ponds or park pools. These can be maintained in an aquarium with an air filter and the tadpoles will enjoy munching on fish flakes (food for fish). Once the transformation is complete the class can release the batch of small frogs back into nature. (HERE)

Nutritional and health benefits of dandelions

If your classroom is in an area of the world where the dandelion is abundantly available, it would be a good idea for students to explore the value of this beloved perennial. Whether they enjoy the greens in a salad, or sip tea made from the blossom or roots – this visceral experience will make the story come alive. (HERE)

While the adage “words don’t teach” is most certainly true, a story has the capacity to inspire a reader to new experiences or understandings about the world he/she lives in. My desire as a writer is to keep the magic of curiosity alive and well in this 21st Century.

Any comments or reflections based on your experiences and observations are most welcome!

Part 2 of this Blog series will be published in December 2024!