Cross-Curricular Lesson Plan: The Runaway Truck

by Justin Birckbichler

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Mr. B designed a creative cross-curricular lesson plan that integrates science, math, and Hot Wheels! Are you up for the #XCurricular challenge? (Visit Roemvanitch/iStock)

Every time a new set of standards are rolled out to educators, it seems that legislators continue adding more and more concepts into the various frameworks. To best explore and investigate these topics rather than simply “cover them,” educators must engage in cross-curricular teaching.

Under this model, teachers integrate various standards from various disciplines into one lesson or unit. Not only is this a more effective use of an educator’s time, it is more realistic. Unlike how we teach in “block of time,” in real life, everything is connected. When was the last time you performed a mathematical exercise without needing to interpret a reading passage? Art pieces are often influenced by historical events. Science and math are so closely linked, it’s sometimes hard to tell the two apart. Cross-curricular teaching is not only about maximizing instructional times; it’s preparing students for the future ahead.

My #XCurricular Lesson Plan uses Hot Wheels to teach applicable science and math concepts. I think it will be a lesson that sticks with my students for a long time. I hope this is useful in your classroom, too!

 

 

Below is Mr. B’s Cross-Curricular Lesson Plan. You can find a Google Docs version here, or by clicking on the document below. If you’d like to enter the contest for a chance to win some amazing resources for your classroom, learn more here

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Justin Birckbichler

Justin Birckbichler Justin Birckbichler is an Instructional Technology Coach in Spotsylvania, VA and a Google for Education Certified Innovator. In his work, he is very passionate about forming strong relationships with students, purposeful technology integration, and thinking outside the box. Connect with him on Twitter at @MrBITRT and read his blog at blog.justinbirckbichler.com. Outside of the education world, he’s is a testicular cancer survivor and spreads awareness at www.aballsysenseoftumor.com.