S3 Interdisciplinary Learning Booklet 2015 by St. Joseph's Academy

ctions// Three ‘welcomes’ for price of one: from parents, teachers and pupils.

Interdisciplinary Project Workbook

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2015

will be amazed at all the activity going on dering how on earth staff and pupils find sh so much of what they do. However, ction, where our children get the chance Pupil Name: udies but in everyday school life with aracter, building confidence and ealth and well-being.

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l would like to say a huge thank you to mas raffle on the night, from the local bought tickets. We do hope you were aising activities in the New Year and ggestions. Drop us an email at otmail.co.uk As ever we are delighted to strengthen communication between enjoyed gathering your views at o do so in the new term, so please come pinions are very much valued by Mr

mas and a prosperous 2015.

S3 DARE Interdisciplinary Project Noreen Dunnachie, Chair, Parent Council

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

What is interdisciplinary learning? Since you came to St. Joseph’s Academy you have been learning in an interdisciplinary way, mainly through LifeSchool 360. In LS360 you have completed a series of projects, such as Power or Global Village, that explored ideas and skills by learning about them through different subjects or disciplines. Interdisciplinary learning (IDL) is simply learning that involves two or more subjects at the same time. It challenges you to apply what you have learnt in one subject to a task in another subject. For example, you could learn about the experience of soldiers in World War One in History and about gases in Science. Or you could bring the two things together to learn about the effects of poison gas on soldiers in the war and how it changed the way military leaders made decisions. Why is interdisciplinary learning important? It’s like real life… There are many things about school that are quite artificial. In ‘real life’ outside school, and when you leave after S6, things are not organised into subjects or packaged into neat 50 minute periods, for example. Real life is messy. You will have to be able to take the skills and knowledge you have learnt at school and apply it to a multitude of situations and experiences. You will need to be creative and problem-solve. You will certainly have to collaborate with others who have different experiences and skills. Interdisciplinary learning prepares you for this. It matters for jobs and further study… Employers, colleges and universities all place great value on young people leaving school able to think for themselves in a creative way, with the initiative to make decisions and think things through. Interdisciplinary learning projects help you to develop in this way. It might help you save the world… The great challenges of our time and of the future (the ones we can predict anyway) such as competition for resources, an ageing population, disease, conflict and probable climate change all require solutions that are not found in just one subject or discipline. For example, at the moment teams of scientists, designers, medics and geographers are working together to tackle the Ebola epidemic in Africa. This is an excellent example of interdisciplinary work. Most of the great advances in technology have not been the result of individuals belonging to a single discipline, they happen because people look outside their field of expertise and think in an ‘interdisciplinary’ way.

Interdisciplinary learning is fun, important and should be challenging. It is not usually about finding a right answer, but more about exploring possibilities and creating knowledge. To do it properly you need to be curious, open-minded and determined; you certainly can’t sit back and let the teacher do the work. Your project is your project, no-one else’s. You also need to think carefully about which subjects you will bring together to create your project as you want to be reasonably confident in the different disciplines of your project. Your interdisciplinary learning project is a key part of your S3 Diploma of Achievement and an important achievement in your first three years of school. Good luck: enter into it whole-heartedly and take it seriously. As we would say at St. Joseph’s: inspire and transform. Using this booklet You must use this booklet to keep a record of your progress throughout this IDL project. It will be signed off and checked by your teacher and your parents or carers. You must hand it in at the end of the project as a record of your work and so that you can complete the assessment. Look after it and don’t lose it.

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Creating your DARE Project and big (or title) question You can base your interdisciplinary project on up to three subject areas in the school. Usually the one that is taught by your IDL teacher will be slightly more dominant that the other two. Complete the diagram on page 5 and answer the questions below to help you plan your project.

1. Why have you selected this class for your IDL project?

2. What is your personal interest in the subjects you are bringing together for your IDL project? (what do you like about them?)

3. What would you like to learn and/ or achieve by the end of this project?

4. What skill(s) specific to the subjects you are bringing together would like to have improved by the end of the project? (e.g. drawing, doing an experiment, writing, playing an instrument)

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

5. What is your project? Describe what you are doing. (An example is: I am investigating the way in which different shapes of pasta cook differently and are used in different recipes, by investigating how they are used in Italian cookery, how they developed in history and how their shape, design and geometry affect their cooking time and usage. This project links Home Economics, History and Maths.)

6. Give your project a title that is written as a question. Keep it short and simple, but it could be funny or engaging. (An example is: The Geometry of Pasta: what does Maths teach us about pasta? Another example is: How different countries have developed their football teams: does it make a difference which country you play for? - this project brings together Modern Languages, PE and History.)

7. What will you produce as a result of your project? (This could be a picture, a presentation, an object, a model, food, an experience for other people, a design, a service, a website or blog, an exhibition, an invention, a comic, a sculpture, a short story, an article - the list is endless. The only thing you are not allowed as a final product is a powerpoint presentation). The list on page 11 will help you.

Signed off and dated S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Parent/ Carer & Teacher

Advice on completing this diagram To complete this planning diagram, first complete the vertical boxes. Each one represents one of the subjects or disciplines you have brought together for your project. Write the name of the subject in a box and then a note of the things from that subject that you are going to focus on in your project. Remember, you can only bring together a maximum of three subjects, if you are bringing together less than that then only complete two boxes and leave one blank. Finally complete the top box with the title of your project written as a question.

Signed off and dated S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Parent/ Carer & Teacher

The 10 Skills You will be familiar with our 10 skills for learning, life and work. Look at the list of these again and pick out the ones that you would like to develop in your project. Describe how you think the project will develop these skills. Try to pick no less than three, and certainly no more than, five skills. Your teacher can help you to do this by showing the 10 skills powerpoint that goes into more detail about each skill. My target for this skill isâ&#x20AC;Ś (remember to pick no more than 5 skills)

Collaborating

Leading

Observing

Communicating

Listening

Problem-solving

Creating

Enquiring

Reflecting

Organising

Signed off and dated S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Parent/ Carer & Teacher

Our 8 Values Now reflect on how this project will develop you as a person by focussing on your character. To do this you should write responses below.

Working Together makes Great Llearning/ Take Part Who do you need to work with or collaborate with to complete this project?

Be Curious/ Be Open to inspiration Where will you find inspiration and ideas for your project?

Aim High/ Make Your Mark What challenges might you face and how might you deal with them?

Make a Difference/ Think of Others In what way might your project be of benefit to others?

Signed off and dated S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Parent/ Carer & Teacher

How and why we celebrate the

Head

Knowledge

Values

Heart

Skills

Hand

Now summarise your project on the 3 circles graphic below.

Signed off and dated S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Parent/ Carer & Teacher

How is your interdisciplinary project assessed? A. Planning How well have you thought through your project and completed the planning pages in this learning journal? Evidence: your journal planning (pages 3 - 8) and any other evidence of planning, such as discussions with your teacher

B. Researching and developing How well have you looked into the project you are doing? What research have you done at home or in class? How have you worked at developing your project? Evidence: any research materials such as pictures, sketches, mindmaps etc.; your journal entries in this booklet.

C. Recording and organising How good are you at using the time and resources available to you? How well have you kept your journal? Did you complete tasks and homeworks/ independent study on time. Evidence: your journal and observations by your teacher.

D. Character and attitude Have you shown: ambition, determination, curiosity, grit, commitment, respect, care, attention to detail, leadership, confidence, resilience, resourcefulness, adaptability, enthusiasm? Evidence: your teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s comments and your written reflection on the process

E. Completing and realising Have you shown: that you can do the best you can to complete your project to a high standard (if may be unfinished, but you did everything you could to complete)? Evidence: your project itself, evaluations of it by you, your teacher and other pupils, your written reflection

F. Reflecting Have you shown: that you can review your learning, think about what you learnt and discuss what went well and what did not? Did you develop the skills (from the list of 10 skills) that you intended to develop? Can you write about your project? Evidence: your written reflection The most interesting and impressive DARES will be published. Some pupils will be invited for interview to discuss their projects. Special prizes will be available. S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Overall Mark Sheet and Teacher Comments Teacher Comment

Marks Awarded

Possible Marks

Planning

Research and developing

Recording and organising

Character and attitude

Completing and realising

Reflecting

Overall Award

/100

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

The Product, Outcome or Form of your DARE

Your DARE could be a: • picture or poster • formal presentation • object • model • food • concert or event or experience for other people • design • service • website or blog • exhibition • invention • comic • sculpture or installation • short story • article • film • script or play • business plan or proposal • cartoon • book • essay or report • board game or computer game • experiment • piece of music or a score or a combination of the above or something else altogether…

But remember, depending on the class you have picked to do your DARE, your teacher may already have decided the form of your DARE. In some classes your DARE will be undertaken collaboratively with other pupils. If you decide that your product is a written piece, you still need to complete a separate written reflection on the process you have gone through to create it.

S3 IDL DARE Project 2015 Pupil Booklet

Learning Journal Entry 1

Date: