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CREATING �CROSS-�CURRICULUM �CONTENT FOR �CLASSES

By Bryce Fowler

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ABOUT ME

HEPPNER, OREGON

KEEP IT SNAPPY

More about me, I come from a small dusty town in the U.S. called Heppner, Oregon.

I did my undergrad at Pacific University, a small private college outside of Portland, Oregon. My major was physics (foreshadowing), with minors in Math and Computer Science.

After college I worked at Intel for about 6 months as a manufacturing technician. It was fun working in the tech field, but night shifts were rough, and if you think wearing a mask everyday is bad, just imagine having to wear one for your whole body.

Then I worked as a game tester for Experis Game Solutions. I was on a zombie survival game for Microsoft called State of Decay 2, it was an amazing experience but I was worked harder than any job in my life and I was making minimum wage, so (shrug)…

After that, I went back home and got a job as a substitute teacher. This is where I fell in love with teaching, I heard about the JET program not long after, and a year later I’m here.

I worked at Akita Minami High School here in Akita City for a about 2 years before starting the PA job, and this is where my experiences with cross-curricular education come from.

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WHY ARE WE HERE?

Students compartmentalize subjects�
Some students don’t need English

ALTs sometimes feel burnout

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CROSS-CURRICULAR TEACHING

“a conscious effort to apply knowledge, principles, and/or values to more than one academic discipline simultaneously.”

� Heidi Hayes Jacobs, � Interdisciplinary Curriculum: Design and Implementation

“a chance for STEM majors to actually use their degrees!”�

Bryce Fowler, right now

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BENEFITS OF CC TEACHING

Language is not taught in a vacuum�
Less pressure on perfect English�
Spices things up!

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HOW DO WE DO IT?

ALT

Plan the CC lesson

Topic: Dealer’s Choice

Teach a non-English lesson

(in English!)

Utilize:

Visuals
Hands-on Materials
Key Vocabulary

JT(E)�

Help balance topic for �skill level

Acquire additional resources

Assist in class

Translation if necessary
Rapport with ALT

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HOW DO WE DO IT?

Be a reflective teacher�
Be willing to learn�
Be ready to improvise

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WHAT CAN WE DO?

You may already teach:

Home Country’s Culture & Holidays
News articles & global events
Games, sports, singing, etc.

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WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?

CC-O-MATIC

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MY EXPERIENCE

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ORBITS!

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DISCUSSION TIME

Let’s share our experiences with the class!

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DISCUSSION TIME

A subject you’d like to use for

CC Teaching

Your

experience with

CC Teaching

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REFERENCES

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QUESTIONS

What are the drawbacks of Cross-Curricular Teaching?

But I teach Elementary School, what are some easier options?

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CC TEACHING DRAWBACKS

Difficult to coordinate

Confusing to evaluate

A lot of extra work

BOO!

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OPTIONS FOR YOUNGER STUDENTS

Arts & Crafts
Sports & Games
Music & Singing
Chromebooks/Tablets