Do we all remember that in our school days, learning in a classroom involved only the teacher at one end and students simply gazing at their textbooks at the other end! We went to schools which followed traditional teaching techniques which might have worked wonders for us as students in those days. But, kids today are so much more receptive and curious that they need more than just textbooks to enhance their intellect. And, an integrated curriculum is a revolution, replacing the traditional teaching.

Integrated curriculum is learning that connects different areas of study and helps students to make connections across curriculum, allowing them to engage in meaningful, real-life activities. Simply put, think of a classroom where the students can learn maths, science, English, Hindi, music etc. in one lesson through a theme-based teaching methodology.

GIIS Ahmedabad teachers of Grade 1 and 2, exhibited an exemplary integrated curriculum activity for EVS (Environmental Science) subject for their themes ‘My Family’ and ‘My School’, respectively.

Grade 1 teachers did a wonderful job by preparing finger-puppets mimicking family members. They involved maths by counting the number of family members and then spelling out the numbers; English by teaching grammar and naming nouns; Hindi by teaching identifying family members in Hindi; Arts & Craft by making creative, colourful finger-puppets; and Music by singing poems!

So, EVS was taught through all these subjects, giving students a platform to connect and create real world connections in integrated classrooms. This type of teaching methodology involves multiple teaching approaches like reading aloud, enacting, visual and audio aids and group projects to enhance all intellectual capacities of our students. The teachers can create challenging, fun, meaningful activities that help students connect to the subject easily.

The teachers of Grade 2 also put up a good example of integrated teaching by covering English, maths, Arts & Craft, Games, Hindi and mapping directions under the theme ‘My School’. To elaborate, the teachers covered verbs, creative writing and interviewing skills for English subject; learning Hindi terminology for teachers, school and various departments of the school; skip counting and hopscotch under Games; counting all classrooms and its students thereby teaching them Maths; and drawing favourite room in the school and teaching them Arts & Craft. The Grade 2 students will also be taught mapping various direction by taking them around the school building.

Integrated curriculum also touches upon GIIS Gems like personality development, creativity & innovation, Fine & Performing Arts, besides teaching other areas of study.

To sum it up, integrated curriculum increases creativity, adaptability, critical and logical reasoning and teaching students by mimicking real life scenarios and people. The by-product of this methodology is that it lifts the #happinessindex of the school making it a more happy, interesting and creative place to learn and enhance skills for both students as well as teachers.