Interactions in Ecology and Literature: Integrated Science and ELA Lessons for Gifted and Advanced Learners in Grades 2-3

Description

Winner of the 2015 NAGC Curriculum Studies Award Interactions in Ecology and Literature integrates ecology with the concept of interactions and the reading of fictional and informational texts. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Next Generation Science Standards. Students will research questions such as "Should animals be kept in zoos?" and "Should humans intervene to control overpopulation of species?" They will examine relationships among living things and the environment as well as relationships between literary elements in texts through accelerated content, engaging activities, and differentiated tasks. Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features fictional texts from Lynne Cherry, Katherine Applegate, and Jacqueline Woodson; art from Mark Rothko and Georges Seurat; informational texts about deforestation and a variety of animals; biographies about Michael Jordan, J. K. Rowling, and Walt Disney; and videos about food chains, food webs, and more. Grades 2-3

Tamra Stambaugh, Ph.D., is an assistant research professor and Executive Director of Programs for Talented Youth at Vanderbilt University. Eric Fecht, Ed.D., is an educational consultant for Vanderbilt Programs for Talented Youth. He supports a number of programs and special projects, including the Reading Academy at Vanderbilt. Emily Mofield, Ed.D., is an assistant professor in the College of Education at Lipscomb University. Her background includes 15 years experience teaching gifted students and leading gifted services.

"This Cross-Discipline work makes learning more fun and pushes Gifted and Advanced Learners in Grades 2-3 to reach higher and excel in both Ecology and Literature. It is about time that works like this become more available to educators, to expand the material out there and to increase the knowledge available for future generations." Lewie Dunn, Georgia Military College, 3/14/18 "An ideal curriculum supplement that is both teacher and student friendly in terms of tone, commentary, organization and presentation, Interactions in Ecology and Literature is an especially and unreservedly recommended for classroom teachers, as well as an addition to college and university library Teacher Education & Resources collections." James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review, 4/18/18