INTEGRATED LEARNING: STAGE 4 (SECONDARY COGS)

Principles and process

Essential Questions:• How do we design and implement a cross-curriculum unit of work?

• How is subject integrity maintained?

• Why do it?

Resources• Modelled process (booklet) for use when designing a unit of work• School stories• Sample curriculum mapping• Other templates and information

Derived from:• Best practice in NSW Government schools

• Suggestions from teachers and school leaders

• Recent academic opinion.

Context• Middle Years Strategy 2006-2009

“use the model of Connected Outcomes Groups (COGS) across Key Learning Areas to develop integrated, Middle Years’ units of work in primary and early secondary years to foster both student engagement and teacher collaboration”.

Primary COGs•Makes programming manageable by connecting similar content, processes and skills

•Ensures a balanced coverage of all key learning areas.  

Secondary COGsAims to achieve connected deep learning experiences for students by bringing teachers together.

Provides a suggested model to accomplish this

Secondary COGs- Modelled Process

The model in summary

Subject teachers design a unit of work for approximately one term, for a chosen group of students.

A connecting idea links the different subjects together.

• Teachers select and assess outcomes from their own syllabuses which are appropriate to the connecting idea.

• Students are given a common task to complete over the term

• The task encourages students to make deep connections within and between subjects.

Cross-curriculum elements can be added to the task, and therefore to the unit.

• This is an opportunity for students to engage with significant cross-curriculum concepts, identified by the school.

• Teachers collaboratively plan learning experiences to allow students to achieve the task

• Teachers program individual subject content and assessment.

• Teachers select appropriate syllabus outcomes, and maintain subject integrity

• Students present and celebrate their achievements

Narrabeen, Elanora-Warriewood Community of schools Climate Change Community

across Stages, 3, 4 and 5. Local focus on Narrabeen Lagoon

and impact of climate change – long term development of skills and active citizenship.

Stage 3 Integrated Climate Change unit,

including specific aspects of literacy and numeracy.

Students identify issues and problems and explore ways they can contribute to solutions for these.

E.g. Local audits of energy use.

Stage 4 Integrated Climate Change unit

of work - Geography, Science, and Technology (mandatory).

Year 8 Students apply design principles

within the context of climate change Broad Learning outcomes targeted

Stage 5? Continue development of broad

learning outcomes HSIE/Science/PDHPE/ Mathematics

all have skill links which could be explored. Content links also.

What can be done in the local area? Coastal regeneration?

Student Volunteering Context Important enough for large numbers

of students to be doing – can be managed within the curriculum context.

Teachers can use the process to find links, and collaboratively discuss practicalities such as teaching and learning and assessment.

Underlying principles: Units of work will:

• reflect the Quality Teaching framework

• align curriculum, pedagogy, and

assessment

• allow students to explore important

issues

Success factors in schools:• A clearly identified need• Teacher ownership of the unit• Time to collaborate meaningfully• Energetic and consultative leadership• Whole–school involvement in planning• Common student task is challenging,

engaging and extends over a sustained period of time

• Content and skills are drawn from syllabuses.