THE RENAISSANCE FAIR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT by Donald Alan Gordon

The Renaissance Fair Unit 1
Running head: THE RENAISSANCE FAIR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT
The Renaissance Fair: Implementing a Gradewide, Middle School
Interdisciplinary Unit
Donald Alan Gordon
University of Oregon
Department of Educational Leadership
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Paul Goldman
Master of Science
in
Educational Leadership
Capstone Project
Fall 2004
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank my family, colleagues and students, both in
Coquitlam and at the University of British Columbia, for their support
throughout this project. I would like to thank the many instructors I have had
the privilege of learning from at the University of Oregon.
I owe a special debt to those Como Lake Middle School teachers and
administrators who believed in The Renaissance Fair and poured themselves into
the creation, planning and execution of this unit. In true middle school fashion,
this was absolutely a teamdriven project and was only successful because
everyone bought in fully. I have frequently been given the credit for this, but
each of the original teachers deserves equal praise for what was created. As well,
the administrators at the time deserve credit for fostering an environment that
promoted this idea, and those who followed for allowing it to flourish.
While all deemed this first attempt a success, what makes this unit worth
researching in more detail is the ongoing success it has had, and the evolutionary
changes that have been made along the way. This is amazing considering sixteen
different teachers and nine student teachers have taught this unit. Through a
commitment to integrated curriculum, educators and administrators at Como
Lake Middle School have helped to make this unit a cornerstone of the
curriculum and a valued part of the school culture.
Abstract
This project presents a description of the design and implementation of The
Renaissance Fair, a gradewide middle school interdisciplinary unit. This unit is
highly regarded in the school and district for the level of teacher involvement,
student participation and motivation and as a culminating community event.
Research was generated through interviews with current and former teachers of
Como Lake Middle School who participated in the unit. This information was
used to construct an accurate account of the development, implementation,
teaching, and assessment of the unit, its strengths and weaknesses, contributions
to school culture, and effects on student behaviour and motivation, all in light of
research on the use of interdisciplinary instruction. This analysis is provided to
aid teachers’ involvement in the unit and creation of similar units.
Table of Contents
Abstract 3
Overview of The Renaissance Fair 5
Research Question 7
School Context 8
Catalysts for Creation 9
Integrated/Interdisciplinary Curriculum 11
Planning for an Interdisciplinary Approach 15
Individual Teacher Projects 24
Impact on Students, 29
Assessment 35
Role of Administration 39
The Fair: A Culminating Event 40
Teachers’ Reflections on the Unit 43
Further Investigation 46
Summary 49
References 51
Appendices 53
The Renaissance Fair: Implementing a Gradewide,
Middle School Interdisciplinary Unit
Overview of The Renaissance Fair
For two weeks of every year, in late May or early June, the grade eight
teachers of Como Lake Middle School suspend the core curriculum and use an
interdisciplinary approach to teach the Renaissance period. This has become a
cornerstone of the grade eight curriculum and the highlight of the students’
academic career in the school. It has also become an integral part of the Como
Lake culture, as the community participates so enthusiastically.
Each teacher plans and teaches a unique project that integrates at least
three subject areas as a means to teach students how philosophy, in this case
Humanism, can influence all aspects of a culture. The projects are front end
loaded with instruction, gradually tapering off as students choose an aspect to
focus on and create a handson representation of their learning. Project work is
assessed using criteria referenced assessment or performance rubrics, created in
consultation with the students. These assessments allow for the wide scope of
student choice in project presentations.
Student choice is integral to the success of the unit. Students may choose
any three people from within grade eight to work cooperatively with. These
groups then select the two projects they will work on out of the six to eight that
are offered. The process for selection is based on the students’ completion of a
personal resume and a group cover letter outlining the groups’ strengths and
commitment to learning. As well, parents must approve the choice of team
members and projects. On application day groups of students will be waiting at
the school as early as 6:30 am to ensure their position. By 7:30, an hour before
school starts, more than one hundred students are lined up in the gym to apply.
During these two weeks in late May and early June, behaviour problems
amongst the grade eights all but vanish. Students arrive early and stay late,
working to complete their projects. Lunch time conversations become business
meetings, as duties are assigned, deadlines set, and decisions about supplies and
problem solving approaches are made while they eat. Critical thinking is the
order of the day. Students are motivated by their own interest and the tight
timeline.
On the day of the Fair, shortly after lunch, the gym begins to fill with
students from the nearby high school who have been involved in past Fairs. As
they wander through the exhibits in the gym, they point and discuss the merits
of the work and they stop and ask the presenters questions about what they have
done. They make comparisons to their own past work and comment on the
quality of work in general. It is remarkable to see this level academic discourse
between thirteen and seventeen year olds. They are joined by the grade six and
seven classes who chatter about which projects they will do in grade eight.
In the evening, the gym is over whelmed by the sheer number of students,
parents and siblings. For some this is the first time their parents have come to the
school this year. Students present their projects and explain what they have
done to adults walking by. They tell the adults to go see their other project
elsewhere in the gym. They often also tell them to make sure they see another
student’s work that is really cool. There is a cacophony of conversation, music,
dramatic presentations, videos, laughter and celebration. Students pose for
pictures with their parents and teachers in front of the final products. It is the
culminating night of Como Lake Middle School’s annual Renaissance Fair.
Research Question
Over the course of six years The Renaissance Fair at Como Lake Middle
School has become a key event in the school year for grade eights and a
cornerstone of the school’s culture. While the school’s grade eight Renaissance
Fair enjoys a very positive reputation as a successful example of integrating
subjects using an interdisciplinary approach, it has never been subjected to
careful study in terms of addressing the desired outcomes of this approach in
middle school. As well, the strengths and weaknesses, the effects on student
motivation, participation and demonstration of learning have never been
explicitly stated or examined with regards to the unit. This project seeks to
accurately document the development of the unit from its origins to its current
format. The information is drawn from interviews with six current and former
teachers, two former administrators and one former student teacher
(Appendix A). Participants’ statements are woven into the narrative account of
the unit and connected to literature on the topic of implementing
interdisciplinary curriculum. Implications for further investigation are
discussed.
School Context
During the school years of 199798 and 199899 School District #43,
(Coquitlam) went through a massive reorganization and transition phase to
create a middle school system. Como Lake Junior High passed through two
transition years as a grade 7 to 9 middle school before becoming a grade 6 to 8
school. Pursuing this transition, the Principal adopted the exemplary middle
school model first advocated in 1981 by George and Alexander (2003).
At the outset the school was staffed primarily by high school trained
teachers and was gradually absorbing elementary trained teachers along with
new middle school trained personnel. Consequently, the Principal and Vice
principal worked hard to promote all aspects of middle school philosophy.
Examples included organizing teachers of common grades into interdisciplinary
teams, establishing common preparation times from those teams to meet,
creating a basic set of exploratory courses, establishing Advisory groupings, and
adopting a flexible block schedule for instruction. These structural changes were
implemented unilaterally but refined through teacher input. Other changes were
suggested or ordered but the timing or method was left to teachers’ discretion.
Since integrated curriculum is a cornerstone of the exemplary middle school
model, one of these implementations included insisting that teams either create
or implement one integrated unit during the school year.
In the 199899 school year the grade 8 teachers were divided into two
teams, the Seawolves and the Killer Whales. Both teams were composed of
teachers with a variety of experiences and backgrounds, five of whom were new
to the school and their teams. The Sea wolves were led by a female elementary
teacher with 12 years of experience who came to Como Lake Middle that
September. Other members of that team included: a male middle school trained
teacher in his first year of teaching, a male elementary trained teacher in his
second year of teaching but his first full time position and a female middle school
student teacher working under the team leader.
The Killer Whale team was led by this author, an elementary trained
teacher who was in his second full year of classroom teaching and first year as a
team leader at Como Lake. Other team members were: Mark and a female
teacher, both middle school trained teachers in their first year of teaching, a
female high school trained teacher with 6 years of experience who was sharing
her job with Mike, an elementary teacher in his first teaching position. In all, two
of the nine were veteran teachers, four of them were very new but trained in
middle school methods, none had experience with interdisciplinary curriculum.
Catalysts for Integration
In the fall of 1998 these teachers learned that the Royal British Columbia
Museum in Victoria, British Columbia was mounting a significant exhibit around
the drawings, inventions and notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci. The Renaissance
period is a significant component of the grade 8 Social Studies curriculum, which
made this event attractive for these teachers. This display was one of two
catalysts for integration, the other being the Principal’s mandate to create or
implement an integrated unit, which led to the development of this
interdisciplinary unit.
In January 1999 the grade 8 teachers met for their regular monthly
breakfast meeting. A discussion concerning a field trip to Victoria began and
teachers were asked for their input in terms of desire to go, management,
logistical issues and choosing a date. Mark, recalling the details of this meeting
and the decisions the group arrived at said:
“The idea came up several years ago when several of the grade eight
teachers were discussing a potential field trip to Victoria, B.C. to take in the
da Vinci Exhibit at our provincial museum. Logistics and reports from
people who had gone to the exhibit in the summer helped us decide not to
go and to do our own da Vinci Exhibit at our school. In conversation with
the Humanities teachers, we quickly decided that while the scope of da
Vinci’s work was expansive there was so much more range and potential if
we focused on the whole Renaissance, as an integrated unit.”

The second catalyst for creating this interdisciplinary unit was the
mandate from the Principal written into the Team Leaders’ job description
stating that each team was to develop or implement one integrated unit during
the year. However, Gatewood (1998) argues that integrated curriculum, “…
should not be accomplished by teachers who are required by administrators to
develop interdisciplinary or thematic units. Most of the results of these top
down mandates are artificial and lack accountability”(p. 40).
Although this suggests that one of the surest ways to prevent the
development of what might be called authentic integrated or interdisciplinary
curriculum, is for the Administration in the school to force teachers to do so, this
was not the case at Como Lake. However, given the new school configuration,
and with so many new teachers to the school, that without a push from above,
this might not have happened. In fact, despite the mandate to do so, in the first
three years as a middle school, this grade eight unit was the only attempt at
interdisciplinary curriculum that was made that drew in more than just core
subject areas. While the mandate to use an integrated approach was present, it
was never forced on teachers and although a successful example had been
created, teachers of other grades made no attempts to follow suit.
Integrated / Interdisciplinary Curriculum
The Value of This Teaching and Learning Approach
Integrated/interdisciplinary curriculum has long been valued in the
middle school movement. Many of the structural aspects of middle schools are
in place to foster the integration of disciplines including: flexible block
scheduling, teams of teachers of mixed discipline backgrounds, and common
preparation time to name a few. Both the Carnegie report, Turning Points, on
education in the US, and the Sullivan Royal Commission’s report on schooling in
British Columbia, are cited by Kain (1996) as strongly advocating the value of
this approach as a remedy to the lack of reallife applicability and relevance of
the curriculum. Kain quotes the findings of the Sullivan report:
" 'The current curriculum shows little evidence of conscious articulation
between what students study and reallife situations. This situation is due,
at least in part, to the fact that each subject is treated as a separate entity in
the curriculum development process.' The commission recommended an
interdisciplinary approach for intermediate students and the development
of interdisciplinary curriculum documents; it encouraged the development
of interdisciplinary teacher teams’ " (p. 166).
As well, Ellis and Stuen (1998) find support for this approach in recent effective
schools research noting that, “…(Cotton 1995) identified the following among a
long list of classroom and school attributes:
• Teachers provide instruction that integrated traditional school subjects, as
appropriate.
• Teachers integrate workplace readiness skills into contentarea
instruction.
• Administrators and teachers integrate the curriculum, as appropriate”
(pp. 2021).
These reports, along with current brain research, lend further support to the
learning theories of the progressive and constructivist educators of the past sixty
years that advocate for the value of an integrated/interdisciplinary approach.
Research on Interdisciplinarity
At its heart, interdisciplinary teaching and learning has its roots in the
progressive and constructivist learning theory models, which is also why it is so
closely aligned with middle school philosophy, which has a similar lineage. Ellis
and Stuen (1998) acknowledge these historical ties and go on to say that, "It is a
learner centered approach that places greater emphasis on creativity, activities,
"naturalistic" learning, realworld outcomes, and above all, shared experience"
(p. 15). Making the link to middle schools they point out that, "In fact, much of
the middle school philosophy emerged from the progressive movement, and one
of the middle school tenets is to coalesce subjects into integrated studies using
block scheduling” (p. 20).
More recently, interdisciplinarity finds support in constructivism and the
work of Vygotsky, who believed that, "... learners construct their own
knowledge...this construction takes place not just through interaction with
physical objects but through social interactions." He said that, "It is the social
interaction related to the handson manipulation of objects that allows learners to
construct knowledge.” (Ellis and Stuen, 1998). The benefits of the constructivist
approach are described by Tchudi and Lafer (1996):
" We see that students learn most successfully when they are engaged in
constructing meanings for themselves or solutions to problems.
Constructivism is holistic in its approach, meaning that it declines to break
learning down into component elements, but recognizes that the elements
are learned when they serve the function of solving a problem or creating a
complete meaning. Above all, constructivism is linked inextricably to
authenticity in learning suggesting that for people to learn successfully,
they must generally be engaged in tasks that they find useful, intrinsically
interesting, or otherwise realistic" (p. 90).
Gatewood (1998) helps to link constructivism and middle schools saying that,
"The development of constructivist models of instruction in middle school
classrooms should be our number one priority, and this can occur within a
discipline based multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary approach” (p.41).
Interdisciplinarity finds even more recent support in current brain
research. Tomlinson (1998) explains how knowledge is learned more rapidly and
remembered longer:
"The human brain is a patternseeking organ. It understands and organizes
efficiently when it grasps categories, hows and whys, and makes
comparisons. Concepts and principles are patternmakers. Used
appropriately, they help the brain create networks of organization that
promote thinking, information storage and retrieval and understanding"
(p. 6).
He links this research to the beneficial implications for classroom instruction:
"Not only is conceptbased integration more brainfriendly and more
immediately relevant to the lives of young adolescents than is a topicbased
approach, it has an added power in its ability to guide differentiation of
modification of instruction based on student readiness differences.
Struggling students are far more likely to amass power as learners by
focusing on and genuinely understanding essential concepts and principles
of a subject than by trying to accumulate whatever bits and chunks of data
they can accumulate in a time span that is always too limited” (p. 8)
These learning theories and recent brain research impact the planning process for
interdisciplinary curriculum. There is agreement that the current curriculum
needs to be infused with connections to real life so that students grow to
appreciate that one body of knowledge does not stand alone. As students use
various disciplines to solve reallife problems, they will value and recognize the
power of knowledge that brings the disciplines together, or integrates them, as
needed and not in isolation. Middle school has been identified as a fertile
location for this to occur because of the structural attributes and more
importantly because of the developmental attributes of the age group. The
difficulty is deciding what to call it and what it looks like.
Definitions: Is it integrated or interdisciplinary curriculum?
While there is a great deal of support and advocacy for an
integrated/interdisciplinary approach throughout the education system, there is
the problem of defining what these terms mean and what they look like.
Grossman, Wineburg, and Beers (2000) argue that there are no clear definitions
of terms, that there is no "shortage of schemes that have sought to differentiate
among curricular integration, fusion, integrative, crossdisciplinary, or
interdisciplinary, approaches but rather the inability of any one of these schemes
to impose conceptual order among multiple audiences" (p. 10). Two authors’
definitions set side by side in Table 1 show the terms similarities and differences.
Table 1.
Comparative Definitions for Integrated and Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Heidi Jacobs’ definition of Mary Ann Huntley’s definition and
Interdisciplinary curriculum distinction of Interdisciplinary and Integrated
Jacobs (1989), p. 8 curriculum Huntley (1998), p. 2
"A knowledge view and "An interdisciplinary curriculum is one in which
curriculum approach that the focus of instruction is on one discipline, and one or
consciously applies methodology and more other disciplines are used to support or facilitate
language from more than one content in the first domain (for instance, by
discipline to examine a central establishing relevance or context). In this case,
theme, issue, problem, topic, or connections between the disciplines are made only
experience.” implicitly by the teacher(s). A powerful analogy
for interdisciplinary models is the notion of
“In contrast to a disciplinefield foreground/background.."
based view of knowledge,
interdisciplinary does not stress "An integrated curriculum is one in which a teacher,
delineations but linkages.” or teachers, explicitly assimilates concepts from more
than one discipline during instruction. It is typified
“It is a holistic approach with a by approximately equal attention to two (or more)
tradition in Western thought that disciplines."
comes from Plato's ideal of unity as "..integration, which implies an explicit
the highest good in all things. assimilation of concepts from more than one
Interdisciplinarity nurtures a discipline by the teacher(s)."
different perspective with focus on
themes and problems of life
experience."
The terms could be interchangeable the way the authors use them. The
distinction is unclear. It is no wonder that Grossman et al. (2000) state that, “The
lack of agreement over the terms of the debate simply reflects the disorderly state
of the art” (p. 10).
Lake (2000) acknowledges that, “Another term that is often used
synonymously with integrated curriculum is interdisciplinary curriculum” (p. 2).
She goes on to explain that:
“Interdisciplinary curriculum is defined in the Dictionary of Education as ‘a
curriculum organization which cuts across subjectmatter lines to focus
upon comprehensive life problems or broad based areas of study that brings
together the various segments of the curriculum into meaningful
association’ (Good 1973). The similarity between this definition and those
of integrated curriculum is clear…. This view is supported by Everett, who
defines interdisciplinary curriculum as one that ‘combines several school
subjects into one active project since that is how children encounter subject
in the real worldcombined in one activity.’ “ (p. 2).
The term interdisciplinary, drawing on Jacobs and Everett’s definitions, will be
used here, since project teachers tried consciously to bring in other disciplines.
Planning for an Interdisciplinary Approach
Planning Models for Interdisciplinary Curriculum
Most interdisciplinary planning models follow a constructivist view of
learning (Tchudi and Lafer, 1996). Jacobs’ (1989) developmental model for
planning has four steps that “…produce a functional alternative to the
patchwork of interdisciplinary curriculums that frequently emerges from older
concepts” (p. 54). Jacobs’ (1989) describes the four steps as:
1. selecting an organizing center: theme, subject area, event, issue, problem
2. brainstorming associations
3. establishing guiding questions to serve as a scope and sequence:
organizes the brainstorm, questions are crossdisciplinary like chapter
headings; avoids "running the risk of simply delving haphazardly into
an interesting theme"
4. writing activities for implementation: the means for exploring these
questions what students will do; use a model of cognition to guide
activity design to cultivate higherlevel thought (p. 54).
Table 2 shows the similarities of several other planning models. Note the
numbering of the different steps, as some steps have been placed out of order to
Table 2.
Comparison of Interdisciplinary Planning Models
Aspect Betts’ "Balanced Forrestal‘s “Australian Wallas’ “Discovery
Instructional Design Planning model” Process” model
model" Tchudi and Lafer (1996) Ellis and Stuen (1998)
Tchudi and Lafer (1996)
Prepare 1. 'cue event' 2. exploration 1. preparation
provide a common point where the students, blend attitude and
of reference for all linked through whole class, information; open to
to central theme small group, and discovery and desire to
individual activities, raise know
questions and find
answers to problems,
issues, and topics
suggested by the 'input'
materials
Input 2. 'impressive acts' 1. input 2.incubation
an input stage for where the teacher takes ponder/consider
students primary responsibility for problem; deliberate,
locating core information, thoughtful; akin to
including textbook metacognition i.e.
chapters, speakers, field thinking about activities,
trips, films, etc. processes being done
Create 3. 'constructive acts' 3. reshaping 3. illumination
start working out a stage in which light bulb / discovery /
solutions to problems and students work toward insight stage;
applications of abstract synthesis and application
ideas.' of their learning, figuring
out how to do something
with the information they
have gathered
Present / 4. 'expressive acts' 4. presentation 4. verification
Celebrate translate understanding where new knowledge happens at end
into explanations that and ideas are presented (summative) and along
serve to assess learning of to the class the way(formative); carry
essential concepts beyond out and test plan;
the ability to apply them reflecting on what
constructively. happened; did it
work/how well it
6. finally 'celebration' worked;
might be an exposition,
fair, public performance,
publication or ..to
provide the public
attention it (student
work) richly deserves."
Reflect / 5. then 'reflective acts' 5. reflection
Assess chiefly involve self a time for student and
assessment, where teachers to evaluate the
students think about work that has been done
what they have learned
and mastered
make comparisons easier. These are all similar to one another and to Jacobs’
model, having many aspects in common, including, their roots in constructivism.
The common aspects of: prepare, create, input, present, celebrate and reflect are
important to the success of an interdisciplinary approach, and are hallmarks of a
constructivist approach. The grade eight team incorporated all of these steps in
planning for the Renaissance Fair, thereby insuring a measure of success.
Renaissance Fair Unit Planning Origins
Following the initial meeting, the grade eight teachers were enthused
about the idea of a da Vinci exhibit, talking about bringing in art, history, drama,
politics, architecture, inventing, and P.E., connecting these through the idea of da
Vinci as the “Renaissance Man”. Others suggested that this could easily go
beyond da Vinci to include other famous people from the period or incorporated
the influences of Humanism on the culture. Mark, the only teacher from the
original planning team interviewed, described the early planning stages:
“Other teachers teaching Science and Math were interested as well. We
began meeting as Grade 8 teachers early in the school year to share ideas
and to look at the logistics of planning and implementing the project. This
planning and vision began to pick up speed and soon our little da Vinci
project had turned into a major grade wide integrated unit that would
culminate in a school and community wide fair.”
The suggestion of each teacher creating a project of their own design that
connected different disciplines was latched onto. It was suggested that the
teachers of the exploration courses should be involved in some way since Home
Arts, Computers, Music, P.E. and Technology Education could make many
natural links to this curriculum. At this point several teachers recognized the
possibility of creating the integrated unit that was mandated by the Principal, an
idea that previously had not been mentioned.
The atmosphere became charged with enthusiasm as teachers started
brainstorming possible project scenarios. There was already a strong
commitment since some teachers quickly laid claim to project ideas according to
their interests. The idea of a final display remained in the foreground during this
time and obviously fired peoples’ imaginations because most of the project
suggestions were focused on what students could do or show for a display of
their learning. There became an obvious handson orientation to the products so
there would be something to see at the exhibit, but teachers agreed that they all
wanted a written component to accompany the displays.
By the end of this meeting all grade 8 teachers agreed to be involved with
a Renaissance unit that would culminate in a display for the greater community
in the gym. Teachers agreed to sketch outlines of projects they were interested in
doing with an emphasis on integrating a minimum of three subject areas from
core or explorations (Appendix B). Teams agreed to continue to discuss logistics
during part of their weekly team meetings to clarify details. The team leaders
offered to invite Exploration teachers to participate and agreed to take the initial
outline of this integrated unit to the Principal and ask for permission to have the
grade 8 teachers use the upcoming professional development day to plan the
logistics and organize the final display.
The sense of teamwork during this and subsequent planning meetings
was very strong. There was buyin right from the very start and the enthusiasm
was contagious. Grossman et al. (2000) capture this spirit when they say,
“By reaching beyond their own specializations to work with others, teachers
have the chance to remain intellectually alive, always close to the
excitement of new learning…. the creation of interdisciplinary curriculum
promises to provide teachers with opportunities to come together over what
matters most: what actually gets taught and learned in classrooms" (p.2).
Based on his participation in these meetings, Mark recalls that:
“We all worked together very well. Teachers began to see the potential
and then everyone started to fly with ideas and see the wonderful
opportunity for the students. As mentioned before much of the concept
planning happened early in the school year, and then each teacher spent
time working on the preparation of his or her own unit. We would touch
base and support each other along the way.”
The planning process described arose out of an atmosphere of team work and a
collegial environment that had been fostered on both teams in the months prior
to the Fair planning. The planning did not have its roots in any research and yet
when various planning models are examined it is apparent that the team was on
track with a successful methodology.
Planning Details, Addressing Issues
At the end of February the grade 8 teachers gathered for the day to
formalize the unit, plan out details, and assign roles. There were diverse issues to
deal with including: the amount of time the unit would take, the loss of
curriculum time, its affect on teacher work load, parents perceptions, grouping
students, how to incorporate the Exploration teachers, and the Fair display.
Issues around assessment and evaluation were raised including: how to break
down integrated marks to be subject specific, creating a common standard by
which to measure the students’ achievement, developing a way of evaluating
individual and group work, and passing on marks to homeroom teachers.
Teachers were also concerned about what should be taught in CAPP, or Career
and Personal Planning.
The team agreed to let students have the opportunity to choose two
projects they were interested in, based on the two eighty minute blocks of core
time in the daily schedule. As a result, only two weeks or ten instructional days
would be needed out of the academic calendar. By limiting each teacher to one
project taught to two groups of students, the workload seemed much more
manageable. Teachers were really excited about what they were going to teach
and all the possible ways to incorporate other subjects. Eight projects topics
were chosen based on teachers’ interests:
1. The Art of War about war and politics, taught by a Humanities and
Drama teacher
2. If You Build It They Will Come about architecture, taught by a
Humanities and Art teacher
3. The Fab Four about art, taught by a Science, Math and French teacher,
4. Lead a Naval Expedition about naval exploration/navigation, taught
by a Science, Math and Art teacher,
5. What Do You Mean I Can’t Eat With My Fingers? about daily life,
teamtaught by a Math, Science, Home Arts and P.E. teacher,
6. Barde In the Yarde about Shakespeare’s drama, taught by a
Humanities and P.E. teacher,
7. Inventing the Present Out of the Past about inventions and da Vinci,
taught by a Humanities, and Drama student teacher, and
8. The First Leonardo about math, taught by a Science, Math and French
teacher.
Teachers decided to write an intriguing title and description for the
catalogue students would receive and would not attach their names to projects,
to discourage choice based on teacher and promote choice based on interest
(Appendix C).
If students were going to have enough time to create quality
representations of their learning, they would need a substantial amount of time
to work together as a group. Projects would need to be front end loaded with the
background information necessary for students to decide on their personal
representation. Over the ten days the teacher directed portion would be
gradually reduced to mini lessons than one on one work and supervision. Social
Studies teachers agreed that prior to the start of the unit they would provide an
overview of the politics, history, religion, art and philosophy of the Renaissance
to alleviate some of the project teachers’ workload, help students choose areas of
interest and promote the Fair for two weeks prior to project selection.
With students choosing two projects to work on, this meant that eight new
classes would have to be created. In that case students could also choose whom
they wanted to work with from anyone in grade eight. It was decided that
students could choose to work by themselves or with a group of no more than
three others to help maintain accountability for learning. The motivation of
working with whom they wanted, on the project they wanted, seemed like a very
positive aspect. The implication however was that there would need to be an
equitable way of letting students choose partners and projects. As well, time and
effort would have to go into building new classes, keeping class size, and social
dynamics in mind. There was also a serious concern about students making
poor choices of partners since they could choose anyone from grade.
An exciting suggestion was put forward to assist in the choice process that
made the unit even more integrative, drawing in the CAPP curriculum outcomes
around careers. Students would complete a formal resume, including references
and write a cover letter applying for their choices, justifying why their friends
should form a group based on skills, abilities, interests and work ethic. As in a
career search, these documents would have to be turned in at a specified time to
receive consideration. At the same time, parents would have to help students
pick group members and give their approval in writing.
Even with parent approval of their child’s partners, parent perceptions
about the unit and projects remained a concern. Teachers worried that parents
would disapprove of the regular curriculum stopping for the ten days and fail to
appreciate that real learning was continuing. Jacobs (1989) cautions that, "The
interdisciplinary unit or course should be presented to all members of the school
community. Few parents will have experienced integrated curriculum, and they
will feel less suspicious if they are well informed” (p. 10). Ellis and Stuen (1998)
point out the benefits of integrating the community into the process:
"The school that can bring students, teacher, families, and community
members together around the abiding ideas of a thoughtful curriculum
anchored in purposeful knowledge, skills, and values is one that will
prosper not only academically but will find support in other areas when it
needs it" (p. 38).
Teachers agreed to submit a list of the provincial learning outcomes that
would be addressed by their particular projects as a way to show parents what
was being taught. A letter would be sent home (Appendix D) with the project
documents (Appendix E) informing parents of the intention and duration of the
unit. The Principal was completely behind this effort and agreed to deal with
any parent concerns personally.
Explorations at Como Lake Middle School include: Music; Home Arts,
which includes sewing and foods; Technology Education, focused on woodshop;
and Information Technology. Due to timetable problems it was obvious that
there would be no way to have Exploration teachers directly create and teach
their own projects since they were teaching the grade seven and nine classes
while the grade eights were in core time, doing the unit. Instead, they were keen
to offer their services and facilities to help students, and fellow teachers, outside
of class with projects that required their expertise. The music teacher offered to
put together a small group of student musicians who might want to perform
Renaissance music during the Fair. Jeremy, the Information Technology teacher
recalled how he, “… assisted a teacher by providing them with guidance in the
use of photo editing software. I also helped integrate technology by providing
assistance to students who wished to create multimedia presentations for the
Fair.” This was an extraordinary example of the total team atmosphere that
permeated the school.
The idea for a culminating display of students’ work in front of peers and
parents seemed like a factor that would motivate students. At the same time it
created a real deadline that students would have to meet. Teachers suggested
that for students to pass the unit they would have to have the presentation
portion complete for the Fair. Everyone acknowledged however, that given this
was the first time through this, we had no idea of how long it would really take
so we needed to build in a cushion in case it looked like the majority of students
needed more time.
It was decided to start on a Friday so teachers could introduce project
topics, meet their new students, set expectations and indicate a supply list
students could collect on the weekend prior to getting underway. The
concluding date was planned for a Wednesday, thirteen days later. This would
allow for moving the Fair to Thursday if necessary. Friday was booked as a
celebratory field trip to the local waterslides as part of the grade eight leaving
events in the school, and as a day to wind down from the Fair and to settle back
in for the final two weeks of school. Fixing the Fair date allowed for the
generation of a timeline for teachers for the remaining months of preparation
(Appendix F).
With most of the details planned out and agreed to, teachers could change
their focus to their own project development. It is estimated that each teacher
had spent about twelve hours in planning for the Renaissance unit to this point,
not including time for personal curriculum development of their project.
Individual Teacher Projects
Personal Planning Experiences
Following the initial large group meetings, and with a timeline in hand,
planning of individual units and the Humanities introduction began in earnest.
Teachers enjoyed the individual project planning because it was about a topic of
interest they chose. However the collaborative atmosphere remained and grew
stronger. Mark had the following recollections about this next phase:
“The planning process was unique and rewarding. As Humanities teachers
we planned the introduction to the Renaissance that all students would
receive in their Humanities classes prior to the actual integrated unit
starting. We thought it was prudent to give the students some background
knowledge and insights into the glorious time or rebirth and Humanism,
before they had to choose which of the eight different units they would take
on for 2 weeks. Each teacher then prepared a unit that focused on one
aspect or individual(s) of the Renaissance. The units had to clearly relate to
the Renaissance, they had to have elements that included learning outcomes
from across several curricula, they had to culminate in something that could
be part of a massive display, or fair. The idea of doing this grade wide
forced all eight of the teachers involved to work collaboratively to ensure
the fair was going to be a success. We met for monthly morning breakfast
meetings to update each other on individual progress, and make sure we
did not have too much overlap in each of the projects. The eight projects
that were created in the first year were unique, and covered a wide scope.
We all learned more working together than if we as Humanities teachers
had taught it alone. Ideas for how to assess the unit would come to the table
and be discussed as a whole before they were included in our fair concept.
In the early stages we tried to work out as many of the fine points as
possible to accommodate everyone’s ideas and to make it truly creative and
bold.”
Mike too felt that:
“There was a great deal of collaboration between all of the teachers in grade
8 as well as the exploration teachers. There were numerous meetings to
discuss what it would look like, what processes needed to be developed.
Teachers would share ideas, develop consensus around various aspects of
how the student preparation would occur, and how assessment would take
place.”
As part of implementing the planning and preparation, teachers were
modeling what students would soon be doing in their project groups. Ellis and
Stuen (1998), discussing the collaborative processes needed, noted that:
“A kind of synergy flows from such deliberations, at least when things go
well. Teachers will have to model cooperative efforts in order to move the
planning stages forward. They will have to practice the same kinds of give
and take that one hopes students themselves will experience when the
curriculum is realized in classroom life.” (p. 13).
They argue for teachers combining expertise to work together with each others’
curriculum explaining that, “…teachers must experience integration if they want
to integrate the subject they teach. An important rule of thumb to keep in mind
about integration is ‘first people, then subjects’ “ (p. 37).
In their planning and discussions, teachers had to come to terms with
their changing role in the teaching and learning process in this unit, something
that may not be possible for every teacher. They acknowledged a need to provide
an initial foundation of knowledge about the topic so that students could then go
independently exploring within the topic. Darren, a teacher on staff for the last
two years of the Fair, described this change, saying, “The process was very front
heavy. Once the unit had started it was more of facilitating learning and
instructing about time management and work ethic.” He added that, “It made
me think of other areas of teaching that I don’t teach. It well rounded (sic) me as
a teacher to teach subjects that I don’t normally teach.” Mike echoed these
thoughts, “I had the opportunity to teach in an environment that was very much
student driven. My job became that of classroom manager, and resource person
for students to bounce ideas off of.” Ellis and Stuen (1998) articulate this change
in roles:
"The teacher's role shifts from teller and director to organizer and
guide….Their role...is to ensure that the trip is wellorganized, that
preparation, support, and followthrough are in place...Good leadership is
a balancing act that provides structure without being overbearing, that
points the way while recognizing that more than one path may get
someone from here to there" (p. 38).
Some teachers did find the planning for their projects difficult as they
moved into unfamiliar subject areas. Nicole, who joined the grade 8 team in the
Fair’s third year acknowledged this saying, “The first year was difficult as I was
new to the school and the grade 8 curriculum. My training is not in Art,
therefore the planning process was difficult when trying to determine
appropriate lengths of time for the various activities/projects.” Dave felt the
same way, coming in at the same time, but commented on how the collaborative
atmosphere helped:
“It was very taxing and at the same time very rewarding. I think if you
look at the first year I was overwhelmed creating my own unit. Although it
was the third year, it (the Fair) was a welloiled machine. I liked that there
were units provided (from departed teachers) if we wanted or create our
own. We didn’t have to find our own niche – we could or make it our
own.”
Armaghan’s experience as a student teacher with planning was mixed. She
commented that, “Teachers did not seem to work together when it came to the
individual units. Teachers were responsible for their own teaching area. But,
other teachers were helpful and shared necessary resources. I was choosing to
teach an area of the Renaissance that I was interested in, therefore making the
planning process more enjoyable and rewarding.”
Creating Interdisciplinary Projects
In her framework, Jacobs uses two key questions to test for whether to
integrate or not: “Does it make intellectual sense to integrate certain parts of the
curriculum?… and does it make practical sense, all things considered”(p. 25)? In
other words, are important issues within the curriculum addressed and are the
practical, political and personal resources available. For Como Lake the answer
was yes and teachers were proud of the projects that were created.
Complete descriptions can be seen in the catalogue (Appendix C) but in
their interviews teachers pointed how they integrated other subjects. Describing
her unit Armaghan said:
“My project dealt with daily life during the Renaissance. I have
incorporated a lot of my own ideas on how daily life could best be taught to
Grade 8 students, using integrated lessons. The students use writing skills,
cooking skills, artistic skills, and acting skills, as some strategies for
understanding and learning this Renaissance unit. For class activities we
cooked, acted, wrote, and drew. We spent one entire lesson in the Home Ec.
room when we talked about Renaissance foods and mannerisms. Daily life
focused on the arts, acting, and technology of the time period. I would say it
was one of the more integrated units that was taught for the Fair.”
Nicole described how she:
“…created (with the assistance of my colleagues) an integrated Art unit.
Using ideas from books, the internet, and other colleagues, I created and
designed a unit on Renaissance art & artists. I chose to do a Renaissance
project in the area of art because it was a personal interest of mine. I have
also traveled to Europe and experienced the art of many Renaissance artists.
My project involved looking at the various Renaissance artists and their
contributions to that period. We looked at specific techniques of the time
and the symbolism in the paintings. Students created original paintings
using techniques from the Renaissance, they created sculptures, and painted
like “Michelangelo”.
Mark had this to say about his unit:
“My original project was focusing on the works of Shakespeare. The idea
behind the project integrated several aspects of the Humanities outcomes
with the liberal arts. Students were required to write on Shakespeare and
his work, as well as perform something at the fair. I felt that Shakespeare
truly epitomized the nature of the Renaissance time. I also thought it would
bring a different aspect to the fair in the form of live presentations. Students
had to prepare a scene or adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s works, and
perform it on the day of the fair. They had to plan and implement their own
sets, costumes, scripts, cast etc. The live performances ran throughout the
fair. Each student troupe performed their show twice over the course of the
afternoon and evening. My project had elements of language arts, social
studies, art, drama, personal planning, and in some cases math and
science.”
Darren describing his work said:
“I took over from a teacher that had taught architecture. I took the unit and
made it work for my teaching style. It used math to draw the plans using
scale,; Tech Ed. to build the model; art to draw and design plans and the
display board; Science to understand forces in architecture; Social studies
and language arts in the research and writing the report; and CAPP in the
group work, planning and journal writing.”
Teachers put a great deal of effort into making these units interdisciplinary and
intellectually challenging. As Ellis and Stuen (1998) note, “At its best,
interdisciplinary teaching and learning is projectoriented. The best projects, like
the best journeys of discovery, take teamwork” (p. 37).
Cautions and Evolutions
Interdisciplinary planners need to be aware of two potential pitfalls that
can lead to mediocre curriculum. Jacobs’ (1989) warns teachers against watering
down coverage or the “Potpourri Problem” where “units become a sampling of
knowledge from each discipline” and lack a scope and sequence that encourages
depth of learning (p. 2). Secondly, Jackson and Davis (2000) are concerned that:
“Topicbased units can fall prey to the "cool" factor, meaning that they may
be fun to do and lead up to showy culminating tasks, but they may not
connect to standards and vital concepts in any meaningful way…. These
topicbased studies also tend to focus on facts and information instead of
ideas and principles, promote coverage rather than understanding,
demonstrated little relevance to students' lives, and have little potential for
transfer to new contexts (Tomlinson, 1998, p.6)" (pp. 5152).
After the first year of the unit some teachers were wondering how much
students learned about the Renaissance from their project. Was the learning
about period weapons, buildings, or as was intended, how a philosophy can
impact a culture? While the focus the first year had been on the impact
Humanism had made on all aspects of life during the Renaissance, and students
were to have incorporated this into their individual project essays, this did not
happen well.
Teachers determined that more explicit teaching about the philosophy had
to be done in the Humanities introduction in order for students to be able to
discuss this abstract concept. This was felt to be a vital component to the success
of the Fair, to prevent it from simply becoming a project showcase because after
all it was the organizing theme that Ellis and Stuen (1998) advocate for:
“It is typically the case that interdisciplinary efforts are centered around an
organizing theme. Any theme chosen by teachers and students must have
sustaining value, and it must be rich in its potential to include the various
academic disciplines as meaningful contributors. Thus the choice of themes
must be based on some strategic vision of what students need to learn and
the ways in which they might learn...upon the potential for a course of
study to be complex in its possibilities for student choices, individual
initiative, teacher and student collaboration, projects, and substantive
meaning” (p. 13).
The value of a strong theme is evident in what Jacobs says:
“...an integrative theme engages students in a thoughtful confrontation with
the subject matters. Students have to ponder what the theme reveals about
the deep distinctive characters of such different subject matters as history
and math. Moreover, attention to the integrative theme fosters a level of
abstraction in students' thinking that they are otherwise not likely to reach”
(p. 75).
This was the level of thinking teachers were hoping for and by being more
explicit in the teaching of Humanism, students were able to grasp it and explain
its relevance both in their essays and at the Fair in the subsequent years.
Dave points out that it is still weak at times , “…but we must maintain it.” This
theme provides the interdisciplinary glue for the unit.
Impact on Students
Teachers were unanimous about the positive impact the unit had on
students. The choice of projects and team members was given most of the credit
for the positive attitudes, motivation, behaviour and attendance that was
observed. The overall design of the unit also facilitated a truly inclusive
approach to differentiated learning.
Student Choice
Implementing the selection process for grouping and choosing projects
went smoothly. This was a more significant motivator than teachers anticipated.
Students and parents found the resume writing relevant as students had to draw
on their life events and academic career for details. For the most part students
chose friends for their groups but they were able to identify one another’s
strengths in the cover letter to demonstrate why they would be a successful team.
Almost every application was handed in the morning before class of the due
date, which astounded teachers. Students had worked on the peers to be on
time. This was so unexpected that teachers quickly scrambled to come up with a
time stamping system to honour the efforts of those who worked hard to be first.
Once all the applications were collected, two teachers took on the task of
building eight new classes. They tried to balance classes in the usual manner,
considering social, emotional, and academic issues, and because each project was
taught twice this was easy to do. Almost every group was able to have their first
and second or third choice of projects if they had been timely with delivering
their applications. If a group could not have their first choice they were at least
given the second and then third or fourth. Very few were disappointed on the
day of the announcements. Many were surprised when they discovered who
was teaching the project since anonymity had been preserved.
For their part, teachers enjoyed having two new classes, often with
students they had never taught. Nicole commented that:
“I found the new classes to be ‘refreshing’. I enjoyed the new mix of
students from the various classes. It was an opportunity to work with other
students. It also rejuvenated me to have a new class as we were nearing the
end of the school year.”
Armaghan echoed this, saying:
“It would sometimes feel like the first day of class in September, if you did
not know the students in your new Renaissance classes. It was a great
experience because teachers got to work with different students and the
same for the students.”
The idea of creating new classes at this time of year had really concerned some
teachers, however it was a very positive experience.
Attitude, Behaviour and Motivation
At this time of the year grade eight attendance improved dramatically,
late arrivals stopped and behavioural referrals to the office were almost nil, a fact
the Administration noted was the opposite at other middle schools this late in
the year. During the project, student choice played a large role in keeping
students positive, motivated, and well behaved because they were always either
working on what they wanted to or with whom they wanted. This resulted in
very few classroom management problems. It also created a productive learning
environment because friends seemed more likely to keep one another on task
and were not afraid to challenge their friends to do their share.
Ellis and Stuen (1998) said, of integrating students, “At its best,
interdisciplinary teaching and learning is projectoriented. The best projects, like
the best journeys of discovery, take teamwork….Interdisciplinary curriculum
must call on all the disciplines in order to be successful, but even more than that,
it must call upon all students to share with each other their gifts, talents, energy,
good will and hard work” (p. 37). This seemed to be true over the two weeks, as
seen in Dave’s comments that:
“They are definitely motivated and excited about the project. The fact they
request and we accommodate their choices impacts it. It is a good influence
on student behaviour. Later in the year motivation always wanes so this
picks it up. Working with others outside of the class really helps. On their
level that is the main thing, it’s not an intrinsic passion for the Renaissance
that helps.”
Mike noticed this as well, commenting that:
“From my recollection I believe that the majority of students were very
motivated to participate. The majority of projects were hands on and made
allowances for student creativity to come out. Behaviour was good
throughout the fair.”
Darren noted the role that the Fairs ‘reputation has played as well:
“The fair was established quite a few years back. The current and past
grade 8 students have had the opportunity to see and hear about the past
fairs. Each year the students have been excited to work with their friends
and do such neat projects. They are aware that it is a lot of work and they
have a focused attitude coming in to class.”
Student Learning
In their daily reflections, students had to comment on what they had
learned each day. It was interesting that these entries, over the course of the
project were almost evenly divided between factual data from the project and
personal comments about working in a group, with friends or about carrying out
a plan. On the final selfevaluation students complete for the Fair, the majority of
comments on learning are about teamwork. As well, most students remark that
this is the hardest they have worked at school but it is the best work they have
ever done. The Fair has a strong impact on what students learn about the
lifelong skills of cooperation, collaboration, communication, hard work, effort
and pride of accomplishment.
Most comments about the skills and knowledge students learned are
heard in the gym, during the Fair. They are excited to explain how they learned
to build, create, make or design something they have never done. Even more
impressive, is that almost every student is able to explain the influence of
Humanism on their projects and are eager and proud to do so. Tomlinson (1998)
captures the essence of this diverse learning when he says:
“Middle level learners seem poised at the perfect moment in development
to look at how ideas function, how the world is put together, and how
experiences and ideas in a whole range of areas can help them on their
pilgrimage to become more selfsufficient and thinking young adults” (p.6)
The richest experience involving both aspects of lifelong learning, and
learning skills and knowledge, came when a student from the first year of the
Fair returned during her grade ten year to pick up her sister on their last day in
the province before moving away. When asked about her future plans, she
replied that she was going to study to be an architect because of her experience
in ‘If You Build It They Will Come’ during the Renaissance Fair. As Ellis and
Stuen remark, “For both teachers and students, the goal becomes an enabling
goal: to set oneself free to become a selfsustaining learner whose desire to learn
carries on beyond the school experience into lifelong learning” (p. 39).
Differentiated Learning
The handson project focus of each teacher’s unit easily allowed for
differentiated learning. Students were given wide latitude as to what or how
they might demonstrate their learning. Mike explains that, “Over the years more
projects have been developed that will accommodate various learning styles.
Teachers also gave students the opportunity to create and complete their projects
in a way that made sense to them.”
An interesting advantage of this approach is how inclusive it was for low
level English as second language students (ESL), and students with moderate to
significant learning disabilities. Two factors aided this success: the support of
the student services teachers and the doubling up of projects. Nicole recalls that,
“Support services were heavily involved in adapting and modifying projects for
students. Students who required extra support were only signed up for one
project versus two.” Mark expanded on this, saying; “We included support staff
and reduced the workload or project load for students with specific learning
needs. The projects evolved over the years as well and new projects were added.
The integrated approach allowed much flexibility in how the curriculum was
delivered, and students could choose to work in an area of strength.”
For those who were capable of a certain degree of achievement they could
be part of a group in a project of their choice for the first eighty minute block and
then they could return by themselves or with the student services teacher for the
second block to gain more time. For the more challenged students, the student
services teacher collaborated with the project teacher to devise an appropriate
project. An example of this was in the architecture unit. A three dimensional
jigsaw puzzle of a Renaissance building was purchased and divided into small
sections for the two severely challenged students to build for the fair. Curiously,
it attracted such attention that other students asked to assist the two boys when
they had nothing else to do. Both boys were enormously proud of their building
that they could display on the day of the Fair. The design of the whole unit, the
framework of the projects and the willingness of the student services staff to
assist with this, aside from their students’ regular programs, was an inclusive,
rewarding experience.
Evolutions
Over the years teachers have made changes to the unit to suit the needs of
the particular group of students they will teach. By this point in the year
teachers have a good sense of the groups’ dynamics, work ethic and attitude. An
example of this evolution occurred last year.
For the prior eight months, teachers had to battle with students over
issues of work completion and poor quality. Nothing seemed to make a
difference and as the time to begin plans for the Renaissance drew near there
were serious discussions about not doing it for fear the students could not get
their work ready for a specific date. Ultimately, teachers decided to go ahead
with some significant changes because they realized that this was in fact an ideal
situation to help these students come to terms with issues.
In this evolution students were only allowed to work in pairs instead of
fours. This created greater individually accountability. Each teacher created a
very structured project timeline with checkpoints along the way that had to be
met. Finally, teachers had more of a direct say in the representations of learning
students thought they might produce in order for them to accurately grasp the
scope of what they might be planning. In the end the Fair was as successful as
ever with the benchmark being met as these students, their parents and their
teachers acknowledged that this was their best work to date.
Assessment
This aspect of the unit was the most challenging area to make decisions
for due to several diverse issues. With an emphasis on cooperative learning,
there was a desire for a measure of individual and group accountability. With
the creation of new projects, the gradewide focus, and the role of student choice
in demonstrating learning, there was a desire to assess work equitably. With a
constructivist approach driving this unit, there was a desire to have students use
selfreflection and self evaluation. Simmonds and ElHindi (1998) explain this
need for such a variety of assessments:
“In assessing student learning from an integrative perspective, students are
required to go beyond separate subjects to demonstrate a wide range of
performance skills. Teachers will have to develop multiple criteria to assess
student performance of real life tasks. This contrasts to assessments that are
framed from single perspectives” (p. 34).
Complicating this further were problems with how to break up marks
within each project for subjectspecific use by homeroom teacher. As well, there
was the logistical issue of how to return marks to homeroom teachers for use in
formal reporting. Consequently, issues of assessment occupied a large part of
the early planning discussions.
Teachers wanted to have equality of expectations for student work across
projects. At the same time they wanted some autonomy due to the large role
student choice had in demonstrating learning. It was agreed that teachers would
use a criteria referenced assessment and set it in conjunction with their students,
describing performance at an ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ level to allow for freedom in
student project design (Appendix G). A minimum level of acceptable
performance at a ‘C’ level was established to raise expectations for students.
Failing, as in not completing, was not an option for this project. Students were
encouraged to do their very best. This was promoted by positive class
discussions that generated long lists of ways of representing what would be
learned in the project. At the Fair, this resulted in presentations, dramas,
simulations, models, demonstrations, construction of artifacts, clothing, musical
performances, recipes and ultimately, Renaissance food.
Teachers were unanimous in wanting to have both group and individual
assessments for their projects. As well, and to assist with this two prong
assessment, teachers wanted to incorporate a form of selfreflection and self
evaluation into the process. Selfreflection was conducted at the end of each day.
Students would return to homeroom and as part of the CAPP curriculum they
would complete a one page reflection to help reflect on the days work in terms of
what was accomplished, what led to accomplishments, how well the group
worked together, what was learned, and what had to be planned for the next day
(Appendix H). By completing this in homeroom there was less influence of
group members, creating more honesty. At the end of the unit there was a self
assessment of the accomplishment of the individual and the group, including a
visual and written description of the division of labour (Appendix I) that
teachers compared to their own anecdotal assessments of how groups worked
together.
This desire to assess the learning process and not jus the product is
supported by Simmonds and ElHindi (1998) who explain that:
“Authentic assessment allows one to focus on the processes by which
students arrive at their understanding (Fischer &King 1995). Therefore,
students not only assist in setting the direction of their learning but also in
determining how that learning will be assessed. They take on more
responsibility for defining not only what they are learning but also how
well they are learning. Students collaborate with teachers in identifying the
criteria by which their work is to be judged, and then students are helped to
identify their strengths and weaknesses. This experience prepares the
student for lifelong learning practices” (p. 35).
To facilitate sharing evaluations, teachers agreed on a date by which point
they would have completed their marking to pass these on to homeroom
teachers. It was suggested that teachers would assign a percentage of the mark
achieved to each discipline represented by the project. For example the
architecture project might be 20% math, 30 % art, and 50% social studies and
English. It was apparent though that this could not accurately represent what
had been done by all group members or for all products in a given project.
Instead the entire mark was assigned to the Humanities grade for the term
because in every case at least half the work came out of English and Social
Studies.
Issues and Evolutions
A large problem teachers faced after the first year was criteria setting with
students because, with their lack of knowledge of what might be produced this
first time through, teachers had difficulty guiding the criteria setting process. As
a solution to this all teachers have since moved to a performance rubric that is set
in conjunction with students. This has been found to be more descriptive and
articulates the range of acceptable work for students.
Armaghan’s multiple assessment approach characterizes what most
teachers have moved to over the years. She explains that:
“Every student had to produce an essay that reflected their learning and the
concept of humanism. This was a grade wide assessment, where all teachers
used the same criteria and rubric to mark the essays. The visual projects for
my unit were marked using rubrics and criteria, which had been discussed
with the students before they began their projects. I also assessed the
students’ performance during the Fair. I would usually mark the visual
presentations after the Fair, except with my unit some students chose to
present cooking, which meant I had to assess that during the Fair. I was
usually pretty full by the end of that night!”
Most teachers found that it took a couple of years to perfect their assessment and
adopt a variety of methods that worked best for their projects. Darren moved to
daily assessment using a performance standard. Dave used a scrapbook
students created along the lines of da Vinci’s notebook as a learning journal.
Other teachers weighted project tasks differently.
Armaghan identified time as another ever present problem, “… the time
constraint with marking all these projects because all Humanities teachers
usually needed to have these marks within a weeks time or so.” Dave notes that
the time factor is compounded by unfinished work, which teachers have to
follow up with their homeroom students, even though they did not teach them.
The only solution is for teachers to stay on top of work during the Fair weeks.
Role of Administration
Immediately prior to starting the Fair unit formally, and then all along the
way, there was tremendous support for this effort from the administrative team
in the school. Bucher (2000), in describing what is necessary for integration of
information literacy skills to happen says, "First, the principal and administrative
staff must believe in and support (through funding, scheduling, and
opportunities for professional collaboration and staff development) the
importance of information literacy and convey that importance to all of the
educators, students, and parents in the school community” (p. 3). Kain (1996)
offers this advice to Principals wanting to promote this type of curriculum:
“For the curriculum coordinator or Principal interested in helping teachers
deliberate successfully, the lesson is clear: don't merely mandate integration
or tell teachers to plunge in on their own. A negative experience here is
probably far worse than no experience at all. Support in terms of both time
and personnel is needed from the beginning to guarantee a positive
experience” (p.185).
This type of support is what Mark recalls, saying that:
“Admin gave us the room to fly with it. They loved the idea of integrated
instruction, and said go for it. They allowed us to be creative with our
schedule and suspend the normal timetable for grade 8s for two weeks. This
was no easy task, as it affected several exploration teachers as well. They
supported the idea, which made it that much easier to sell to the rest of the
staff.”

Mike felt their role was even more vital saying:
“Without the administration the fair would not have happened. There was
a great deal of coordination needed between all of the grade 8 teachers,
resource teachers and exploration teachers. A new schedule was implanted
and students were mixed up into new classrooms based on their areas of
interest.”
While Dave and Nicole both felt that the administrative support was positive but
passive, they did note that the Principal paid for the teachers’ costume rentals.
Finally, Armaghan described in some detail the support she saw from the
administrators:
“The admin was available for help at all times. They saw this unit and the
Fair as an important part of Como Lake culture and the message was made
clear schoolwide. It was interesting because when I first did the
Renaissance unit as a student teacher, Como Lake had a new principal. He
automatically saw the importance of this unit for the school and
community. The same principal has been at Como for the past 3.5 years
now, and the Renaissance Fair is still as important as it was when I was a
student teacher. The administration offers their full support at all times,
both before the fair and during the fair. Most support from admin would
involve advocating for community involvement and supervising the Fair.”
Over the life of the Fair to date there have been two Principals and four
VicePrincipals. For their part, administrators have had great praise for this unit
and see it as a vital part of the school culture. They have made sure that new
teachers hired for grade 8 positions are aware of the expected commitment to
join the Fair process. They have referred to the unit as “the cornerstone of Como
Lake Middle’s grade 8 program”, and as “a highlight of the year, not only for the
grade 8 students and their parents, but for the entire school community”.
The Fair: a Culminating Event
The Weeks Before
The gym was chosen for the Fair site and would be set up in a museum
like arrangement with projects evenly distributed so no one topic would be
clustered together. This would create novelty as visitors moved through the Fair
and deemphasize comparison of products. This location provided access to
other small rooms like office space, storage room, the stage and even outdoors to
help setup projects that needed a different space for effective display.
One teacher volunteered to book extra tables from the district resource
center, Mark offered to inform the local papers and feeder schools, another, who
had a project with an art focus, offered to create posters and banners for
decorations. Jeremy offered to recruit several grade nine students to use digital
video to document the whole unit and create a final movie of the event, and
Dave offered to photograph the results (Appendix J).
In interviews, this division of labour leading up to the Fair was sited by
every teacher as characteristic of the type of teamwork this unit fostered amongst
teachers. Dave said that, “Cooperation was exceptional, and teamwork and
division of labour was great, allowing you not to feel overwhelmed.” Armaghan
echoed those thoughts saying that:
“All grade 8 teachers worked together collaboratively, especially at the
time of the Fair, or the Fair will not be successful. Each teacher assumed
responsibility for a task that had to be accomplished for the Fair: setting
up the gym, decorating, and doing community notices.”
Presentation Day: the Fair
On the day of the Fair teachers set up tables throughout the gym.
Students were brought down, two classes at time, and directed as to where to set
up the products to aid even distribution. Students were discouraged from
putting their two projects side by side. By separating them, the groups would be
split between their two offerings, hopefully discouraging the misbehaviour that
might result from a large group of friends in one place. The stage was setup for
the drama project presentations; the gym office had several computers set up
running Powerpoint presentations and iMovies; one supply room was set up as a
working Renaissance surgical diorama and the other was used to reenact a trial
from the Inquisition. Dividers were brought in to try to stifle some noise and the
gym sound system piped in music from the period. Enhancing the period feel,
teachers dressed in rented Renaissance costumes and most students from the
acting and daily life projects wore the costumes they had made as their learning
demonstrations. A celebratory sense was in the air.
For the remainder of the afternoon students hosted the rest of the school
population as they came through the exhibit. An interesting observation was
how the grade 8 students made sure to get the attention of other teachers that
had taught them so they could show off their projects. The younger students
enjoyed the wide variety of exhibits, as did the other teachers. There was a
general sense of awe at what great work had been done.
Following the end of the school day, students were sent home with the
expectation that they would return at 6:00 pm for two hours while their parents
and other members of the community came through the Fair. The evening
turnout was fantastic. Several students had parents come for this event who had
not come to the school for any other occasion, including parentteacher
interviews. The pride was evident on the faces of both parents and students.
Many parents expressed their pleasure with the unit to several teachers. The
evening was a very enjoyable success.
Evolution
The only major change that has been made to the day of the Fair is that
students are now only in the gym for about an hour and a half in the afternoon
and for the same in the evening. Cutting out an extra half hour at both times has
helped maintain enthusiasm and interest.
Teachers’ Reflections on the Unit
Reasons for Success
Interviews with teachers who have been involved created an extensive list
of factors that contribute to the success of the unit including a short timeline, the
collaborative atmosphere, schoolwide support, choice and autonomy. The short
timeline was a key ingredient because it motivated everyone, maintained
excitement, raised the level of concern, and did not allow work to drag on.
Knowing there was a definite end relieved the stress of some teachers who
worried about finishing the curriculum in their discipline.
The collaborative spirit created a strong team dynamic. With everyone
willing to help, and teachers being resources for each other there was a high full
of commitment. Teachers fed off one another’s enthusiasm and success. The
result was that the collaboration that teachers were teaching groups about in
their projects was being modeled for students during the whole unit as well.
Schoolwide support was identified as an important element contributing to
success. All staff in the school, including administration, supported the unit
even though it created scheduling problems, disruptions, and noise for their
classes. Exploration teachers made themselves and their resources available
before, during, and after school. The teacher librarian went out of her way to set
up resource carts for projects and search for appropriate web sites. Even the
custodians were helpful in saving recyclable materials for students to use and
being lenient with teachers about clean up. A total school commitment let
students know this was an important project.
Choice was a very significant factor for teachers and students. Teachers
created projects that truly interested them and this enthusiasm was passed
on. Students had their choice of team mates and projects which led to
focused engagement, reducing behaviour problems and improving the
learning climate.
Commenting on choice, Armaghan said:
“The fact that teachers chose what units they wanted to teach, made their
lessons more accommodating and exciting. Students were also choosing
their favorite topics to learn, which increased their motivation in class. The
involvement of parents and the community at the Fair, made the event
stand out even more and certify its importance to the students.”
Teacher autonomy was another contributor to the success of the Fair. This
was a teacherled initiative and they had the freedom to create the unit as they
saw fit. Powell et. al. (1996), writing about the teachers at an entirely integrative
curriculum school, comments on the importance of autonomy saying,
“Teacher autonomy was a very clear and salient factor influencing the
sustainability of the BBMS curriculum…..Being autonomous pedagogues in
an environment that was on the leading edge of curriculum reform,
however, also required the teachers to be risk takers. Moreover, being
autonomous provided several key rewards for the teachers, which fostered
their commitment to the integrative curriculum of the school” (p. 39).
In the end teachers had the autonomy to make this unit as successful as it is.
Summarizing the reasons for success Mark said:
“The opportunity to mix up the kids and do things differently had impact on
both students and teachers. Student who had seen the fair in previous years saw
the challenge before them and wanted to rise to it. The grandiose nature of the
fair really hits home for the students in the gym, as teachers, students, parents
and other community members wander around asking questions of the different
projects. The expectation to do something great is what ultimately made it a
success for the students, a culminating end to their middle school career.”
Drawbacks
In the interviews teachers did not identify many drawbacks. Several
commented on the hard work involved and Nicole noted that, “Although
exhausted, it was always a great feeling of success and accomplishment at the
end of the Fair.” Dave noted that the high staff turn over at the school has made
it challenging to constantly bring new people onboard. Fortunately they know
the expectations when they are hired and have access to units that were taught in
the past making the workload lighter. Because the collaborative atmosphere
persists, they also feel full supported along the way. Jeremy was disappointed
with the “Lack of time to integrate exploration resources into the units.” As well,
“No specific times were set aside to use the exploration labs (home arts, tech ed,
music & computers).” However, most commented on the problem of logistics,
the sheer scope of the unit and number of people involved. As Mark noted:
“Logistics were always difficult. Suspending the schedule at the end of the
year was difficult. Asking the school to be flexible with the needs of the fair
was often difficult. The precedent was set in the inaugural year and the
event has become an annual event. It requires a great deal of work on the
part of the grade 8 teachers, but the merits are irrefutable.”
Commitment
In spite of these drawbacks every teacher interviewed said they were
thoroughly committed to the idea of interdisciplinary curriculum and the Fair
itself. Most stated that it has been the highlight of their teaching career. When
asked if he would participate in this again, Mike replied:
“I would love to participate in another unit like the Renaissance Fair. It is
an opportunity to work in a team setting with other teachers, as well as an
opportunity to work with different students than those in your classroom. I
found this type of learning environment to very conducive to students
learning with excitement. It was my first year teaching so it was a great
opportunity to see what could be accomplished with some vision, hard
work and cooperation.”
In her reply, Armaghan said:
“I would definitely participate in this again and have twice. If I leave Como,
I will definitely take this experience and try to incorporate it elsewhere and
maybe even with different units and subjects. This unit is a true example of
how learning can be fun for students. It is a great experience for all
involved.”
Mark’s response to the question about how it affected him captures the sentiment
of the group:
“Preparation for the fair definitely made me focus on my practice. I was a
new teacher and this idea was exciting. It truly made me look, at an early
stage in my career, at the significance of integrated curriculum, breaking
from the norm, team teaching, school community relations and
commitment to excellence in education.”
Nicole, Dave, Darren and Jeremy were equally enthusiastic about their
involvement. This was a significant event in the careers of these teachers.
Further Considerations
While teachers are committed and enthusiastic about the Renaissance Fair
unit and consequently, to interdisciplinary teaching in general, they cannot at
this point state whether this approach has been the most beneficial way to learn
about the Renaissance period. Students have knowledge about their project
focus and that involves three different disciplines in most cases but could they
have acquired that in the normal course of their Humanities class, which after all
is an integration of Social Studies and English? There is definitely a strong
argument for the beneficial learning about team work, planning, organizing
presentations, and self knowledge that is unique to this environment.
These questions are raised because sooner or later a parent will provide a
direct challenge to this approach. It can be expected because as Ellis and Stuen
(1998) point out, “At this stage, the number of empirical studies remains so small
that any kind of meaningful metaanalysis that might point to some generalized
findings (regarding the benefits) is precluded” (p. 19). Grossman and Wineburg
(2000) make the point more strongly saying,:
“Despite the popularity of interdisciplinary curricula across the nation,
there is no body of evidence that attests to greater learning in highquality
interdisciplinary versus highquality disciplinary classrooms” (p. 9).
They also point out that the literature "…is almost entirely comprised of
idealized descriptions of programs and how to put them in place, and almost
entirely devoid of descriptions of what actually happen when theory meets
practice” (p. 9).
On the other hand Shoemaker’s (1993) review of the literature on the effect
of integrative approaches did indicate favourable results. She found:
1. 15 studies on the effect on student attitudes
13 found positive differences in self esteem, self confidence, self reliance,
enthusiasm, excitement, increased interest and motivation, risk taking,
internalizing important values
2. 12 studies on the effect on student behaviour
improved attendance, more positive, sophisticated, collaborative
behaviours, self initiation, participation, at task behaviours, improved
study habits, communication, ability to negotiate
3. effect on student achievement "majority of studies in this section focused
on comparison of integrative approaches and traditional subject discipline
approaches.
26 studies examining effects on achievement and / or cog. abilities
6 no sig. diff
1 found scores dropped for exp & control
1 reading achieve better for traditional direct instruction
11 favoured integrative approaches: 5 increased higher order thinking, 1
found greater transfer of learning and creativity, 2 showed no difference, 2
showed no difference between 2 integrative approaches (pp. 3437).
Note that half of the studies, twentyseven, focused on the affective domains of
attitudes and behaviour and found positive impacts. Of the twenty six focused
on academic achievement, there was only one that identified a negative impact
on learning, while the majority found that there was some or no difference from
traditional approaches. Taken as a whole, the cognitive and affective results
would indicate this approach is worth implementing.
With discrepancies like these in the findings among researchers, it would
be useful to complete a formal analysis of student learning in the Renaissance
Fair. Currently the selfevaluation data that is collected at the end of the unit
measures the affective change in students. With the evolution of the essay
component on Humanism, combined with interviews with students during the
Fair about their projects links to Humanism, it would be possible to gather
cognitive data to gauge overall learning. The challenge would be to find
comparative data where a traditional approach has been used. With many
nearby middle schools in the district that may be possible. However, the
emphasis that each teacher chooses, be it factbased, thematic or project oriented,
make comparison of data difficult.
A second area for investigation is the experience of other middle schools
with this unit. Since it was presented at the district professional development
day and the provincial middle school conference, both in 2000, four schools have
attempted a similar unit in grade eight. To date only one school has continued
with it. It would be interesting to investigate: the reasons for adoption and
cessation, the experiences of participating teachers and school communities, and
student impressions and learning at these sites.
The impact on student teachers would be a third area for investigation.
Since its inception, nine middle school student teachers have designed and
taught their own project in this unit. This has occurred at the full immersion
point of their practicum experience. At this point they have had only a passing
explanation of integrated curriculum in their university courses. Here they have
the handson opportunity to design and implement an interdisciplinary unit,
work on a collaborative team and start from scratch with a new class. It would
be interesting to investigate how this experience has impacted their teaching,
perceptions of how students learn and whether it has lasting impact on their
approach to middle school.
Summary
This paper has presented a thorough account of the development, design
and implementation of a gradewide interdisciplinary unit. The overall success
of this unit is evident in its becoming a cornerstone of the grade eight curriculum
and an anticipated annual event in the culture of the school. It has sustained
itself, largely unchanged, in spite of sixteen different teachers, and nine student
teachers being involved, along with changes in administration that have seen
two Principals and four Viceprincipals oversee the school. Approximately 1300
students have taken part in this unit and every student has completed a
successful project for the Fair.
The impact on teachers has been significant. As stated in their interviews,
teachers identify their participation in this unit as the highlight of their teaching
career. With so many new teachers involved, it has continued to impact their
impressions of how teams should function, and how students can learn in an
interdisciplinary environment. More of these teachers have tried to include
integration in their regular classroom than others on staff.
The impact on students has been equally important. This is seen in the
increased motivation, and improved attitudes, behaviour and attendance at the
end of the year. Students identify the unit as the highlight of their middle school
lives. Many say that their work in the this unit is the most difficult and best that
they have ever done. They demonstrate their enthusiasm for the unit by
returning to see the Fair year after year.
In light of the research on interdisciplinary and integrated curriculum, the
unit is an exemplar of the approach; this in spite of the fact that the teachers
involved had little or no experience with this. Lake (1994) summarizes the key
features that are required for these units: “a combination of subjects, an emphasis
on projects, sources that go beyond textbooks, relationships among concepts,
thematic units as organizing principles, flexible schedules, flexible student
groupings” (p. 2). The Renaissance Fair has incorporated these elements from the
start and has evolved each year in response to the shifting needs of the students,
teachers and school to remain a successful example of interdisciplinary
curriculum.

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Appendix A
Chart for interview participants involvement and career history.
Name of Years of Fair Training and Experience at Career Path Since last

Teacher Participation time of initial involvement involvement
interviewee
Don (author) 1999, 2000, 2001, Elementary trained, 3rd year of 7 yrs. at middle school, 6 yrs as

2002 teaching team leader, 3 yrs. Faculty
Advisor at UBC
Mark 1999, 2000 Middle school trained, 1st year of 6 yrs. in middle school, 2 in grade

teaching 8 , 4 yrs. counsellor, currently 1 yr.
elementary Viceprincipal
Jeremy Support since Elementary trained 1st year of 7 yrs. at middle school as

1999 teaching computer technology teacher
Mike 1999 Elementary trained, 1st year of 7 yrs at middle school, 6 as grade

teaching (job sharing) 6/7 teacher, 3 yrs. as teamleader
Dave 2001, 2002, Middle school trained, 3rd year 6 yrs in middle school, 4 yrs. in

2003,2004 of teaching grade 8, 3 yrs as team leader
Nicole 2001, 2002, 2003 Middle school trained, 2nd year 1 yr elementary, 4 yrs in grade 8,

of teaching currently 1 yr. international
middle school
Armaghan 2002, 2004 Middle school student teahcer 3 yrs supply teaching, 2 of which

in long term temporary positions
in grade 8
Darren 2003, 2004 High school trained, 4th year of 6 yrs at middle school grade 6/7,

teaching 2 years in grade 8, currently
middle school counselor.
Appendix B
Handwritten notes from initial planning meeting assigning ideas to teachers,

followed by typewritten preliminary project descriptions.
Renaissance Projects
Leonardo da Vinci
Botany - art with drawing and painting realistically,

- math with Fibronacci numbers
- Science - create a collection, investigate photosynthesis and leaf
arrangement
Physiology - art
- Science - heart studies
Inventions - study three key inventions of the period

- design something to meet a need now
- build it and find out to patent it.
Inventions - you are Leonardo’s agent and it is your job to design a marketing and
advertising campaign to sell his inventions.
Inventions - compare and contrast the modern to the past inventions da Vinci made.
Exploration - design an exploration trip somewhere far from Italy

- use maps , tides, currents to plan
- decide on type of ship from period, food, equipment
Renaissance Trading Cards

• create a set of trading cards featuring the most important people of the
Renaissance.
• create a game using cards that reflects values and ideas of the Renais.
use people, art, places, objects and ideas for your card set
Video Biography
choose one significant character in Hum, Scimat, and Fine arts, research
and report on their contributions to the Renaissance
Architectural Commission - you have been commissioned by a ruler to design a new

cathedral, palace, fortress using all of the latest technology to
reflect the times. You must plan, draft and build a scale model. You
must submit a written proposal and write the real estate ad to sell it.
Appendix C
Catalogue descriptions of projects from the first Fair, including Provincial
Learning Outcomes for 3 of these.
The Art of Warfare

Warfare was frequent among the city-states that flourished in Renaissance Italy.
From petty battles to full-scale debacles, both on land and at sea, war became an arena for
invention, and a real art form during the Renaissance. This was the time period that saw
the developing use of gun powder in Europe, the creation of the cannon, the arquebus
(ancestor of the rifle), primitive pistols, and a weapon that was the forerunner of the
machine gun. The Renaissance introduced the condottiere who were powerful leaders of
wandering military units for hire to “protect” towns and city-states. It was also the time
of powerful political families such as the Medici, the Sforzas, and the Pazzi, and the
political intrigues that were simmering amongst them.
Project Overview
In this project you will research some of the famous political intrigues of the
Renaissance as well as recreate famous battle scenes and some of the amazing military
inventions that added a new dimension to the art of war.
The Art of Warfare Learning Outcomes - Students will be able to:
Science
• Describe how scientific principles are applied in technology.
• Use models to demonstrate how systems operate.
Social Studies
• Identify periods of significant cultural achievement, including the Renaissance.
• Cooperatively plan and implement a course of action that addresses the problem, issue or inquiry
initially identified.
• Construct, interpret, and use graphs, tables, grids, scales, and various types of maps.
• Describe the impact of technological innovation and science on political, social and economic
structures.
Language Arts
• Connect new ideas and info to previous beliefs, values, experiences.
• Use accurate and precise terminology.
• Interpret and report on information from a variety of sources.
• Use established criteria to evaluate group processes and own contributions.
Technology Education
• Apply management skills to complete a project.
• Synthesize information from a variety of electronic sources for presentations.
The “Fab Four”

When you see the names Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and, Donatello,
many of you are probably thinking, “KOWABUNGA DUDES!” and those four turtles
right? Well, the turtles actually got their names from the four greatest artists of the
Renaissance era. Their talents played an important role in the “rebirth”of interest in
literature, trade routes, inventions and new ideas about art and architecture. This project
will focus on the artistic contributions of these four men; and will allow you to exhibit
your own unique talents.
Project Overview
You will begin the project by investigating who these artists were and how they
contributed to their society and how their impressions have carried on to the present day.
Leonardo’s famous painting of Mona Lisa features a woman with a mysterious smile.
You are going to create a 90’s version of the Mona Lisa , but it will be a self-portrait on
the computer using “GOO”. You will sculpt like Donatello as you chip and carve out a
small marble-like masterpiece. Finally, you will have the chance to “be like Mike”...
Michelangelo that is. Michelangelo, Raphael, and Leonardo are well known painters and
your group will choose between painting the battle scene murals like those painted in
Florence, Italy, or painting peaceful murals like those on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
The “Fab Four” - Learning Outcomes - Students will be able to:
Social Studies
• Cooperatively plan and implement a course of action that addresses the problem, issue or inquiry
initially identified.
structures.
Language Arts
• Connect new ideas and information to previous beliefs, values, experiences.
• Use a variety of information technology tools to access information.
• Apply information technology tools in research.
Art
• compare a variety of images of a given subject in different media, styles, techniques.
• use a variety of design strategies and sources of imagery
• identify similarities and differences in the roles of artists and the visual arts in a variety of
contexts.
• use materials, technologies, and processes to make personally meaningful images.
• demonstrate awareness of meanings and purposes of images:
- that support or challenge personal and societal beliefs, values, traditions, or practices.
that incorporate stylistic elements from various artists, movements, and
periods.
Lead a Naval Expedition

Do you have the courage and fortitude to challenge the endless ocean, the edge of
the world and the monsters of the unknown? Then you could be the captain of a great
and famous expedition. The Renaissance was a time of great exploration throughout the
world as countries and states sought fortune, riches and especially the route to the spices
of the east. New countries, continents, and civilizations were discovered as men
challenged the elements, technology and themselves.
Project Overview
Devise a journey that will take you and your crew to various parts of the known
and unknown world. Based on your research you will have to decide where to go and for
what purpose. You must choose a crew, supplies, weapons, and cargo for the voyage
which could last several years! As captain you will have to choose the best ship design
and sail technology, convince someone to sponsor and pay for your journey and decide
how to pay your crew. You must decide on a route and season of travel and how you will
prepare for and deal with hardships along the way. You must learn to navigate and make
maps to keep track of where you are and where you have been.
Lead a Naval Expedition - Learning Outcomes - Students will be able to:
Math
• Demonstrate and interpret scale diagrams.
• Demonstrate an appreciation of the role of math in 2D design.
• Discover patterns in measurement and generalize procedures to solve measurement problems.
Science
• Describe how scientific principles are applied in technology.
• Use information and conclusions as a basis for further comparisons, investigations, or analysis.
Social Studies
• Cooperatively plan and implement a course of action that addresses the problem, issue or
inquiry initially identified.
• Construct, interpret, and use graphs, tables, grids, scales, and various types of maps.
structures.
Language Arts
• Connect new ideas and info to previous beliefs, values, experiences.
• Synthesize information from a variety of electronic sources for presentations.
Inventing The Present Out Of The Past

Have you ever wondered about the origins of inventions like cars, tanks,
helicopters, and even SCUBA equipment? Have you ever considered the importance
such inventions have had in modern society? If you are interested in technology,
inventions, model making and Leonardo da Vinci, himself, then this is the project for
you!
Project Overview
You will have the opportunity to explore the connections between da Vinci’s
sketches, inventions and modern technology. Upon completing the research portion of
this project, you will write a report identifying the importance of a specific invention
used today. You will also identify the modern invention’s characteristics which were
originally conceptualized by da Vinci during the Renaissance. Based on da Vinci’s
sketches, you will construct a model of the invention.
What Do You Mean I Can’t Eat With My Fingers?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in another time period?
Come and explore the daily lives of those who lived during the Renaissance. It was a
time when food was considered a sign of wealth and the napkin and fork were just
invented. Imagine the table manners! If you think not being allowed to wear spaghetti
strapped t-shirts to school is bad, you’ll be interested in the laws they had against
dressing lavishly during the Renaissance. It was also a time when women were largely
under the control of their fathers or husbands and were often married by the age of 14.
Consider being sick and the doctor wanting to cut open your veins to “let the bad blood”
out in order to “heal” you. Studying the everyday life of the Renaissance will provide
you with a new appreciation for the freedoms and choices that we have today.
Project Overview
You will research one or more areas of everyday life in the Renaissance and
complete a project showing what life was really like. Projects can range from sewing a
Renaissance costume, baking some typical Renaissance food to creating a printing press
and newspaper.
If You Build It They Will Come

Imagine being chosen to design a new palace or cathedral for a wealthy family
with money being no object. The Renaissance was a time of spectacular achievements in
art and architecture as wealthy people offered to pay for the best artistic work they could
find. There was competition to paint, create, sculpt, design and build, leaving a legacy
for centuries. These artists drew heavily on the ancient Greek and Roman ideas of
beauty.
Project Overview
You will be commissioned to design a new palace or cathedral for their country.
After researching basic architectural terms in connection with Greek and Roman
architecture, you will examine a variety of monumental and residential structures from
Mediaeval and Renaissance periods. You will compare, contrast, and identify the
architecture of these structures. You will examine how meaning, use, symbolism and
resources determine the architecture and design of buildings. Then you will plan, design,
draw and model the structure that you are commissioned to build. You must consider,
volume, shape, space, area, geometry, balance, forms, scale, light, forces and
engineering. Finally you will present your design and model to the royal family for their
approval.
Barde In The Yarde

“If all the world’s a stage...” then why aren’t you on it?
You will embark on an exploration of William Shakespeare and his contribution
to the arts, literature, and general humanity, during the Renaissance. You will examine
his plays and poetry and through them, discover the richness, exuberance, and often
tragic stories that were played out during the “Tale” end of the Renaissance period. You
will be expected to make connections, through research of historical figures, places and
events, to the general mood of the Renaissance that Shakespeare described in his plays
and sonnets.
Project Overview
You will choose and develop your own version of a Shakespearean play, or
develop a compilation of scenes from Shakespear’s more popular plays. Your production
will be cast, practiced and performed. You will also be responsible for combining your
knowledge from your exploration classes to create sets, costumes and musical backdrops
for your performance. The performance will take place during the Renaissance Fair at
Como Lake, in the courtyard behind the school. “To play or not to play, that is the
question.”
Was da Vinci The First Famous Leonardo?

How did da Vinci make his famous paintings look so realistic? Was he just a great
artist or did he base his work on principles of geometry? Find out if Leonardo da Vinci
used ancient methods of math from the Greeks as well as from the "other" famous
Leonardo, Leonardo Fibonacci. Plus, what did Leonardo Fibonacci learn about nature's
favourite numbers and how shapes and patterns help plants and animals survive?
Project Overview
You will examine and analyze Leonardo da Vinci’s paintings for golden
rectangles. You will develop a test or survey to see if a "golden rectangle" or "golden
spiral" is really more pleasing to the eye. How does this apply to the interior design
industry? You will then illustrate the results of your survey. In a real world situation (on
a nature walk) you will try to find as many different examples of the Fibonacci number
sequence. Finally you will display the examples with some relevant information on what
Fibonacci numbers are and the connections to Renaissance art and design.
Appendix D
Parent letter sent home with Fair selection package.
May 4, 1999
Dear Parents/Guardians of Grade 8 Students:
This year the grade 8 teachers from both the Killer Whale and Sea Wolf Teams
have designed an integrated project to teach the Renaissance. Individual core teachers
have designed projects encompassing a variety of themes in the Renaissance. Each
project will attempt to integrate learning outcomes from as many grade 8 courses as
possible.
Integration promotes applications and development of knowledge and skills

between various subject areas in a holistic manner. This will allow students to pursue
areas of interest and discover natural connections between subject areas. It will also
enable them to have an opportunity to work with a different teacher. We believe that
giving the students their choice of projects will motivate them to become enthusiastic,
responsible, self-directed learners.
The project work will encompass most of the core class time starting on May 21st
to June 9th. This will culminate with a Renaissance Exhibit on June 9th from 1-5 pm
when community schools and parents are invited to attend.
Students will work individually or in a group and will be assessed according to

criteria set in consultation with the teacher overseeing the project. Daily assessment will
also occur through the student’s individual learning log. Homeroom teachers will
monitor these learning logs as well as the students’ daily progress.
If you have any feedback, please call your child’s homeroom teacher at school.
Sincerely,
Killer Whales:
D. Gordon,
Sea Wolves:
Appendix E
Unit description handed out to students to take home.
Project Renaissance: Student Instructions

This is your guide to an exciting opportunity that will begin in three weeks. In
Project Renaissance you will have the opportunity to explore the Renaissance period
through two different projects in a completely new way.
Individually or in Groups
What is unique about this is that you will work individually or in a group of up to
four students of your choice from any grade eight class. You must choose wisely and in
consultation with your parents. Consider who you work well with and the skills and
abilities you each bring to the task.
Timetable
From May 22 to June 4 the regular timetable will change to allow all grade eight
students to participate in these projects at the same time. Regular core classes will stop.
In blocks C and D you will work on one of the projects. In blocks E, F and part of G you
will work on the other project. On Tuesday, June 1 you will switch times for the two
projects between mornings and afternoons.
Instructions
• Take the catalogue of projects home and read through each carefully. Show this
to your parents and discuss your options and group members with them. Do not
loose the catalogue, you will not get another one and it must be returned.
• Choose your top three projects - you will do two of these.
• Complete your academic resume.
• Write a group project proposal letter briefly explaining which projects your
group prefers and why you want to do them. Hand this in with all resumes
attached. If you are working alone, write a brief letter explaining the same things.
NOTE: Projects are assigned on a first come, first served basis. All group letters and
resumes are do Friday, May 7 by 3:00 pm. After this point you and your group will be
assigned a project.
Timeline
Fri. May 7 Individual resumes and group cover letters due
Thurs. May 20 Introduction to the Renaissance (in Humanities)

Students are assigned projects
Fri. May 21 Group meetings with project coordinators (PM only)
Tues. May 25 Integrated unit begins (Blocks C,D,E,F)

to Mon. June 7
Wed. June 9 Renaissance Exhibit (1:00 - 7:30 pm)

Inviting local elementary classes and parents
Assessment
Each project has a basic C grade level criteria that has been set by the project
coordinator. During your first project day you will decide, in consultation with the
teacher, the criteria for an A, B, or C+ grade. As well, you will be assessed on your daily
progress and work habits by your homeroom teacher. You will meet for the last 30
minutes of the day in homeroom and complete a personal learning log, documenting what
you have accomplished, and learned about the project, the Renaissance, and working with
group members.
Final Presentation
On Wednesday, June 9 every group will present some aspect of their projects in
the form of a Renaissance Exhibit. This exhibit will be visited by students from Como
Lake, our elementary schools and your parents. It will be a lively, interactive, hands on,
exciting event.
Appendix F
Teacher guidelines and timeline for project implementation
Grade 8 Renaissance Project

Individual core teachers have designed projects encompassing a variety of themes
in the Renaissance. Each project will attempt to integrate learning outcomes from as
many grade 8 courses as possible. Projects will be presented with a description, baseline
criteria and expected learning outcomes.
Assessment
Project assessment is determined by individual coordinators establishing a
baseline criteria at a C level. Students, under the direction of their project coordinator
establish A, B and C+ level criteria.
Time line for Grade 8 Renaissance Unit

Thursday April 29 Teachers submit project descriptions for catalogue
Monday May 3 Introduce integrated unit

Discuss group choice
Resume writing
Group cover letter(including top 3 project choices)
Project choices presented through a catalogue
Thursday May 6 Teachers begin organizing groups in classes

Friday May 7 Individual resumes and group cover letters due
Thursday May 20 Introduction to the Renaissance (in Humanities)

Students are assigned projects
Friday May 21 Group meetings with project coordinators (PM only)
Tuesday May 25 Integrated unit begins (Blocks C,D,E,F1)

to Monday June 7
Wednesday June 9 Renaissance Exhibit (1:00 - 5:00 pm)

Inviting local elementary classes and parents
Timetable Considerations
This unit will occupy all grade 8 core periods from May 25 - June 9. Explorations
will remain the same but teachers will be encouraged to incorporate Renaissance themes.
The final 30 minutes of each day will be used in homeroom for daily assessment of
individual project progress through reflective journals.
Como Lake Middle School 1999
Appendix G
Sample criteria referenced assessment for architecture project in 1999. Note lack
of reference to Humanism in written portion.
Names:________________________________________________________________
IF You Build It They Will Come
Project Criteria For Groups
1) architectural diagrams A B C+ C
•plan, section, elevation all three all three two or three two or less
• drawings showing
proper scale, thickness great detail good detail good detail satisfactory
of walls detail
• evidence of excellent care good care some care care

craftsmanship intricate crafts- quality crafts- crafts- crafts-
manship manship manship manship

•labels are all present almost all present mostly present not present
and accurate and accurate and accurate
• drawings done neatly using geometry tools on 11 x 17” paper
2) model of a Renaissance A B C+ C
building
• outer structural advanced detail intermediate detail basic detail detail
elements present & accurate present & fairly present & are
to pictures accurate accurate
present
to pictures to pictures
• scale with proper size & extremely close very close reasonably close close
proportion of pieces to
• inside architecture detail obvious and easy evident or some present not
to view ie roof suggested present
or walls open
• outside is finished accurate colour accurate colour coloured finished

and texture in some
way
3) written description A B C+ C
• detailed explanation building 3-4 paragraphs 2-4 paragraphs 1-2 paragraphs 1

using vocabulary & definition paragraph
of architecture.
• neatly produced, with no errors few errors some errors some errors
• display eye catching straight, secure mounted not mounted
• title or name of building, architect, place and date(s) of construction
4) work as group members A B C+ C
• cooperation extremely very usually difficult
• work distribution & contributions very equal equal mostly equal somewhat
equal
• manages workspace and materials well, demonstrating care and concern
Appendix H
Student daily journal selfreflection sheet
Renaissance Daily Journal

Name:
Date:
1. The tasks I have worked on today include:

2. I feel I accomplished / didn’t accomplish a lot today because:
3. Some of the ideas I learned about the Renaissance, project work and group work today
include:
4. Some project goals I need to set for tomorrow include:
5. Comments
/5
Appendix I
Name: __________________ Group Members: __________________________
Renaissance Unit Self-Assessment: What Have I Learned?

1. The part I liked best about this unit was...
because...
2. The part I liked least about this unit was..
because...
3. I was surprised to learn that...
4. While I was working on this unit, I think I did a good job on...
because...
5. I think I could have made more effort on...
because...
6. Six things I learned while I was studying this unit are:
Overall, I would grade my project and effort for this unit as (circle one):
Project One: __________________ Project Two: _________________

A Outstanding Work (meets all A grade criteria) A Outstanding Work (meets all A grade criteria)
B Very Good Work ( meets some A grade criteria) B Very Good Work ( meets some A grade criteria)
C+ to C Good Work (meets the base-line criteria) C+ to C Good Work (meets the base-line criteria)
C- Does not meet the base-line C grade criteria C- Does not meet the base-line C grade criteria
Participation Pie
Student Self Assessment
Divide the pie below to illustrate how much each member of your presentation
group participated in the task of completing the group portion of these assignments.
Write down each of your names in the appropriate section and give a percentage of
contribution. Below, give the reasons why you have divided the pie up as you did and
suggest ways by which the cooperative nature of this activity might be improved.
Project One: __________________ Project Two: _________________
Reasons:
Ideas for Improvement:
Give your own review of how the Fair went on Thursday. What did you like/not like?
How did you feel about showing off your work and seeing others? What was the best
part? What changes would you suggest?
Appendix J
Quicktime™ movie of the second Renaissance Fair created by grade nine
students for their technology course final project.

THE RENAISSANCE FAIR INTERDISCIPLINARY UNIT by Donald Alan Gordon

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The Renaissance Fair Unit 1

Name of Years of Fair Training and Experience at Career Path Since last

Don (author) 1999, 2000, 2001, Elementary trained, 3rd year of 7 yrs. at middle school, 6 yrs as

Mark 1999, 2000 Middle school trained, 1st year of 6 yrs. in middle school, 2 in grade

Jeremy Support since Elementary trained 1st year of 7 yrs. at middle school as

Mike 1999 Elementary trained, 1st year of 7 yrs at middle school, 6 as grade

Dave 2001, 2002, Middle school trained, 3rd year 6 yrs in middle school, 4 yrs. in

Nicole 2001, 2002, 2003 Middle school trained, 2nd year 1 yr elementary, 4 yrs in grade 8,

Armaghan 2002, 2004 Middle school student teahcer 3 yrs supply teaching, 2 of which

Darren 2003, 2004 High school trained, 4th year of 6 yrs at middle school grade 6/7,

Handwritten notes from initial planning meeting assigning ideas to teachers,

Botany - art with drawing and painting realistically,

Inventions - study three key inventions of the period

Exploration - design an exploration trip somewhere far from Italy

Renaissance Trading Cards

Architectural Commission - you have been commissioned by a ruler to design a new

The Art of Warfare

The Art of Warfare Learning Outcomes - Students will be able to:

The “Fab Four”

The “Fab Four” - Learning Outcomes - Students will be able to:

Lead a Naval Expedition

Lead a Naval Expedition - Learning Outcomes - Students will be able to:

Inventing The Present Out Of The Past

What Do You Mean I Can’t Eat With My Fingers?

If You Build It They Will Come

Barde In The Yarde

Was da Vinci The First Famous Leonardo?

Dear Parents/Guardians of Grade 8 Students:

Integration promotes applications and development of knowledge and skills

Students will work individually or in a group and will be assessed according to

Project Renaissance: Student Instructions

• Choose your top three projects - you will do two of these.

• Complete your academic resume.

Thurs. May 20 Introduction to the Renaissance (in Humanities)

Fri. May 21 Group meetings with project coordinators (PM only)

Tues. May 25 Integrated unit begins (Blocks C,D,E,F)

Wed. June 9 Renaissance Exhibit (1:00 - 7:30 pm)

Grade 8 Renaissance Project

Time line for Grade 8 Renaissance Unit

Monday May 3 Introduce integrated unit

Thursday May 6 Teachers begin organizing groups in classes

Friday May 7 Individual resumes and group cover letters due

Thursday May 20 Introduction to the Renaissance (in Humanities)

Friday May 21 Group meetings with project coordinators (PM only)

Tuesday May 25 Integrated unit begins (Blocks C,D,E,F1)

Wednesday June 9 Renaissance Exhibit (1:00 - 5:00 pm)

• evidence of excellent care good care some care care

manship manship manship manship

• drawings done neatly using geometry tools on 11 x 17” paper

• outside is finished accurate colour accurate colour coloured finished

• detailed explanation building 3-4 paragraphs 2-4 paragraphs 1-2 paragraphs 1

• display eye catching straight, secure mounted not mounted

• title or name of building, architect, place and date(s) of construction

4) work as group members A B C+ C

• cooperation extremely very usually difficult

• manages workspace and materials well, demonstrating care and concern

Renaissance Daily Journal

1. The tasks I have worked on today include:

2. I feel I accomplished / didn’t accomplish a lot today because:

4. Some project goals I need to set for tomorrow include:

Name: __________________ Group Members: __________________________

Renaissance Unit Self-Assessment: What Have I Learned?

2. The part I liked least about this unit was..

3. I was surprised to learn that...

Name: Group Members: ________

Project One: __ Project Two: _

Project One: __ Project Two: _