Teaching Science Through Interdisciplinary Learning
May 01, 2026
How many times have you presented students with a scientific concept that they mistook for a mathematical one, like the word “variable”?
I find myself reiterating the fact that words have multiple meanings depending on their context. I will also explain how words can be used in similar and different ways.
For example, I might state that we use variables as unknowns that can be solved in both science and mathematics. However, in a scientific investigation, the terms “independent variable” and “dependent variable” have different meanings.
Now, what if I chose not to explore the various meanings of this word, but instead suggested that we only refer to it in the context of a science project? I would have lost the opportunity to make the connection between variables in these other contexts.
As I once learned, making connections is what learning is all about, and I seek to engage students in this way at every opportunity.
Although I am a middle school science teacher, I find it hard not to infuse other disciplines into my teaching. After all, since I have an elementary certification with a science and English endorsement, I have taught all core subjects and had multiple opportunities to connect subjects in various ways.
So, how could I not infuse other disciplines? I have found that by doing so, I allow students to make connections between science and other subjects, which I believe promotes a deeper understanding of core subject matter across disciplines.
Here are a few more examples:
H3: NGSS and Crosscutting Concepts
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are what drive the teaching of science across the country. As such, they infuse the teaching of crosscutting concepts that allow students to make connections across disciplines, such as recognizing patterns and trends, analyzing data, comparing and contrasting, and identifying cause-and-effect relationships.
Although these are only a few, there are various other ways to make these connections, and the NGSS aligns all science content with these interlinking concepts in ELA and mathematics. (And don’t underestimate how much science is related to social studies!)
This alignment makes it easier for science educators to emphasize how concepts are related across disciplines. For example, If I am teaching about the particle changes in substances like water based on changes in temperature (MS-PS1-4), I can infuse cause and effect relationships, like investigating the effect of temperature changes on molecules of water or comparing and contrasting states of matter through the use of graphic organizers, such as a Venn diagram.
One can easily see how such crosscutting concepts are used across various subjects and promote higher order thinking skills in learning. In doing so, it also shows students how the same skills are taught and used across different classes.
H3: The Promotion of Interdisciplinary Learning Through Science Projects
Science Fair projects are another very specific way to make connections between disciplines. I inform my students on the very first day of class that they will learn to think like scientists by completing a Science Project or an Engineering Design Process (EDP) project. If you’ve ever been involved in a Science Fair, you know that it can involve all the core disciplines.
Science: allows students to choose a science topic to investigate or design a device or system that solves a particular scientific problem or need.
English Language Arts: involves the teaching of ELA concepts through researching and writing a research report, observation logs and lab reports, and giving an oral presentation of their findings.
Social Studies: promotes the identification of the social implications of a topic or the societal and natural world impacts.
Mathematics: involves the collecting and organizing of data gathered during the experimentation and testing process, as well as analyzing data to draw conclusions.
One can also connect art as an extracurricular discipline through drawing or design, as it relates to the EDP, and through the actual creation of a display board for presentation purposes.
Finally, to optimize learning, teachers, especially in a middle school setting, are encouraged to collaborate and work together as a cohesive unit, which gives students an optimal opportunity to connect concepts across disciplines, and to be more successful.
H3: Catalyst and Closure
Think about a good science fiction story or classic novel; does it involve multiple disciplines or simply one? How boring would that be if it were not multidimensional! Now, think about the wondrous science fiction written by the esteemed author Octavia E. Butler. She once said, “Science fiction is wide open!” Shouldn’t learning be that way, as well!? Delve into interdisciplinary learning to engage, motivate and explore the possibilities.
Susan Kelsey-Brewton is a science teacher at Hope Academy in Detroit.