Learning in the forest

Inter-subject combined lessons, also known as integrated or cross-curricular lessons, involve combining concepts, themes, or skills from two or more subjects into a single lesson. This approach emphasizes the interconnectedness of knowledge and provides students with more opportunities to apply what they learn in one subject to others. Instead of teaching subjects in isolation, inter-subject lessons highlight how different disciplines relate to real-world complexities.

The goal is to make learning more relevant, engaging, and meaningful for students by showing them how subjects connect.

Here are just some of many benefits of a combined lesson:

Deeper Understanding: Students can see how knowledge from different areas builds upon each other, leading to a more holistic understanding of concepts.

Increased Engagement: Inter-subject lessons can make learning more practical and interesting, as students apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.

Skill Development: Students can develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity as they connect different subjects.

Improved Collaboration: Inter-subject lessons can foster collaboration between teachers and students, as they work together to explore connections.

Enhanced Retention: Learning through integration can help students retain information better because they are actively making connections and applying their knowledge.

In our schools we regularly combine various disciplines and create cross-curricular lessons.

Here is an example of combined Biology-History lesson: While learning about the various layers of forestry, we took a pause and learned about the medicinal plants as part of Middle Ages’ medicine.

The lesson was practice-oriented (so called “learning by doing” approach). The students of class 6 took the role of a naturalist, picked up the heeling plants, made a detailed recording about the specifics of the plants that they had discovered in the forest.