How to use interdisciplinary knowledge and mind maps to teach unit 11, English textbook 11

THANH HOA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING 
 HOANG HOA 4 HIGH SCHOOL
 EXPERIENCE INITIATIVE
 HOW TO USE INTERDISCIPLINARY KNOWLEDGE AND MIND MAPS TO TEACH UNIT 11, ENGLISH TEXTBOOK 11
 Author: Dinh Thi Thanh Hien
 Position: Teacher
 Subject: English
 THANH HOA, 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 Contents
Page
I- INTRODUCTION
1
1.Rationale
1
2. Aims of the study
1
3. Objects of the study
1
4. Methods of the study
1
II- CONTENTS OF THE STUDY
2
Theoretical background
2-3
Practical background
4
Using interdisciplinary knowledge and mind maps to teach Unit 11 , English textbook 11
4-18
Results of applying method
19
III- CONCLUSION AND RESOLUTION
20
Reference books
I- INTRODUCTION:
1. Rationale :
 For many years, teaching and learning have been considered as teaching and learning a set of isolated English and isolated items such as phonetics,vocabulary, grammar,...so English lessons are often seen stressful and boring. In fact, English was viewed a subject integrated many different subjects and teaching , learning English were considered as a mastery of these items together. Many teachers have been trying hard to apply suitable methods of teaching with a view to helping students understand the lessons better and feel more motivated in English lesson.Nevertheless, it is a matter of fact that integrated method of teaching often take teachers a lot of time and work to prepare well related knowledge. As most teachers are only trained proffetionally so they have difficulties getting knowledge of another subjects. Therefore, teachers should find out the best method to create new techniques, rediscover the old ones to suit objectives of current innovations and meet the study demand in the century 21.
 Basing on these facts, I forcefully used interdisciplinary knowledge and mind maps for many units in English textbook with the aim of enable my students to find documents from different sources and to feel more interested, take part more actively in English lessons .
2. Aims of the study:
My theme focuses on making clear about some issues below:
- What is interdisciplinarity ?/ what is mind map?
- Why is using interdisciplinarity and mind maps to teach one of innovatory methods ?
- How are interdisciplinary knowledge and mind map applied?
3. Objects of the study:
The objects chosen for my study and application are 11th grade students in classes 11A3, 11A2 in Hoang Hoa 4 high school, Thanh Hoa province. The students are in natural- science classes tending focus only on their main subjects such as maths, physics, chemistry and biology. So they learn English in passive way.
4. Methods of the study:
My study is conducted by qualitative methods to collect information, compare, and then, analyse data.By using the combination of these methods my theme will reach effectively the targets of the essay.
II- CONTENTS OF THE STUDY
1. Theoretical background
What is interdisciplinarity?
According to Wikipedia interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more  academic disciplines into one activity . It is about creating something new 
by thinking across boundaries. It is related to an interdiscipline or an interdisciplinary fields, which is an organizational unit that crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or school of thought, as new needs and professions emerge.
The term interdisciplinary is applied within education and training pedagogies to describe studies that use methods and insights of several established disciplines or traditional fields of study. Interdisciplinarity involves students, and teachers in the goals of connecting and integrating several academic schools of thought, professions, or technologies- along with their specific perspectives-in the pursuit of a common task. Interdisciplinarity can likewise be applied to complex subjects that can only be understood by combining the perspectives of two or more fields.[2]
For example, the subject of land use may appear differently when examined by different disciplines, for instance, biology, chemistry, economics, geography, and politics.
To begin with, a discipline can be conveniently defined as any comparatively self-contained and isolated domain of human experience which possesses its own community of experts. Interdisciplinarity is best seen as bringing together distinctive components of two or more disciplines. In academic discourse, interdisciplinarity typically applies to four realms: knowledge, research, education, and theory. Interdisciplinary knowledge involves familiarity with components of two or more disciplines. Interdisciplinary research combines components of two or more disciplines in the search or creation of new knowledge, operations, or artistic expressions. Interdisciplinary education merges components of two or more disciplines in a single program of instruction. Interdisciplinary theory takes interdisciplinary knowledge, research, or education as its main objects of study.
Interdisciplinary knowledge are important because:[2]
"Creativity often requires interdisciplinary knowledge.
Immigrants often make important contributions to their new field.
Disciplinarians often commit errors which can be best detected by people familiar with two or more disciplines.
Some worthwhile topics of research fall in the interstices among the traditional disciplines.
Many intellectual, social, and practical problems require interdisciplinary approaches.
Interdisciplinary knowledge and research serve to remind us of the unity-of-knowledge ideal.
Interdisciplinarians enjoy greater flexibility in their research.
More so than narrow disciplinarians, interdisciplinarians often treat themselves to the intellectual equivalent of traveling in new lands.
Interdisciplinarians may help breach communication gaps in the modern academy, thereby helping to mobilize its enormous intellectual resources in the cause of greater social rationality and justice.
By bridging fragmented disciplines, interdisciplinarians might play a role in the defense of academic freedom.
What is mind map ? 
Mind mapping is a visual form of note taking that offers an overview of a topic and its complex information, allowing students to comprehend, create new ideas and build connections. Through the use of colors, images and words, mind mapping encourages students to begin with a central idea and expand outward to more in-depth sub-topics.:[4]
                         Mind Map Example
Definition of a Mind Map
A mind map is a visual representation of hierarchical information that includes a central idea surrounded by connected branches of associated topics. 
In education mind mapping is a beneficial learning tool to help students brainstorm any topic and think creatively. Mind maps are particularly helpful in the writing process and provide students with a natural way of thinking and building thoughts on a story plot or theme.
Mind maps also provide teachers with insight into their students’ thought process regarding a specific topic. By asking students to create mind maps demonstrating their comprehension of a concept, teachers are able to understand what a student’s prior knowledge was and how well the student understands the assignment or the material being taught. This is a very effective way of evaluating students’ understanding.
2. Practical background 
Interdisciplinary teaching and learning give more opportunities for students to connect new learning with what they know and are interested in . It provides more ways for students to learn and demonstrate their skills and understandings . Students from 11A2, 11A3 ( students are interested in chemistry, physics, biology ) are excited about using knowledge of their favourite subjects in English lessons. Moreover, interdisciplinary learning helps students build confidence to overcome challenges learning new and difficult English words because it encourages students to become personally invested in their work (since they are given the privilege and responsibility of making choices about what and how they learn and demonstrate their learning). More importantly, interdisciplinary work can lead to more personal, relevant, and memorable learning experiences for students and teachers – teachers get excited about students’ fresh ideas( solutions to protect environment) and new ways of demonstrating their understanding. And students find learning English intersting and useful.
Simultaneously, I have discovered that visually mind mapping ideas helps communicate with students by creating an engaging experience that is also more memorable. Students find the process of visually recording ideas, whether for note taking or creating presentations, to be more fun than traditional note taking. By mapping the ideas one has an opportunity to record new ideas where they fit in terms context and content[3]. This process enables students to organize their notes by categories and relationships while mapping.
3. Using interdisciplinary knowledge and mind maps to teach unit 11- English textbook 11, Educational Publishing House .
 UNIT 11: SOURCES OF ENERGY
Discuss advantages and disadvantages of sources of energy. Work in group 
1.- Collect relevant information, evidences and pictures to sources of energy.
 - Discuss advantages and disadvantages of sources of energy 
 - Use mind maps to perform your work 
2. Prepare and give presentation to your class.
Stage1: Collecting information, evidences related to the content of the lesson.
 To collect relevant information , students will need access to some different resources. Typical resources for student include textbooks, newspapers and magazines. Perhaps the most helpful resources can be found on the Internet . This makes students more excited about the topic and their study becomes more active. Also, in this stage, I gave out many driving questions to my students. 
- What are the major forms of fossil fuels?
- How were fossil fuels formed?
- How are these fuels collected?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of using fossil fuels?
- What are the environmental benefits of renewable energy?
- Why aren't some renewable resources widely accepted today?
Stage 2: Deploying the work
- Dividing groups
In the first place, I divided my class in to groups of 6 , and assigned tasks for each group .
Group 1,3 : Non- renewable energy
Group 2,4 : Renewable energy
Group 5,6 : Sources of energy
Each groups’ members should discuss on how to design, create, and present products.Students could decide what products they will creat, what resources they will use, and how they will structure their time. For unit 11 - sources of energy , they will discover information from chemistry, geography and physics 
 Students worked in group of six or eight 
Stage 3:Conducting the work
Groups were asked to perform their works by using mind maps as developing mind maps increases thinking, memory and learning skills. It is now widely accepted that people have a better memory for images than for words. The combination of words and images that are not simply decorative have been found to facilitate learning, understanding, remembering and performing. Images can help students select, structure, synthesize and integrate information in a meaningful way. 
 Students compiled information and used mind map to convey their ideas
During this stage, I served as coach, moving from group to group to guide the students' work. As I did so, I asked myself the following coaching questions :
 -Are the students attentive and working together cooperatively?
 - Are the resources that students use geared to their comprehensive level of understanding?
 - Do any groups have trouble in expressing their ideas? / using vocabulary ?
And it it is essential that the teacher ask the students to attempt this activity when new problems are addressed.
Stage 4: Presenting the work.
Each group in my class showcased its picture to the class, explaining how the product was achieved as well as presenting the content. In this stage, students of each group viewed and could give questions and answers to other group. The teacher also observed how engaged they were in presenting their works 
Start with a topic in which students are already highly knowledgeable about how other disciplines address the issue and have a clear sense of how to synthesize and integrate. This will build my confidence and allow me to more effectively gauge how students respond.
Group 6: NON- RENEWABLE ENERGY
 Most of our energy comes from non-renewable energy sources. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and uranium are examples of nonrenewable energy sources. Non-renewable energy sources are used to make electricity, to heat our homes, to move our cars, and to manufacture products.
 Non- renewable energy and its harmful effects 
Fossil fuels are available from environment. However, they will be exhausted in a relatively short time . Moreover, fossil fuels are called nonrenewable because it takes millions years for them to appear after being used up. Fossil fuels are important but they are not good you know. Unfortunately, when we use fossil fuels we also harm environment. They cause nagative effects on the environment such as air pollution, acid rain, global warming, climate change .
- A students from group 6 gave some questions to own his group:
Who can explain what global warming is ?
 Global warming 
- An another member of group 6 anwsered:
Burning fossil fuels releases the carbon stored in these fuels into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. This is a type of Green gas. Too many greenhouse gases in the atmosphere act like a blanket around the Earth, making it feel warm like the air inside a greenhouse[5]. It's called the greenhouse effect. When the earth starts to heat up, the global warming occurs.
To explain global warming students used knowledge of chemistry and physics.This educates students to limit using fossil fuels in daily lives.
- Why does acid rain happen?
 ACID RAIN
pollution produced by fossil fuels power stations, factories and cars contains sulphur and nitrogen gases . When they are released into the air these gases mix with the rain inside the clouds to make acid rain.
-What is this picture?
- It is photochemical smog happened in China. It is a type of air pollution.
- I don't understand what photochemical is ? Can you explain to me ?
- Of course, 
 PHOTOCHEMICAL SMOG 
 ( Mù quang hóa )
 VOC + solar + NO2 + O2 O3 +NO + CO2 + H2.
( VOC : chất hữu cơ dễ bay hơi)
In very busy cities where there are a lot of cars and factories making smoke, there is often a brownish haze in the air called smog. Photochemical smog is a mixture of smoke and solar . Smog can damage our lungs if we breathe it in.
To explain global warming students used knowledge of chemistry and physics. This educates students to limit using fossil fuels in daily lives.
Group 2: RENEWABLE ENERGY
Renewable energy sources include biomass, geothermal energy, hydropower, solar energy, nuclear power and wind energy. They are called renewable energy sources because they are naturally replenished regularly.Renewable energy sources are used for electricity generation, for heat generation, and for transportation fuels. 
In my opinion, the most potential energy is solar energy. It is not only plentiful and unlimited but also safe and clean. Also, it is easy to use because it uses simple technology. So it is economical for developing countries.However, it has some disadvantages . In winter time it might not be plentiful in some areas .
Beside solar energy, wind power plays an important role in our lives. This energy is used to create electricity. It is a clean and safe source of energy. Moreover, the wind is abundant and unlimited . Although wind power provides energy without pollution, if the wind does not blow, there is no wind energy.
Biomass energy is another alternative source which causes less pollution.
Biomass can also be used to produce fuels for cars and other vehicles. Also, it is plentiful , safe and environment friendly. Unfortunately, it requires very heat tanks to change the plant material into a type of alcohol. 
* Some members from other groups questioned:
-How is ethanol made from biomass sources? 
Plant material is put into large heated tanks called digesters. Inside the tanks , chemical are addded with change the plant material into a type of alcohol called ethanol[5]. The ethanol can then be used as a fuel in vehicles , producing less pollution than ordinary petrol.
Speaker gave a question to other groups :
 Do you know which countries have used cars run on fuels from biomass energy? 
- St 1: I know in Brazil many cars run on ethanol made from sugar canes plants.
- St 2: In the USA ethanol produced from corn is added to petrol to reduce pollution.
- St 3: I think in the future it may even be possible to have cars which run on fuel made from oranges.
- St4: Sure, at present in the world there are many successful inventions using alternative sources of energy such as :
 "Energy Observer" ship uses only solar , wind and hydro to run .
(This example can encourages students to design machines run on alternative energy and raise students' awareness of a green environment) .
 Nuclear power is enormous and unlimited . It can provide electricty for the world's need for hundreds yearso but it is very dangerous. Nuclear reator explosion happens sometimes and kills many people , pollutes the air and causes cancer for many generations who live in the affected areas. So it requires advanced technology.Another renewable source is water power. It is not only plentiful, infinite but also safe to use. However, it is expensive to build a dam for hydroelectricity and is limited in some ares of the world. 
To sum up, renewable sources of energy have some advantages and disadvantages but people should be encouraged to use them more and more in the future
Group 4: SOURCES OF ENERGY
Sources energy are divided into two groups : non-renewable and renewable resources . Non-renewable energy is called fossil fuels. They play an important role in our lives as they provide us with major sources. We already know that fossil fuels such as coal, oil, natural gases can be used to heat the home, to generate electricity. Oil is also used to make different types of plastic, to make petrol and diesel for cars, fuel for aeroplane. But fossil fuels are limited and cause many harmfull effects on the environment such as air pollution, climate change, acid rain,. Therefore, we should find out alternative sources of energy.
 Sources of energy
Alternative sources of energy are called renewable resources because they can be replaced very quickly. They include solar energy, nuclear energy, wind power , water power and biomass energy. Thesse sources are not only plentiful, infinite but also clean and safe to the environment. However , each source has its diadvantages. Nuclear power will be very dangerous if nuclear reactor explosion occurs. To use water power we need a lot of money to build a dam . There is no wind energy if the wind does not blow.
To sum up, renewable energy is clean sources of energy that have a much lower environmental impact than non-renewable energy. 
- What should we do to save energy?
-Air pollution from energy production leads to acid rain, excess greenhouse gases, and health risks. One important step you can take to minimize air pollution is to conserve energy. We can do this by:
 + Turning off lights, computers, televisions, video games and other electrical equipment when you're not using them.
 + Buying equipment that uses less electricity such energy efficient light bulbs , inverter air conditioners, .
 + Limiting the use of air conditioner.
 +Taking public transportation, such as buses and trains. When possible, consider walking or biking instead of driving.
Stage5 : Reflecting the process and evaluating