Curriculum Resources - Cross-curricular teaching in E-Learning and Blended Learning Environment

If you’re writing a blog post about cross-curricular and blended learning with FNMI and STEAM connections, I’d point to two things:

Link (ISTE Blog): AI in the Classroom; Moving Beyond Challenges to Innovation; it’s fresh, practical, and connects directly to how tech can support multiple subjects.


Resource (Book): STEAM Power: Infusing Art Into Your STEM Curriculum by Tim Needles (ISTE, 2020). It’s approachable and has hands-on examples of how coding, robotics, art, and social studies can overlap.

Both of these show how you can blend creativity, culture, and digital tools into curriculum in a way that’s meaningful.

2) Mindmap using Popplet (or similar)


Center Bubble: Cross-Curricular Connections

Science → “Environmental issues, ecosystems, energy, sustainability”

Social Studies → “Treaties, land use, FNMI perspectives on land & stewardship”

Language Arts → “Critical literacy, storytelling, vocabulary building”

The Arts → “Digital art, code art, drama, music tied to cultural identity”

Math → “Data analysis of environmental changes, symmetry in art, coding logic"

Each branch could connect to a grade level (like Grade 4 Habitats in Science → Indigenous knowledge of ecosystems; Grade 7 History → Residential schools & treaties; Grade 8 Geography → Global water systems, linked to sustainability art projects).

Popplet or MindMeister would let you visualize this with colour-coding (e.g., Science = green, Arts = purple, etc.).

3) My experience with cross-curricular teaching

From my own teaching, cross-curricular projects are when the magic really happens. I’ve seen kids who usually struggle in one subject shine when we merge it with another; like a student who isn’t confident in history suddenly thrive when asked to present through digital art or coding. It gives them more entry points and shows them learning isn’t locked into one box. It also builds connections: students realize that science, geography, art, and history are all lenses to understand the same world.

4) Challenges or risks of cross-curricular teaching

That said, it’s not always smooth sailing. Some challenges I’ve faced (and most teachers mention) are:

Time & Planning: It takes more upfront work to align expectations from different curriculum strands.

Assessment: Sometimes it’s tricky to decide whether you’re grading the science knowledge, the art creativity, or the writing skills.

Depth vs. Breadth: There’s a risk of projects being “a little of everything” without going deep enough in any one subject.

Student Overwhelm: Not all kids handle open-ended or multi-layered projects well, so you need scaffolding and clear rubrics.

The upside is when you plan carefully and include FNMI perspectives (as the Ontario curriculum now requires), the risks are worth it because students gain a more holistic and inclusive education.

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