Digital Commons @ IWU

Crossing the Subjects: History and Writing in the Classroom

Educators who push for the introduction of differing subjects or interdisciplinary work into their classroom argue that the incorporation of a second topic into their classroom helps facilitate different avenues of learning for students. Backed up by the teachings from Dawn Shepherd, Heidi Estrem, and Beth Brunk-Chaves, the incorporation of writing into classrooms allowed for students to have a greater opportunity for retention of new information. In this classroom research study, I examine the incorporation of english writing methods into two Freshman level World History classes, focusing specifically on the usage of writing in formative assessments helping with the summative assessments at the end of an unit. Educators can greatly benefit from this study as the findings show that the incorporation of a secondary discipline into the classroom can help with students expressing themselves and their knowledge of the subject in more ways rather than in just a traditional manner.