SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education
I.
INTEGRATED CURRICULUM
Objectives:
1. Analyze the essence of curriculum integration
across all disciplines.
2. Interview teachers in the field to share their
expertise in integrating content in their lessons.
3. State the importance of integration in the
curriculum across disciplines.
Lesson 1.1 Curriculum Integration Across the
Curri – culum
What is Integration?
Integration is the act of bringing together
smaller components into a single system that
functions as one. In education, it is a combined and
applied in order to facilitate integrative and interactive
learning process in the classroom. Johnson and
Johnson (1998) defined integration as the process of
linking together prior learnings to present and
different parts of learning to each other.
What is Integrated Curriculum?
Integrated Curriculum was expounded by
Beane (1992), Johnson and Johnson (1998) and
Kellough (2003). It refers to a single course that
contains one or more disciplines. It consists of one
set of objectives and assessment that covers a
number of related disciplines. It is designed to meet
the developmental needs of the learners. It is a ways
of teaching, planning, and organizing instructional
program. It ‘allows students to experience authentic
and holistic learning with real-world meaning,
creating connections and enhance subjects beyond
their individual scopes. It is also a collaboration t
between different key learning areas (KLA) to make
learning relevant and engaging. This synergy
provides students with a greater sense of agency.’
This type of curriculum goes across academics, arts,
physical education, extra-curricular activities, and
support service program. Kellough stipulated that
integrated curriculum is the opposite of the
traditional, subject-matter oriented teaching and
curriculum designation.
An integrated curriculum allows children to
pursue learning in a holistic way, without the
restrictions often imposed by subject boundaries.
There are varied meanings associated with
curriculum integration which varies from source to
source. Integration is also done through varied ways
dependent upon the schools and the teachers.
According to James Beane (2005), a prominent
advocate for curriculum integration, it involves
meaningful learning organized around issues
important to teachers ‘ and students so that it
promotes democracy. ’ Real-life problems are also
presented to enhance their knowledge of the KLAs.
Integration in Basic Education
In early childhood programs it focuses upon
the inter-relatedness of all curricular areas in helping
children acquire basic learning tools. It recognizes
that the curriculum for the primary grades includes
reading, writing, listening, speaking, literature, drama,
social studies, math, science, health, physical
education, music, and visual arts. The curriculum
also incorporates investigative processes and
technology. It emphasizes the importance of
maintaining partnerships with families; having
knowledge of children and how they learn; and
building upon the community and cultural context.
Integrated teaching and learning processes enable
children to acquire and use basic skills in all the
content areas and to develop positive attitudes for
continued successful learning throughout the
elementary grades.
Spectrum of Integrated Curriculum
Level 1: This is the traditional organization of
curriculum and classroom instruction. In this level the
teachers plan and arrange the subject through a
specific scope and sequence which uses a topic
outline format.
Level 2: In this level the theme is one discipline are
not necessary planned to correspond with the
themes in another.
Level 3: In this level, the class is studying two or
more core learning areas or subjects around a
common theme.
Level 4: Teacher teaching different subjects
collaborate on a common theme and its content.
Level 5: A common theme likewise chosen by a
team of teachers. The content and discipline
boundaries are blurred during the teaching- learning
process.
SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education
Theories Supporting Curriculum Integration
Common Elements of an Integrated Curriculum
1. Experiential Learning. Carl Rogers (2004), the
proponent of this theory, believe that all individual
have a natural propensity to learn. John Dewey
(1938), posits that school learning should be
experiential because students learn from what they
experience.
Listed below are the common elements of an
Integrated Curriculum as expounded by Lake (2000)
2. Multiple Intelligences. Howard Gardner, affirms
that there are more kind of intelligence that what we
thought before.
The nine categories of intelligences presented by
Gardner and Associates
1. Linguistic intelligence
2. Logical-Mathematical Intelligence
3. Spatial Intelligence
4. Musical Intelligence
5. Interpersonal Intelligence
6. Intrapersonal Intelligence
7. Naturalistic Intelligence
8. Existentialist Intelligence
9. Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence
3. Constructivism. This theory expounds that
development and learning occur through constructive
process and that knowledge is constructed from
experience. Constructivist like John Dewey (1938),
Jean Piaget (1960), and Lev Vygotsky 91934)
maintain that children learn by actually constructing
meaning from their simultaneously embedded
experiences. Teaching in a constructivist mode has a
slower pace, uses varied strategies and resource
materials, and provides opportunities for the new
creation of new ideas.
Principles in Integrating Big Ideas and Strategies
to ensure effective instruction.
Beane (1992) expounds the significance of the
following principles in integrating big ideas and
strategies.
1. Integrate several ideas and strategies.
2. Match content with strategies
3. Integrate relevant concepts.
4. Integrate big ideas across multiple contents of
instructions.
5. Provide opportunities to establish connections.
1. A combination of subjects or learning areas
2. An emphasis on projects
3. Relationships among concepts
4. Thematic units as organizing principles
5. Sources that go beyond textbooks
6. Flexible schedules
7. Flexible student grouping
Planning Integrated Instruction
1. Draw content of instruction in basic education from
the learning competencies.
2. Identify a theme drawn from a core discipline.
3. Identify the related disciplines or learning areas
that can help unfold the chosen theme into
instruction.
4. Collaborate with the teachers teaching the
identified learning area addressing the chosen
theme.
5. Look for appropriate reading materials.
6. Use an approach to instruction that will facilitate
integrative teaching-learning in the classroom.
SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education
II. CURRICULUM INTEGRATION IN MAKABAYAN

INTRODUCTION
Makabayan is a learning area of the 2002 Basic
Education Curriculum (BEC) which is a restructuring
of the New Elementary School Curriculum (NESC)
and the New Secondary School
Curriculum (NSEC). The BEC aims to raise the
quality of Filipino learners and graduates and
empower them for lifelong learning which requires
the attainment of functional literacy. (Department of
Education, BEC Primer.)



Makabayan, the fifth learning area in basic education,
has learning components that are interdisciplinary in
nature. Social studies draw content from the social
sciences, humanities, and
related disciplines. Values Education draws content
from religions, beliefs, norms, and work ethics.
Technology and Livelihood Education addresses
lessons in home economics, industrial arts,
agriculture, fisheries, and entrepreneurship. MAPEH
draws content from music, art, physical education,
and health. The interdisciplinary nature of
Makabayan makes it the touchstone for integration in
basic education.
LESSON PROPER
NATURE AND STRUCTURE OF MAKABAYAN
What is said of Makabayan as a learning area?





Makabayan is said to be a "laboratory of life" or
a practice environment.
It is a learning area that is experiential,
interactive, interdisciplinary and value laden.
It is the learning area that provides the Filipino
learner the quality time to demonstrate practical
knowledge and skills of empathy, vocational
efficiency and problem solving in daily life.
Love of country serves as the unifying principle
for the diverse values in this learning rea, thus it
is called pagkamakabayan or makabayan for
short.
As a practice environment, Makabayan will
cultivate in the learner a healthy, personal, and
national self-concept which includes an
adequate understanding of Philippine history
and a genuine appreciation of our local culture,
crafts, arts, music and games.

Makabayan will promote a constructive or
healthy patriotism which is neither hostile nor
isolationist toward other nations but appreciative
of global interdependence.
The core competencies in the elementary level
come from varied disciplines such as Social
Studies, Home Economics, Physical Education,
Health, Music and Arts.
In the secondary level competencies come from
Araling Panlipunan, Technology and Livelihood
Education Music Arts, Physical Education and
Health Citizenship Training, and Edukasyon sa
Pagpapahalaga
These competencies will be developed through
integrated units of leaning task whenever such
integrated units are possible and appropriate.
Each of the five learning areas addresses both
the individual and social needs of the learners.
MAKABAYAN LEARNING COMPONENTS
Makabayan provides many opportunities for
integrative and interactive learning Presented
below and in the succeeding pages are the course
descriptions of elementary and secondary
Makabayan (DepEd, 2002).
Elementary Makabayan
Civics and Culture 1 to 3. The competencies of
Civics and Culture are clustered around three
major values. (1) national identity and selfesteem, (2) national unity, and 3) loyalty to the
nation Civics and Culture 3 address the
development of work ethics.
Geography, History, and Civics 4 to 6.
In Grade 4. Geography. History, and Civics focus
on the following the geographic features of the
Philippines as a part of Southeast Asia and the
world the utilization of our natural resources, and
the relationship of physical geography to local
culture.
In Grade 5. Geography. History, and Civics
address the history of the Philippines from the
pre-historic period down to our contemporary
times. The learners examine how people,
practices, ideas, and events in the past helped
shape the present and how people manage the
present to attain a desired future.
In Grade 6, Geography, History, and Civics focus
on our democratic system of government and on
the rights, duties and responsibilities of citizens in
the Philippine society.
SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education
Home Economics and Livelihood Education.
This component of Makabayan from Grades 4 to
6 focuses on the development of desirable work
attitudes and basic work skills and habits through
learning situations relevant to everyday chores at
home, in school, and in the community, Likewise,
this learning component covers phases of work in
elementary agriculture, home economics,
industrial arts, retail trade, computer education,
and other livelihood and entrepreneurship skills
designed to develop awareness of and interest in
productive work.
Music, Art, and Physical Education (MAPE).
This component of Makabayan in Grades I to 6
will enable the child to express his feeling
imagination, and ideas through music, art, and
physical activities. The children will learn basic
body movements, games, musical skills, and art
concepts As children proceed to higher grades,
there is further development in their study of
physical fitness, competencies in lead up games,
musical concepts, creative design and craft
construction.
In Grades 1 to 3. Music, Art, and Physical
Education competencies are integrated in
Civics and Culture. These competencies may be
used as introduction of the lesson, but if there is a
need to formally teach the elements of music, art,
and physical education, the teachers may do so.
Secondary Makabayan
Social Studies. This learning component of
Makabayan covers the study of Philippine
History and Government in First Year, Anan
Studies in Second Year, World History in Third
Year, and Economie in Fourth Year. The
approach is thematic chronological in the case of
history-oriented disciplines and thematic topical
in the case of economics.
Values Education. This component of
Makabayan aims at the formation of self-identity
and develops in the learner the knowledge and
skills necessary for adequate
discernment,analysis, discussion and selection
of values in real life situations Values education
shall be taught in every learning area through an
experiential learning approach and integrative
teaching. The teacher server at a facilitator by
guiding the learner in the discovery, analysis,
selection, and adoption of values based on
concrete life situations and discussed in an
atmosphere of dialogue, freedom and openness.
Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE).
This component of Makabayan in First Year to
Fourth Year comprises home economics,
agriculture and fisheries, industrial arts,
computer education and entrepreneurship.
Music, Art, Physical Education, and Health
(MAPEH).
Music and Art. These learning components of
Makabayan in First Year to Fourth Yearaim at
developing the learners' personal, social, and
aesthetic skills and values. MAPEH covers the
study of the elements and styles of music
learned experientially through listening singing,
playing, reading, and creating Philippine music
and visual art materials as well as those of other
countries. These are used for deepening and
understanding musical and artistic ideas and
values. The visual art involves such activities as
drawing, painting, and making two-three
dimensional artistic pieces.
Physical Education. This component of
Makabayan in First to Fourth Year aims for the
physical and aesthetic development of the
learner through selected physical exercises,
games, sports, and dance.
Health. This component of Makabayan in First to
Fourth Year develops the learner's ability to
attain and maintain holistic health (physical,
mental, and interpersonal) and includes
education on population, drugs, and safety.
Makabayan Teaching Teams
School principals both in the elementary and
secondary schools are tasked to organize
Makabayan teaching teams to handle the following
learning areas (subjects):
Elementary Makabayan
 Civics and Culture 1-3 (Sibika at Kultura SK)
 Geography, History, and Civics 4-6 (Heograpiya,
Kasaysayan at Sibika)
 Home Economics and Livelihood Education 4-6
(Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan,
EPP)
 Music, Art, and Physical Education (MAPE)
 Character Education 1-6
Secondary Makabayan
 Social Studies I-IV (Araling Panlipunan)
 Values Education I-IV (Edukayong
Pagpapahalaga)
SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education


Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE)- I-IV
Music, Art, Physical Education, and Health
(HEALTH) I-IV
MAKABAYAN LEARNING COMPETENCIES
Each one the learning components of
Makabayan in the elementary and secondary schools
(Social Studies; Values Education; Technology and
Livelihood Education; Music, Art, Physical Education,
and Health) has its own learning competencies.
These provide the sources of content and processes
in the unfolding of lessons in the classroom.
Modes of Integrative Teaching
Four modes of integrative teaching are stated
in the Basic Education Curriculum (BEC), namely,
content-based instruction (CBI), focusing inquiry,
generic competency model, and thematic
teaching (DepEd, 2002).
1. Content-Based Instruction (CBI). The refers to
the integration of content learning with
language teaching aims. It refers to the concurrent
study of language and subject matter with the form
and sequence of language presentation dictated by
the content material. The language curriculum
centered on the academic needs and interest
of the learners and crosses the barrier between
language and subject matter courses. This approach
aims at developing the learners’ academic language
skills.
Content-Based Instruction (CBI) is “an approach to
second language teaching in which teaching is
organized around the content or information that
students will acquire, rather than around a linguistic
or other type of syllabus”(Richards & Rodgers, 2001,
p.204). In other words, CBI involves integrating the
learning of language with the learning of content
simultaneously; here, content typically means
academic subject matter such as math, science, or
social studies. In CBI, the language is utilized as the
medium for teaching subject content (Mohan, 1986).
The language learning objectives are achieved
through content learning. The syllabi in most CBI
courses are derived from content areas and vary
widely in detail and format. In a word, CBI is a
method of teaching language and content in tandem.
Examples:
a) Filipino and Social Studies
A lesson in Filipino designed to develop skills in
‘identifying keywords in a given text’ uses Social
Studies content (essay/article) such as “Batas Militar
sa Pilipinas” or a related topic under the unit on
“Pamahalaan at Batas”. The Social Studies content is
used to develop the language skills.
b) English and Science
A lesson in English designed to ‘develop the ability to
locate and synthesize information’ may use content
in Science (essay/article) such as ‘The Ecological
System,’ which is a topic in the First Year of Science
under ‘Living Things and their Environment’ (Chapter
Four).
Characteristics
 The focus of a CBI is on the topic or subject
matter.
 During the lesson students are focused on
learning about something by the use of the
content of another subject. An example is when
Filipino as a subject integrates lesson content in
HKS to teach Filipino grammar.
A. Content Learning
 Students learn about what interest them using
the language they are trying to learn, rather
than their native language.
 They develop linguistic ability in the target
language.
 It is a natural way of developing language
ability that corresponds to the way the first
language was earned.
B. Process Learning
Preparation
 In the preparation, teacher chooses a subject of
interest to students.
 He/She finds three or four suitable sources that
deal with the different aspects of the subject.
During the lesson
 Teacher divides the class into small groups and
assigns each group a small research task and a
source of information to use.
 Once research is done, students form new
groups with those that used other information
sources and share and compare their
information.
 There should be some products as the end
result of the sharing of information
2. Focusing Inquiry. Inquiry teaching is an
interdisciplinary approach that uses questions
to organize learning. Like most interdisciplinary
teaching, it crosses conventional knowledge
boundaries. The teacher guides learners to discover
answers to questions, whether or not answers preexist. The inquiry approach is more focused on using
SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education
and learning content to develop informationprocessing and problem-solving skills. This
system I more student-centered, with the teacher as
the facilitator of learning. Learners become creators
of knowledge rather than recipients. Concepts and
content are less important than the governing
process of conducting an investigation and
communicating what was learned to others. The
process of inquiry is the organizer of the instructional
design while content is relegated to an ancillary
place.
Inquiry learning can be a self-renewing cycle
of questions and answers. Using what learners
already know as a starting-point, learners generate
questions about the things they do not know yet.
They design a method of investigation and gather
information on their own. As they interpret the
information and generate answers, new questions
emerge. The cycle is continuous.
Characteristics
 Focusing means the center of interest or activity
is the focus of attention and
concentration.
 Inquiry is sometimes termed "discovery",
"heuristic" and "problem solving”. It is defined
simply as a teaching method which is "modeled
after the investigative processes of scientists."
 It puts premium on obtaining information
through direct experience.
A. Content Learning
 It is focused on using learning content as a
means to develop informationprocessing and
problem-solving skills.
 It puts more emphasis on "how we come to
know" and less on "what we know”
 It is student-centered with the teacher as
facilitator of learning.
 Students are more involved in the construction
of knowledge.
 Students ask questions that are more open and
reflective in nature.
 Assessment is focused on determining the
progress of skills development in addition to
content understanding.
 It stresses skill development and nurtures the
development of good habits of mind.
B. Process Learning Here are the steps:
 Getting started, by identifying preliminary
questions and information
 Planning, by specific unknown and formulating
hypotheses
 Focusing by refining the preliminary question
 Identifying and mapping possible resources





Evaluating resources
Tracking what fits and what doesn't
Assessing preliminary answers
Making sense of multiple pieces of information
Telling a particular audience the personal story
of the "learning journey"
3. Generic Competency Model. In this model,
learners are enrolled in three to four linked courses.
The links between the courses rest essentially on
general competencies. The course assists learners in
developing competencies that will transfer readily
from one discipline to another. In Makabayan, for
instance, competencies can be clustered into three:
personal development, social competence, and
work/special skills. These three skills are integrated
in teaching 2 or more subjects. Also, an output or
culminating performance is expected.
For example, a certain objective in Makabayan can
go like this: “Identify material and non-material
culture and to affirm their importance through
preparing an exhibit about the culture of the
Philippines”
In the above-mentioned objective, the teacher can
decide which competency he/shewill make students
develop. If the teacher wants the 3, the better. For
personal skills,students can develop their love and
appreciation of their own culture. For social
competence, the students can work in groups
especially in preparing their culminating performance
which is an exhibit. Lastly, for the work/special skills,
the students can utilize their creative and artistic
skills to make their exhibit appealing. Their work
attitudes can also be reflected especially given a
deadline and/or a criterion. The objective might be
related to Social Science, however, the skills in
making the exhibit can be drawn from MAPEH
subjects, as well as the proper work attitudes learned
from Values Education.
Characteristics
 In this approach, learners are enrolled in three
to four linked courses.
 These links between the courses rest
essentially on generic competencies.
A. Content Learning
 Learners are enrolled in three to four limited
courses link among the sources essential on
"generic competencies".
 Learners are assisted in developing
competencies that will transfer readily from one
SSE 114-Integrative Methods in Teaching Social Science Discipline in Basic Education
discipline to another.
Competencies are clustered into personal
development, social competence, and
work/special skills.
 The subject specialist teaches his or her
subject.
 Instructional integrity of the discipline is
maintained.
 Activities draw on the processes and skills
important to each discipline.
B. Process Learning.
 Describe a generic competency (social,
personal, productivity work/special skills) that
allows related competencies from many
subjects to enter the integration process.
 Identify the culminating performance (what,
why, and how).
 Brainstorm the specific skills that you would
expect the learners to derive from the project.
 Examine if the specific skills will lead to the
culminating performance.
 Examine if the specific skills will lead to the
culminating performance.
 Design the scoring guide (criteria and standard)
to assess the performance.

4. Thematic Teaching. Thematic themes organize
learning around ideas. It is aninstructional method of
teaching in which emphasis is given on choosing a
specific theme for teaching one or many concepts.
Pedagogy of thematic learning is based on its
exploration of broad areas in one theme. It is based
on integrating various It provides a broad framework
for linking content and process from a number of
disciplines. The theme provides coherence. It gives a
focus to the activities that accompany the unit.
Likewise, the theme helps the learners see the
meaningful connections across disciplines or skill
areas. It conveys a clear compelling purpose to
learners, teachers, and parents linking ideas to action
and life-long learning.
Characteristics
 It recognizes learning around ideas.
 It provides a framework for linking content and
process from variety of discipline.
 The theme provides coherence of activities.
 It gives a focus to the activities that accompany
the unit.
 It also helps the learners see the meaningful
connection across the discipline or skill areas.
(DepEd Manual, BEC Primer)
 It conveys clear, compelling purpose to
learners, teacher, and parents. It links ideas to
action.
 Topics are relevant and are of interest to
children.
 An array of lessons is built around central ideas.
 It enhances children's concept development.
 It provides a means for integrating content
learning and process learning in ways that are
meaningful to them.
A. Content Learning
 It uses such mental abilities as attending,
listening, observing, remembering and recalling.
 It consists of socio-conventional knowledge
around which the theme is designed.
 It gathers data about people in the community
and their work through field trips, observation,
interviews, and the like
 In the classroom, it engages in hands-on
activities, replicates, simulates the work of the
people from the community.
 It provides stories, books and other sources of
information such as videos or demonstrations
by resource persons.
B. Process Learning
 It is comprised of the cognitive, social,
emotional and physical elements that form the
basis for all experiences in the classroom.
 It encompasses the whole child.
 The processes involved range from mental
abilities such as grouping, differentiating,
inferring and concluding, to such physical skills
as developing strength or endurance, to the
social skills of learning; how to delay
gratification or how initiate an interaction.
 Learners gain factual insight into the life of
workers and can also test their ideas.
 Learners gain opportunities to reach
compromises.
 It creates symbols.
 Learners draw conclusions.
Summary
Makabayan, the fifth learning area (subject) in basic
education, has rich sources for its content materials
considering that its learning components (Social
Studies; Values Education; technology and
Livelihood Education; Music, Art, Physical Education,
and Health) draw content knowledge from the social
sciences, natural sciences, humanities, and other
related fields of learning. Indeed, Makabayan
provides experiences for integrative and interactive
learning.