The integration of subjects is not a new concept in the field of education, but it has also not yet been prominently implemented in U.S. public schools (Hinde, 2009). As an intern in the Professional Development School at the Grand State University, I had the privilege of working with a second grade teacher who integrated subjects frequently. In our classroom, students participated in integrated, thematic units that combined science, social studies, reading, writing, and art. Through recorded observations, student surveys and interviews, samples of student work, and parent surveys, I analyze student engagement during integrated, thematic instruction. More specifically, I identify which elements of the integrated lessons were most and least engaging for students and describe the student learning that resulted from them.
