The Crosscutting Concepts connect the content of different disciplines. However, your students won’t understand these connections unless they are explicitly made for your students. One excellent way to make these connections for your students is to use a Crosscutting Concept Anchor Chart.
Why connect the Crosscutting Concepts with an Anchor Chart?
The Crosscutting Concepts help students make connections between content from different disciplines in science. So, these act as thematic concepts in science. To learn more about the Crosscutting Concepts, read this blog post.
Crosscutting Concept Connections Using the Example of Patterns
For example, we see patterns throughout science. We see patterns in Earth and Space Science in our observations of the sun, Earth, and moon. Also, we see patterns in seasons. In physical science, we see patterns in atomic-level compounds and wave properties. In life science, we see patterns in genetics and in ecosystem dynamics.
As teachers, we see that patterns exist throughout the natural world. However, our students need to be taught to recognize these patterns. Also, they need to be shows the wide-range of applications of this concept.
Benefits of an Anchor Chart
An anchor chart allows students and teacher to track the connections that they’ve made to a Crosscutting Concept throughout the school year. By charting this connections, students see the depth and complexity of these connections.
Digital Crosscutting Concept Anchor Chart
I created a digital Crosscutting Concept Anchor Chart to help you make these connections for your students in your digital classroom.
How It Works
Simply post this anchor chart in your digital classroom. Then, when there is a connection to one of the Crosscutting Concepts, add a note to that slide. There is a slide for each CCC.
You can add notes in the lighter boxes at the bottom of the anchor chart. I recommend adding text, images or using the drawing tools. This provides a visual representation of the connection. Then, the slide deck can be referred back to throughout the year.
Giving Your Students Control
If your students are new to using the Crosscutting Concept, I recommend you leading them through this process. However, if your students are familiar with the concepts, allow them to make their own connections. In fact, this digital anchor chart can be assigned to your students to act as a digital portfolio of all of the connections they have made.
What grade level is this good for?
This resource can be used at any grade level. However, the way that it is used will likely be different. For example, in elementary school, its important for the teacher to help make these connections. But, by high school, students can complete this on their own.
Grab this Digital Crosscutting Concept Anchor Chart.
This digital Crosscutting Concept anchor chart is available in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. You can grab it by clicking this link.
More Crosscutting Concept Resources
The Crosscutting Concepts are easy to use in your classroom. Here are some resources to get you started.
- Your Questions About the Crosscutting Concepts Answered
- Crosscutting Concept Bundles for Upper Elementary and Middle School
- Exit Tickets for the Crosscutting Concepts
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