"Yeah," said Lee. "But let's try to figure out what made this unit so successful."

"I think it was the fact that the students were invested in a real-world issue," said Pam.

"Yes, they felt they could really make a difference," LaShanda observed.

"And they proved that adolescents really can do the work," said Shirley.

"I think the project showed them how all the subjects they studied really do relate to one another. They weren't just learning facts in isolation to be stored and used somewhere down the road. They saw how they could take all this knowledge and put it to good use," Pam stated.

"Our students have so many different learning styles and this approach enabled them to use them all and excel at their work," LaShanda piped in.

Lee brought up the benefits of group learning, "We also knew the kids would really go for the cooperative learning, and this time they really took responsibility for their tasks."

"I like the idea," suggested Pam, "that our students were able to get public recognition for their hard work."

"Yes, weren't they awesome! And didn't they look great," beamed Lee while looking like a proud father.

"You know, we really had high expectations for them in this project. Maybe that's what did it," LaShanda mused.

"This would really be a good time to do that Exploris Museum field trip we had in mind to reward the students for their hard work," Pam suggested. "The Living in Balance Global Use of Water Resources exhibit will really have meaning for them after the Wetlands Project."

Little did the team know that the field trip to Exploris would spark so much interest and that so many new, meaningful questions would be asked.

How do water systems all over the globe work and how are they related?

How does the climate and weather system in West Africa influence the weather in North Carolina?

What impact did Hurricane Fran have on the water systems of eastern North Carolina?

How did Fran affect the people and economy of the US and NC?

Before they knew it, they were launching another integrative project. Fortunately, Pam had been contributing to the development of the Hall University website SwimDog. SwimDog [LINK] was built to address water resource issues in North Carolina. She also had a hand in putting together a world tour, Going Global, that highlighted nations, their cultures, and natural resources. Going Global and SwimDog would provide valuable research sites for the new integrative unit.

We leave the team as they brainstorm themes and issues for another successful integrative unit. The gleam in Pam's eye comes from the new twist Pam wants to add to this project. She thinks they may be ready to bluild their own project website. Should she mention it now? Better to wait until tomorrow for the teaching team's planning meeting when she'll have her ducks in a row and her banana bread to help sell the idea. For more information, check out these websites for yourself and use them in your own preparation of an integrative unit.