Curriculum Integration: Designing the Core of Democratic Education

Going well beyond other books on this subject, James Beane details the history of curriculum integration and analyzes current critiques to provide a complete theory of curriculum integration. He defines curriculum integration as a comprehensive approach rather than simply "rearranging subjects." Using many classroom examples, he explains the relationship between curriculum integration and the disciplines of knowledge. The approach set forth in this groundbreaking volume translates into a democratic vision of general education that transcends the current standards movement.

"James Beane has been one of the most important figures in articulating democratic possibilities in schools. Curriculum Integration shows why he so deserves our respect. It provides a clear and insightful picture of the arguments and realities of democratic curriculum development and teaching."
—
Michael W. Apple
, University of Wisconsin–Madison

"Jim Beane urges us to completely rethink how we pursue intellectual inquiry, as well as who makes the decisions in the classroom and what our ultimate goals are. Taken seriously, as it ought to be, (his) approach could revolutionize American education."
—
Alfie Kohn
, author of
Punished by Rewards
and
Beyond Discipline

"Beane writes directly with a passion that reflects long-in-the-making and deeply rooted convictions about education, youth, and democracy. . . . This book is a critically important resource...and it will remain so for years to come."
—
John H. Lounsbury
, National Middle School Association

"James A. Beane’s new book demands we put the focus of the curriculum exactly where it belongs...on the children it serves. All of us involved seriously with curriculum integration know the power of doing just that."
—
Carol Smith
, Shelburne Community School; Vermont Teacher of the Year