Chapter Four- Part 3- Ways Children Construct Understanding

So, if you didn't get to listen to the podcast... it basically said "Slow Down and give kids more time to spend on activities that integrate the curriculum!" The authors suggest using open-ended tasks that accommodate all learning styles. Open-ended tasks allow students to use prior knowledge to extend learning and encourage students to work together to solve problems. Long-term studies are another way to encourage active investigation- especially when the investigation is guided by student-generated questions.
Next, you must give opportunities to represent the new information so that the kids can internalize what they are learning. Role-playing, writing, drawing, etc.. are all ways that students can represent what they are learning and gives you a way to assess for misconceptions, give clarifying information, or guide children's thinking to a higher level. It is important to be open-minded at this point and realize that students with different backgrounds and learning styles are going to represent ideas differently. Allow for some individuality and give choices.
Reflection is the last step that is often overlooked. It is important to think about what has been learned and even think about the learning process itself. Over time, including time for reflection can help children become more self-directed learners.
So, the next step is the hard part... Organizing your curriculum to include these long-term studies! Get ready! Most of us know these "long-term studies" as "thematic units". You may want to google it and see what other teachers are doing.