🌿 From Siloed Subjects to Cross-Subject Learning: How to Plan Thematic and Phenomenon-Based Lessons
- vanessa speigle
- Oct 28
- 3 min read
🌱 The world isn’t divided by subjects..........so why should learning be? - Phenomenon Based Lessons at it's best!
Think about how children see the world. A question about rain leads to science, art, storytelling, and empathy, all at once. But somewhere along the way, schools divided knowledge into boxes and called them subjects.
In Finnish-inspired classrooms, learning flows across disciplines just like real life. This isn’t chaos, it’s connection. When students explore themes instead of topics, they begin to think critically, make creative links, and take ownership of their ideas.
💡 Why Interdisciplinary Learning Builds Critical Thinking
The Competency-Based Curriculum and Finnish pedagogy share a belief: learners need to create relationships, not just learn information - phenomenon based lessons. When subjects connect around a central phenomenon; like Water, Change, or Kindness in Action, students move from memorizing facts to building meaning.
🌿 They start to:
Notice patterns across disciplines.
Apply knowledge from one subject to another.
Think critically about how ideas connect.
Create new possibilities through collaboration.
“Creativity begins when learners make unexpected connections.”
🪴 How to Plan a Thematic or Phenomenon-Based Lesson
Choose a real-world theme or phenomenon.
Keep it authentic and observable, something students can see, touch, or discuss in daily life. (Examples: Our Environment, Energy, Local Heroes, Water, Change.)
Map subject connections.
Ask: How could each subject explore this theme differently?
Math → data, measurement, or patterns
Science → systems or change
Language → storytelling or reflection
Art → expression or design
Social Studies → community action
Design inquiry questions.
These guide curiosity and build agency:
“How does change affect us?”
“Where do we see energy around us?”
“How can kindness make a difference in our school?”
Plan for reflection and creativity.
Build short reflection breaks where students connect learning across subjects: “What did today’s science activity remind you of in language class?”
🧠 Practical Rekla Tools You Can Use Today
🪴 1. Thematic Planning Template
A Finnish-style visual planner that helps you link subjects, inquiry, and reflection.
📌 Design Tip: Create your own or use this Canva prompt:
“Design a clean, one-page Thematic Planning Template with columns for Theme, Subject Connections, Inquiry Questions, Activities, and Reflection. Use calm green and white tones with small icons for clarity.”
🌱 2. Student Reflection Cards
Use these as exit questions, discussion starters, or journal prompts.
💬 Sample Reflection Prompts:
How does what we learned today connect to another subject?
What surprised you about this topic?
What new question do you have after today’s lesson?
What did someone else say that changed your thinking?
Where could we use this knowledge in real life?
What would you teach someone else about this theme?
💡 Rekla Tip: Print and rotate a few of these weekly, visible reflection builds invisible confidence.
🎨 3. Project Board: Our Thematic Learning Journey
Turn your wall or whiteboard into a shared space where learning connections come alive.
📌 Canva Prompt:
“Create a calm, visual Project Board titled ‘Our Thematic Learning Journey.’ Use three sections: Inquiry Questions, Subject Connections, and Student Projects. Add arrows or sticky-note boxes for linking ideas. End with a reflection box titled ‘What We Discovered.’”
Students can add notes, sketches, or quotes that show how their learning grows over time.
🌈 Introducing Rekla Design Labs
Teachers deserve tools that make creativity easier, not heavier. That’s why Rekla is expanding beyond bundles to create Design Lab Tools, simple, digital planners that help teachers design, reflect, and innovate.
Our first release, the Interactive Thematic Lesson Planner, is now available. You can type directly into it, save your work, and plan your next phenomenon-based unit the Finnish way. 🌿
🌿 Reflection in Action
Cross-subject learning isn’t about doing more, it’s about adding meaning. When students explore connections, creativity becomes critical thinking in motion.
The world isn’t divided by subjects. When we plan across them, students stop memorizing and start building meaning.
🌱 Rekla Reflection Question:
If your students could design one project that connects three subjects, what theme would they choose and why?
🧠 Research Foundations:
Finnish National Agency for Education (2016): Phenomenon-Based Learning.
Ron Ritchhart (2015): Creating Cultures of Thinking.
OECD Learning Compass (2019): Connected Knowledge through Inquiry.
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