Book excerpt: The fifth edition of this practical guide to interdisciplinary instruction focuses on the thinking and reasoning skills mandated by the Common Core State Standards and the content-learning standards required by an increasing number of states. The author provides an easy-to-follow, step-by-step guide to designing, creating, and implementing unit and lesson plans for all learners. Both pre-service and in-service elementary and middle-school teachers will find Wood’s approach to be comprehensive, with a strong theoretical foundation. Using Wiggins and McTighe’s backward design process, Wood offers specific protocols for creating unit and lesson plans at the elementary and middle-school levels. By emphasizing differential instruction, constructivist educational philosophy, application of skills in meaningful context, and the art of engaging student interest, he demonstrates how diverse student populations can benefit from the interdisciplinary approach. Prospective teachers will learn to create interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary plans that promote problem solving, creativity, and social interaction. Examples abound, with an appendix of sample unit plan designs filled with ideas for lessons and activities.