The classroom is a cacophony of teenagers on their feet and waving their arms, deep in debate about immunization.

These Grade 11 students at Georgetown District High School have become fluent in the science of antibodies and immune systems. Now they’re wrestling over the most effective communication strategies to convince the public about the merits of vaccines.

One student cites the power of personal narrative. Another favours social media. A few more kids chime in with details on herd immunity and adverse reactions.

An observer might wonder what this class is actually studying. Is it English or Biology?

The answer is both. Dubbed “Engology” by the students, it’s an innovative course for university-bound kids to earn the two credits in tandem.

“It really appealed to me because of the English being integrated into the science,” says Mackenzie Matthews, 16, who is considering a career in midwifery. “I thought it would be a way to study English in a cool way.”

Like other students, she was drawn by the opportunity to “think outside the box” in the complementary courses.

Launched last September by English teacher Sylvonna Brennan and Andrea De Mendonca, who teaches Biology and Chemistry, Engology comprises two back-to-back periods daily, with integrated content wherever possible. The teachers collaborate closely on lesson plans, but teach separately.

The result is unlike anything experienced by kids who take the courses separately.

“The impact it has had on the students’ learning is incredible,” says Brennan, who has taught at the school for eight years. As someone with an English degree and a minor in Biology, she sees the connections easily.

“They’ve had so many opportunities they’d never get otherwise.”

The philosophy underlying the trend towards integrated learning is as old as Plato and would surely get the thumbs-up from Leonardo da Vinci, who was a mathematician as well as a painter. A quote often attributed to him sums it up:

“Study the science of art, study the art of science, develop your senses, learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

This class is doing that in myriad ways. After a unit studying diversity of life last fall, students pared the biological details down to the basics, creating storybooks they wrote, illustrated and then read to Grades 1 and 2 students at a nearby public school. Titles included “A Worm’s Wedding Journey,” “The Life of the Platy” and “Finding the Nematoda Family.”

Instead of studying Shakespeare, they’ve applied their critical thinking skills to The Physicists by Swiss playwright Friedrich Dürrenmatt, which probes issues of scientific ethics and responsibility. Other science fiction and non-fiction reading has included Rebecca Skloot’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Mary Roach’s books about cadavers called Grunt, Gulp and Stiff, and the classic Brave New World. Next year Brennan hopes to add Frankenstein.

Brennan’s goal was to expand her students’ horizons and the way they approach the world.

“We tend to compartmentalize the subjects. But once we sat down and thought about it we realized you can take almost anything and see there is science in it,” she says.

De Mendonca, who has taught science for seven years, says it’s given her a new perspective.

“It’s very different from teaching a regular course in Biology because there’s so much focus on integrating communication,” she says.

Both teachers have taught Grade 12 classes for years, so they’re clear on those expectations and how to prepare their current students for next year.

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But they concede this kind of experiment can be chaotic, requiring them to be flexible and brace for the unexpected, as they take their cue from what captures the interest of the class.

Regular guest speakers are from careers that draw on arts and science. They’ve hosted a physician with a minor in English who outlined the importance of communications skills in writing up her cases. A McMaster University professional dissector, called a prosector, showcased the detailed reports and displays that are part of her anatomical work.

The afternoon of the immunization debate, students are drawing on their knowledge of bacteria, viruses and the immune system — which they’ve been graded on in Biology — to come up with mock vaccination campaigns ranging from radio spots to an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel. They’ll be marked according to the English curriculum on their writing and creative skills.

The following period in the Biology lab, they work in small groups researching a “rant assignment” they will perform and film, in the style of CBC’s Rick Mercer. De Mendonca will assess the science content and Brennan will grade the format, structure, persuasiveness, presentation and use of rhetorical devices.

Engology was the brainchild of Georgetown High’s former science head Stephen MacDougall, who retired last year and believes communications skills are essential in championing science.

He mentioned the idea in passing to Brennan last spring. She jumped at the chance, and the pair quickly won the confidence of the school administration and the Halton District School Board.

About 35 students were interested in the pilot, and 21 signed up for the 2017-18 class. Georgetown principal Paul Daignault expects there will be more next year.

Toronto education specialist Mary Reid says when integrated teaching like Engology is done effectively, students benefit from “rich learning” that is relevant and grounded in the real world.

In Ontario, cross-curricular learning is emphasized in elementary school and teachers can access resources to help link the subjects, says Reid, a professor of curriculum, learning and teaching at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at University of Toronto.

But it’s rarer in high school, where teachers are specialists and departments tend to function separately.

“I’ve never seen two teachers come together to this extent,” says Reid, adding she would like to see research on the outcomes.

Studies have shown that integrated teaching promotes creativity and translates to more meaningful learning, she says, because students acquire knowledge and skills in a broader context and from multiple perspectives.

“We often think oh, you’re a math and sciences person, or you’re language based. We create these divides and silos, but actually we can be everything. We can really see the beauty of all the connections between the subject disciplines.”

That would resonate with students like 16-year-old Christopher Bowen, who says studying English through the lens of Biology has made it more interesting and relevant.

Classmate Mackenzie Matthews says Engology has been a learning curve for staff and students alike, and “it has so much potential.”

“I would definitely recommend it to someone in Grade 10.”