Base de datos interdisciplinaria de

Green Space

Perform additional research about green spaces, third spaces, and other forms of city planning. Dive into a deep analysis of your community and see what types of spaces are available. What changes could be made? Prepare a full blueprint or model and present it to local stakeholders.

Chords and Context

Music is heavily connected to one’s culture and the entire concept of music theory shifts depending on where one lives. Learn about the differences between chords and key signatures across the world, such as quarter tone scales in the Middle East.

Sports Slang

Our language evolves through slang. Determine how slang is used in sports and why certain phrases are used, such as in American football: “hut hut hike”, or how football (soccer) teams communicate to make plays.

Sports Stereotypes

Consider the impact of stereotypes and biases in regards to gender, disability, race, religion, and more in regards to sports and competitions. Why do people hold these viewpoints? What can be done to ensure that everyone is treated fairly and justly?

Maintaining Physical Health

Although people are living longer, that doesn’t mean that they’re living healthy. Many people are falling apart, mentally and physically, as they age. Is this biological or something we can treat with physical activity? Talk about the importance of physical health in preserving one’s ongoing health.

Learning About Community

Perform in-depth research about a community in your neighborhood. Interview and speak to the residents and learn about their traditions, celebrations, and lifestyles. How does it differ from what you do at home? Prepare a report that can be shown off to other residents.

Arcology

Arcology is a future-driven building initiative to create self-sustaining communities, usually in the form of large, multi-faceted skyscrapers. Check out this link which provides information about the practice. What stands out to students? Is this a viable practice? What would be the alternatives?

"Perfect" Language

Analyze what the “perfect” form of your language is. Why is it perceived this way? What does it mean? Where is it found? What is its history?

Art or Vandalism?

How does street art tie into the financial elements of vandalism? What is the cost of street art, and why is it that some spaces want to rid buildings of it and others pay to have it done professionally?

Animal, Human Connection

Consider how animals and humans relate through verbal and body language. This article demonstrates how canines has evolved to understand our behaviors, turning them into faithful companions. How does this compare to other domesticated animals? Could other animals evolve to be companion animals?

Credability

Use the Credibility Game as a starting point or design your own quiz game to help students understand and evaluate reliable, credible sources.

Interpretative Dance

Expressing art through dance and modern interpretative dance has both fascinated and confused audiences. Watch “Youth - Daughter || Bonnie Su Dance Choreography.” Reflect on how dance can be used to signify concepts, such as how this dance signifies the images we see on social media.

Climate Change "Trolley Problems"

Relate a "trolley problem" to the environmental crisis. Climate change is a major problem facing the world’s population and it is likely that individual actions will need to change to create a sustainable society. Are individuals willing to give up daily actions they take for granted? Is this the only way to solve the problem?

Identify a Wicked Problem

Identify a "wicked problem" (a problem that seems impossible to solve) in the world and the various contexts, communities, and perspectives that exist around the topic. Show a diagram of how complicated this issue is, highlighting solutions that minimize potential damages.

Shoe Manufacturing

Focus on athletic wear and/or shoe manufacturers. Using a similar methodology to this lesson, consider sports and individual training. What impact may this have on one’s health (both from wearing the clothes as well as the environmental impact)?

Alternatively, examine a specific sport (football, basketball, volleyball, track & field,etc.), examining the labor practices of manufacturing its products (e.g. a football, uniforms, shoes, field products).

Standing Up for Others

Standing up for yourself also means standing up for others, especially on community issues. Identify a problem that you see in your community and connect with other activists to demand change. Join a campaign or start one yourself to bring awareness to a problem and lend your expertise in a certain way (such as through art, marketing, or organizing).

Controversial Experimentation

Learn about the story of the teacher, Jane Elliot, who conducted a controversial elementary school experiment where she favored students with certain hair colors over others (and documented how the students responded).

Historical Tenacity

Find examples of individuals and groups throughout history or the present, from your country or elsewhere, who exhibited tenacity and grit. Which criteria of grit do they exhibit? How did they overcome barriers to success? How did they persevere through adversity to accomplish a goal?

Cost-Benefit Improvements

Highlight an issue in your community, such as funding parks or fixing potholes. Using local news sources, have students conduct a cost-benefit analysis of incorporating these ideas. This can consist of financial data, but also data on how these improvements affect elements of community life.

College Humanities

In the United States, there has been a significant decline in the number of college graduates with humanities degrees while the number of science and computer science degrees has skyrocketed. Discuss with your class why they think that is, what the positive or negative consequences could be for society, and what they think would have to be different for those trends to change.

Actionable Sustainability

Develop an action plan to encourage others to give back and promote a sustainable, environmentally-friendly. space. (”How can you appeal to other’s humanity to treat the environment better?”)

Futuristic Communities

Analyze how your local community has incorporated “future technology” over the years to the betterment of its populace. For example, how has your city designed roads, traffic signals, public transit, or building materials? What could they do to further these developments?

Researching Presentations

Research famous speakers and business developers. Analyze how they use speech and written word to exemplify their ideas, noting the various tools they use to best convey their ideas. Convert this into a guide for others to follow.

Mitigating Risks

Create a list of mitigated risk activities that would occur in your community, such as public speaking, creating a public mural, and exploring a park. Consider your comfort level and preparedness for these tasks, then sign up for a wide variety of activities that challenge your safety level (within reason). Make a log of everything that you complete.

Mass Media

Analyze how mass media influences peoples’ biases and opinions on controversial issues, and help students cultivate ways to encourage critical thinking about media sources.

Designing "Wicked Problems"

Navigate this repository to design problems and questions around "wicked problems" (problems with no easy solution).

The Politics of Language

Think about the politics of language. For example, look at Bill 96, which passed in Quebec, Canada, making French the official language and lessening the extent to which English services are provided (in an area that has a sizable English-speaking population). At what point should provinces and nations be able to officially adopt a language? Is it fair to restrict language? Likewise, is there a danger in not restricting languages?

Equality vs. Equity

Have a class discussion on the concept of equity vs. equality. Is it fair that some have access to achieving their personal goals, while others will have a much more difficult time due to a lack of resources? What can citizens, communities, and the government do to ensure that everyone has a fair shot?

Understanding Math Instruction

Creating Team Games

Incorporate soft skills and team building into a series of games. Have students reflect on why they work or don’t work well together as a group, how they can improve their individual role, etc. Play the games again after reflection to put their new understanding into practice!

Community Assets

Identify community spaces in which other young people can grow their abilities in one or more of these “soft skills”, e.g. extracurricular clubs, local employer events, community events, etc. What organizations and activities build which skills? If there isn’t a space for young people to develop these skills, create your own!

Art for Change

Climate-themed art is no new concept, but #Fridaysforfuture lends the trend a new urgency and a heightened need for real-life application.” Check out how artists are communicating the need to act on climate change and create your own #FridaysForFuture art contribution!