Interdisciplinary project database

Analyze the science of standing up for yourself. Developing the confidence to speak up and demand action is incredibly difficult, and it’s more difficult for some than others. This research highlights assertiveness and what it means to make these decisions.

Using your knowledge of the algorithm, research how these concepts could be used to advertise a business or nonprofit. Partner with a local organization, offering to manage their social media, developing a content and branding strategy to increase engagement.

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?

Look at the impact that one person can have on their local community. Is there a famous organizer or leader in your school’s town? Demonstrate how they started and the lasting impact they made on your area.

Examine the great debate between the Ptolemaic system and the Copernican system. Why did people believe in both of these ideas? What conflicts emerged as a result of Copernicus’ theories? How did our modern view of the Earth revolving around the Sun emerge as mainstream knowledge?

Continue the examination of cultural values with resources from Gallup. Gallup has tracked global well-being and happiness over time. What factors contribute to well-being? What is the relationship between GDP and well-being? Why do some regions of the world report higher levels of well-being than others?

Look at historical examples of perspectives and biases across major world events (e.g., Charge of the Light Brigade, Sinking of the Lusitania, End of Apartheid, American Civil War, etc.)

Pick a textile or clothing material (leather, denim, synthetics, etc.)

Make an art campaign surrounding the use of sustainable textiles and cloth by showcases ethical use, economic impact, and environmental impact. Perhaps, utilize the sustainable alternative to create the art display.

Consider historical events, works of art, novels, movies, and music that are popular in other countries but not your own. Using subtitles or a translation service, analyze the works and highlight their popularity in the other country. Create a collection of various works that can be shown off to others to appreciate the culture.

So many people have unrecognized abilities. Hold a talent competition for a specific music, art, or culinary style. Showcase the talents of the competitors to the community.

Consider the "trolley problem" in the context of health, exercise, and well-being. Observe a series of various diet options, exercise routines, and lifestyle changes. Have students consider the pros and cons of each of these choices, weighing these decisions and deciding on what outcomes work best for their lifestyle.

Getting started is often the hardest step in making a difference. Consider how different organizing campaigns have utilized art and marketing to spur others toward change. Then, utilize these ideas in your own action campaigns.

One could explore the ethical implications of AI from a number of different angles. For example, one could consider the impact of AI on employment, specifically whether or not AI will lead to mass unemployment as machines increasingly take on tasks that have traditionally been done by human beings.

Doodling can help us take complex ideas and get them on paper. Seeing all of these ideas at once helps us visualize concepts and break them down.

Task students with considering all the things that they want to accomplish in their life. Have them write these ideas on paper, then doodle/draw sketches of each.

Creativity is an applicable skill in understanding how to maintain a healthy lifestyle beyond a linear look at gyms and dieting. Consider what other ways people can be healthy, such as nature photography or becoming a part-time community dog walker.

Use different media - video essays, works of fiction, poetry, graphic novel memoirs, etc. - to analyze how people capture their “voice” and express their personalities. What makes that voice unique and different from someone else?

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?

When considering city planning, it’s worthwhile to imagine our communities in the past or in the future. Either by conducting historical research or by looking at upcoming initiatives, create a model of your community in the past or future. Document how it differs from today and why that matters.

Reach out to members of your community and survey how they use social media. What are your findings? Summarize and display these ideas to educate others on how social media can be used for good (or perhaps not!)

Demonstrate how artists have been inspired by global art movements over time. Showcase how the development of art movements and intersection of regional developments has led to masterful works over decades and centuries.

Words like determination, tenacity, grit, and perseverance can often have different connotations depending on the context and how they are used. Find synonyms and antonyms related to these keywords used in the lesson, and play around with new and interesting contexts that could change the connotation. For example, “gritty” would not be a positive way to describe your dinner! Or could you use “aversion” as the opposite of perseverance in a sentence or story?

Death is inevitable. And as a result, art has always exemplified (and even celebrated) the concept of death. Create an art piece that highlights the meaning, symbolism, and emotions evoked through death.

Continue to examine how various religions interact in the world today, especially how these impact countries: their politics, culture, economies, and more. How do leaders navigate the world stage in light of various faiths?

Art is an intimidating subject for many students. Demonstrate how artists have been judged and rejected over the years, despite being fundamental to their field.

There are many different specializations in science, from looking at the stars to analyzing human behavior. Demonstrate to students the number of different ways in which science can be applied through career opportunities.

What local sites are vital to your own cultural heritage or those of others in your community or region? Research or visit these to understand their impact and importance!

Standing up for yourself goes beyond being willing to take a stand in-person. Increasingly, hatred and bullying finds itself almost entirely online, especially in anonymized spaces. Conduct an independent investigation of how cyberbullying emerges in your community, offering countermeasures for other young people to take and presenting on these ideas.

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.

Our present conversations around race can get stuck in a reflexive defensiveness of language. What is structural racism? What is actually meant by white privilege? This article from Learning for Justice unpacks the history of the term and action steps to do better.

Analyze the impact of walkable cities on where one chooses to live. How much of a health difference does it make to work in an area where you can walk and commute to work? To the places you want to go? What about access to public transportation?

Explore and assess the impact of fast fashion production on the communities and cultures in developing nations where production is concentrated (eg., Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Turkey, etc.) .

How does production disrupt traditional cultures and ways of living? How does production connect developing nations to global markets? In what ways are these connections positive and negative for the people and communities in these areas?

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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).