Interdisciplinary project database

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Create a cost-benefit analysis for another decision you face in life now or in the future. Alternatively, create a cost of living analysis of the community in which you live.

Rote Memorization

Practice problems are an ongoing practice in learning mathematics that requires a tremendous amount of grit. Perhaps more than any other subject, math traditionally requires an ample amount of rote memorization.

However, there are those that argue that this rote memorization (such as times tables) aren’t needed with the existence of calculators. Hold a debate that examines this argument.

The Language of Wealth

Read about the ways that financial earnings and class are connected to the way we speak. Typically, rich, middle, and working class people all have different dialects. Check out this article to understand what this looks like in New York City.

Chemicals in Fast Fashion

Analyze the chemicals used within the fast fashion industry. How does wearing these clothes impact one’s body? Consider operating a lab that studies the impact of wearing different clothes, with their materials and production components, on one’s body.

Lasting Impact

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.

Partnering with NGOs

Find a local nonprofit, NGO, political party, or organization who would be willing to take a large action on this issue and partner with them to extend their impact.

Career Fair

Host a “Job/Career Fair” for students in your building to learn about opportunities in the community and connect students with representatives from different industries.

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?”)

Analyzing a Job

Perform an in-depth study on a job site, documenting what different employees do, why they do them, and what happiness they obtain from their workplace. Connect this to your interests — is this something that you (or someone else) would love doing?

Disrupting Artistic "Canon"

Similarly to science and math, our understanding of art is highly influenced (in traditional curricula) by Western, male artists (e.g. Picasso, Michelangelo).

Highlight the contributions of female scientists and non-Western thinkers in both historical and modern settings.

Local Heritage

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!

Full Conversation

How do we know that someone is truly paying attention to us? How do we communicate that we are hearing them? Present different ways in which one can have a full conversation with other people, identifying distractions or charismatic faults that may interfere with positive communication.

Ethics of AI

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.

"Creativity"

What does it mean to be “creative”? Many people describe themselves as “not being a creative” person, but there’s much more to this idea than simply drawing. Have students deconstruct the term, showcasing how “creativity” is utilized in everything from art to accounting, as well as in various cultures and contexts.

Take Action on Social Media Use

Investigate the impact of social media on young people. Whether it is extremism, social isolation, self-image, or any other drawback, prepare an interactive report that informs other young people on ways to use social media appropriately.

New Social Media

Brainstorm and develop an idea for a new social media platform that brings people together. How would it function? Why would people want to use it? Use a UI/UX software like Figma to plan out and demonstrate your ideas.

Western Mathematics

This is a powerful article from mathematics educator and author Sunil Singh on the Western narrative entrenched in mathematics education. Whose cultural narrative is the narrative of mathematics? Why do more children know about Newton than, say, Brahmagupta?

Statement of Ethics

Research and read about their favorite or currently worn clothing manufacturer. Do they have a production ethics statement? If so, what is it? Is there any information about the company withholding or breaking this statement around the world? Write a statement of ethics for a clothing company you operate. Or, amend an existing clothing company’s ethics statement.

Calmness

Achieving a state of calm is paramount to being content. By finding a healthy, manageable, and enjoyable exercise, we can relax and de-stress. Perform a series of basic exercises to help students find ways to expel energy.

The Law and Graffiti

Learn about how governments crack down on subversive art and examine how artists should be dealt with, after all – graffiti is an illegal activity in many areas of the world. How does this correspond to anti-social forms of graffiti, such as gang tagging?

Highlighting Dialects

Embracing the different languages of the world can lead to a flourishing, multicultural society. However, there is a fear that these languages will “replace” the mainstream language of the area. Showcase your community’s various speakers and dialects, highlighting the importance of a diverse community.

Beauty and Language

There’s beauty in language. Many languages and dialects have specific words, phrases, and concepts that only exist in their background. Figure out what these words and grammatical rules are and talk about their importance.

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).

Breaking Bubbles

How do we break our perspective’s “bubble”? Assign a reading with reflection that goes against one’s opinion or preconceived notions. Of course, students may not change their mind — but challenging their perspective allows them to grow their ideas and consider new possibilities.

"Dead Languages"

Much of the beauty and understanding of historic, classic languages have been lost to time. “Dead languages”, which are no longer spoken or have morphed into something completely different, still can teach us a lot. Research and present on a dead language, such as Sakhalin or Kuril Ainu.

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.

Linguistic Racism

What is “linguistic racism”, and “what happens when accent discrimination creeps into our conscious and unconscious…what do we do about our biases?”

Screen Readers

Many people who have difficulty seeing or reading information on computers use screen readers to browse the Internet. However, many websites are not designed properly for these screen readers to function. Learn about accessible web design. Perform an audit of your school’s (or community’s) website(s) and offer suggestions to increase accessibility.

Mural

A symbol and gathering spot of one’s local community is often a mural: something that highlights the community, its history and inhabitants. Conceptualize what a mural would look like for your school or local community. What would it include? Make a proposition: is this something you could take on?

Language of the Internet

What is the language of the Internet? How does it differ from your local context? How does it contribute to society? How does it harm society? Analyze the language of the Internet through slang, grammar, memes, etc.

School and Burn Out

Read about how school affects burn out. This guide written for teachers can be analyzed with students to identify pain points, recognize ways to improve the classroom, and have an open dialogue about stress and frustration.

Learning Differences

Organize a class trip to a local site of faith, for example a Buddhist temple or a Islamic mosque. Work with local community leaders to establish a program on learning about the faith, including how the core beliefs of the religion and the ways they give back to the community. Create pamphlets to encourage your peers to attend.