Interdisciplinary project database

Seek out in-depth interviews with your friends and peers over a concept or idea you have for an invention, company, or community proposal. With permission, record the conversations and compare how many of them feel about the idea. Create documentation on how you’ve adjusted your concept over time as a result of peer feedback.

Research and identify a specific music artist, visual artist, or culinary expert. Analyze, critique, and highlight the importance of one or more of their works, presenting on this information and how it can impact others.

Research cultural sites (monuments, natural features, museums/galleries, World Heritage sites, religious sites, etc.) related to the locations found in the below lesson. What makes them important to the cultural heritage of a country? In what ways do they contribute to the desirability of an area?

Look at how sports, culture, and art all influence each other. For example, the graffiti and skateboarding “scene” has a specific “look” each decade. How does this compare to the look of say, golf? Tennis? Basketball? Why is it that different sports have different artistic and cultural styles?

Learn about major historical events that occur in another country that are rarely, if ever, spoken about in your country’s curriculum. Consider if these historical events matter to you, and if the historical events of your country would impact them.

Consider the various research studies on stereotype threat (ST). Compile this information into an infographic that explains how our views on certain cultures, races, genders, and more, leads to worse overall outcomes for all.

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 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.

Read this article from Big Think titled Can mathematics be spiritual? Ask Einstein. Notice how mathematicians have connected religion and mathematics, exploring how faith can be used (and doesn’t have to be used!) as a mechanism for purpose-finding.

Read about the various ways that artists are connecting with the food sustainability movement to promote just causes. Brainstorm how your community could convey the need for sustainable practices through an art project.

Consider why someone may lose hope or passion overtime. Could it be an unrealistic view of “success”? A lack of confidence in school? Feeling like one stands out? Self-doubt? Address this issue by conducting research and presenting your findings.

Learn about the various ways that posture and body language play a role in presentation skills. How can we align our posture to change how others perceive us? How does posture help and aid our growth and development? What exercises or techniques can we use?

What will the city of the future look like? Beyond infrastructure and strictly logistics, aesthetics are also incredibly important to a flourishing city. Study different forms of architecture historically and around the world. Then, have students brainstorm their own unique, intriguing, or outright wacky versions of new, modern architecture.

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.

Compare a historical textbook (e.g. using Archive.org or materials from previous years) and compare what was learned and how history was taught in the past versus what was learned and how history is taught now.

Why is it that we learned about things differently in the past? Was there anything we were incorrect about? What implications does this have for learning history?

Consider how interconnected (and not connected) different types of artwork are. For example, are anime artists intertwined in the same “bubble” as fine artists? What are the preconceived notions about different types of art? What would happen if these ideas were blended together?

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?

Conduct the Harvard Project Zero “What makes you say that?” activity, which helps students share their interpretation of why they believe certain things, such as their expectations for the future.

One of the greatest risks one can take in their career is starting their own business. For many reasons, this is a complex task, but certainly has added complexity due to financial information. Calculate how much it would cost to start businesses and take on creative endeavors.

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.

As described throughout the lesson below - rhythm, music, and mathematics are heavily connected. Learn about the history of keys, chords, and musical notation, with a specific focus on the Greek philosopher Pythagoras who was “instrumental” in creating these ideas!

Music, rhythm, math, and lyricism are all intrinsically connected. Learn about how lyric-based music, especially rap and hip hop, utilize language to convey meaning and messaging, all-the-while adhering to strict rules about rhythm (and therefore, math)!

How can we measure the return on investment for training in soft skills? Investments in soft skills produced significant productivity gains in addition to improved attendance and retention of employees. An interesting body of research to paraphrase for students interested in understanding the impact of working on soft skills.

Stories in various mediums (such as books, movies, lyrics, and games) are one of the best ways to develop an emotional connection on perceived harms, bullying, and counteracting hate. Encourage students to share stories of when they’ve felt disrespected, either by other students or by educators, and give them private spaces to share these and learn from each other.

Infographics help us make sense of complicated ideas through visuals and seen connections. Research how infographic designers understand and work through complex problems, then design your own infographic to convey information about an idea.

Consider the impact of diet and healthy lifestyle decisions within the context of faith: noting how different faiths have various regulations on how they consume meat, seafood, and vegetables. What impact does this have on one’s lifestyle? Why are these cultures different?

Check out “Why you might be counting in the wrong language” by Anand Jagatia, which summarizes the idea of a base-10 counting system (having a set structure for stating different decimals). Consider with students: why is it that math is practiced and stated in different ways around the world? How has math developed over time in different areas of the world?

Play the online free web "game", Spent, to understand how people become homeless. It simulates the decisions that people make (and the catastrophes that happen) that cause homelessness.

Connect with one of the volunteer organizations in your community that is connected to one of your personal goals. Network with members of the organization to figure out how to accomplish your long-term goals and become more involved in the organization.

Incorporate philosophical principles through the use of meditation and mindfulness. How can finding inner-peace lead to making conscious decisions? Utilize the ideas of silence and Zen thinking to focus on both movement, physical activity, and self-reflection.

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Is there a contentious issue in your neighborhood? Look at building development, environmentalism, traffic/road servicing, and more, and see what people are talking about. Interview different perspectives on the topic and showcase how their opinions differ but could be compromised on.

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.