Interdisciplinary project database

Have students consider a work of art that they love: such as an album, video game, or book. Write a review about it — what does it do well? Who would like it? How could it be better?

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.

Making a difference starts by taking initiative. Consider the positive impact of even the most minor actions. By yourself or with a group of like-minded peers, identify a community need and begin a service action campaign, such as picking up litter at a local park or helping a local food bank. Help others join this initiative with you by offering on-ramps to easily team up!

How can artificial intelligence be used to improve our understanding of mathematics?

One way AI can be used to improve our understanding of mathematics is by providing a way to visualize mathematical concepts. For example, consider the concept of a function. AI can be used to create a 3D graph of a function, which can help us to better understand how the function behaves. Additionally, AI can be used to create models of mathematical problems, which can help us to better understand the underlying principles at work.

Read about how people fall into homelessness and the struggles that people face, including financial barriers to gaining housing.

Research examples of individuals and groups in fiction and non-fiction whose values were challenged. Describe their values, how their experiences shaped their values, and the actions they took based on those values.

Alternatively, create a list of fictional characters from pop culture (Harry Potter, Paw Patrol, Stranger Things, The Office, etc.) and recreate the introduction activity from this lesson from the perspective of those characters!

Analyze the impact and efficacy of utilizing social media for marketing. How much would it cost to implement a social media campaign for a hypothetical business? Is it worth paying, or should it all be organic (word of mouth) advertising? How much money would we need to make an impact?

Examine discriminatory behavior in the field of mathematics. Although this is rapidly changing, a social norm exists across most of the world that STEM subjects are reserved primarily for men. Look at concepts like the stereotype threat and consider how this applies to the subject you teach. Offer a class discussion on the ideas

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.

Why is it that we learn about math in the way we do? As in, why do we learn about algebra and geometry and trigonometry? What is the point of abstract or conceptual math? 

Dive into a discussion surrounding why we utilize conceptual math, and the debate surrounding changing the mathematics curriculum.

Check out excerpts of The Mathematical Essence of Aging from Theoretically Speaking. Think about how much mathematics is intertwined with the way we live every single day. Why does this knowledge matter?

Read and discuss Life in the City Is Essentially One Giant Math Problem from the Smithsonian. Consider: what math problems must we solve in order to successfully design a city? Have students brainstorm these problems, then consider what their expressions and solutions may look like.

Scientists are frequently making discoveries that have a wide-ranging impact on society. Consider all of the accidental discoveries that scientists have made. How has this impacted the systems of our society?

Exercising is a key part of taking breaks and achieving the right headspace to accomplish daunting tasks. Help students discover ways to take quick breaks: from walking to meditation to dancing to relieve stress and re-focus on their goals.

Our social and cultural biases often appear in the study of history itself, whose stories are told, whose perspectives get left out, and how we remember historical events in public spaces. Research or visit historical monuments in your area. Whose stories do they tell? How are those stories remembered? What people or events should be commemorated in public spaces but aren’t? Design a historical monument!

Identify a faith that is very different from your own. Research the inner workings of their ideas and why it has developed to be so different. Find the positive ways that they’re impacting their/your community, highlighting how faith can be used as a tool for social change.

Nearly 430 million people worldwide have disabling hearing loss, making speech and the spoken word difficult to access for about 5% of the global population. There are numerous sign-language alphabets, research which one is used primarily in your community and learn to communicate the basics to improve your ability to interact with deaf and hard of hearing individuals. Alternatively, you can start a sign-language club to encourage others to pick up the language!

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 what students are passionate about or wish to do with their lives in various careers. Look up the salary data for these careers and brainstorm what realistic expectations are, economically, for each of these positions. Can anyone be “successful” regardless of how much their salary is?

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?

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?

Creative writing is a skill set that will always be needed: whether for personal or professional life. Have students create a “choose your own adventure” story on a topic of their choosing. Use a free tool like Twine to assist students in the process.

When having conversations, it’s sometimes easy to get lost in one’s train of thought. When this happens, we’re no longer fully engaged in the conversation — we’re not listening. Introduce and practice the idea of visual notetaking to help learners utilize sketching and drawing to connect together ideas and engage in the art of listening.

What is a classic book? Why is it that we read certain books and not others typically during our school years? 

Determine if these labels make sense and if books should be added or removed. Does it make sense to have a canon?

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.

Great art is often done in partnership with others. Reach out to local artists to listen, learn, and improve on. Who are the great local artists of your area? What do they specialize in? Research more about them and conduct interviews on their tips and techniques. Then, use this work to inform your own.

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.

Misleading Graphs is a great resource to help students understand how to lie and mislead with statistics and graphic information. Have students improve upon the examples on the site. Give students a data set and have them create their own “misleading graph”!

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.

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.

Getting started with a creative endeavor requires the right headspace. Help students embrace a positive mindset by creating a quiet, distraction-free environment where creativity can flourish. Encourage students to start an art project out of thin-air – providing resources to get started and seeing what happens!

Explore bioethics. When merging science and ethical thinking, what are we allowed to do? How does our exploration of science help (and sometimes harm!) our environments? Consider exploring the concept of “transhumanism”, or the enhancement of human bodies. What is natural? Is it possible to expand science too far?

‍