Interdisciplinary project database

Just as mathematical concepts have changed over time, so has our understanding of art. Consider how the use of color has changed in significance and practice. In addition to understanding color theory, our historical knowledge of colors adds additional significance and holistic understanding of our world.

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.

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!

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.

Utilizing games can help us make sense of complex ideas. In business and nonprofit work, it is common to develop simple trading card ideas to think abstractly and come to solutions. Develop your own board or trading card game which has the goal of teaching something.

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

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.

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.

Have students create presentations on “wicked problems” (problems that aren't easily solved), presenting the scenario of a specific "trolley problem" and advocating for positions on both sides, allowing them to moderate a healthy debate among students. Consider if the Trolley would need to "run" at all.

Consider how “proper English” has evolved overtime, and that one singular form of English hasn’t always existed. Most recently, a great example would be the APA making a singular “they” proper English. This was a result of gendered stereotypes about who would be speaking. Further, one can analyze modern interpretations of Shakespeare.

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.

Expand beyond the inwards/outwards identity activity to other methods of expressing one’s identity through artistic expression. For example, have students identify issues that matter to them and have them express these ideas in a specific art style. Examine how various social justice movements utilize art to demand change.

Consider what other factors, especially culturally, which impact people’s lives. For example, this article demonstrates that countries run by women had healthier responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. What other factors influence the city and maintenance of cities, cultures, and society?

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.

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.

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!

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 the concept of scale. How much larger is a building in your community to a person? The land mass of your city to your country? Earth to Jupiter? Explore the mathematical possibilities of scale (and with it, distance!)

Consider how environmental activists use the medium as the message: such as recycled art and art made of trash to symbolize the need for change.

It can be a very difficult step to analyze bias and privilege in your daily life. Take time to learn about something specific that you hold a stereotype about. Analyze why you hold these beliefs and prepare a report on how they’ve changed as you’ve investigated further.

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.

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.

What systems impact our health? What about systems beyond individual control? We often consider diet and exercise as mainstream ways to improve our health, but what about societal factors? Consider other concepts like air and water pollution, access to gym and outdoor spaces, use of cars and public transportation, city design, safety, and more — and consider how your community could be a healthier system.

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.

Find examples of propaganda, surveillance, or marketing in your neighborhood. Document how these things are used, challenging or supporting their existence.

Let students brainstorm issues in their community, then analyze the game played in the lesson below. How could it be modified, improved, and transformed? Write new instructions and explain to each other how to play, including the new issues as additional cards.

There’s a lot of amazing people doing work to make change. However, they’re often not aware of each other and therefore not having as much of an impact as they could. Act as a community liaison, researching all of the community action groups and individuals doing work in a certain sector of your community, arranging meetings and helping these groups coordinate with each other.

Emotions have a physical connection to how we present ourselves through body language. And of course, humans have also perceived emotion through art for thousands of years. Look at how artists present different forms of emotion through art, both through drawing and music, then have students present an emotion artistically.

‍

Street art is highly connected to other “scenes”, such as skateboarding. Consider what these spaces are, why they exist, and how they operate in tandem with one another.

What makes modern art valuable? In the past, art was typically contracted — and the value of the materials and time it took to create determined its value. Now, it is up to the interpretation of the viewer and owner to decide its value. Have the class examine these contemporary modern art pieces: are they valuable? What makes them beautiful? Not beautiful?

Student Voice is an organization that amplifies student perspectives to change the education system and the world. Read, listen, and analyze one or more of the pieces of student journalism from their website. What are these student journalists focused on? What does their perspective add to the coverage of important topics and events? How can we help amplify student voice in similar ways?

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.