Subject Lead:
Any Subject
Analyze your community and consider what it means to have a “good” and “bad” part of town. Create an infographic and/or map that highlights how environmental racism and discrimination has played out in your community.
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
Have a business or invention idea? Prepare a formal presentation for your product or service. Utilize the concepts presented here, as well as other resources on presentation skills, to make a pitch deck on your idea.
Subject Lead:
Science
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.
Subject Lead:
Art
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!
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
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.
Subject Lead:
Mathematics
Talk about the concept of math anxiety. How can we create classrooms where students aren’t afraid to challenge themselves with mathematics? Present options on how math can connect to personal goals and experiences.
Subject Lead:
Social Studies
Use the following online tool, Exploring Your Cultural Iceberg, to get an understanding of your own visible and hidden cultural characteristics. How would you describe your cultural identity? Revisit this lesson through the lens of cultural identity. For example, how might these scenarios be different between people from different cultures based on how we perceive visible and hidden cultural characteristics?
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
Research local food deserts in your area. Figure out why there is a food desert there. Conduct interviews with local businesses or trusted adults, compiling this information, which can help inform organizations and politicians on why and how this needs to be changed.
Subject Lead:
Language Arts
Read deeper about the stereotype threat, understanding how it impacts people and why this information matters to a flourishing society.
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
Do you think there’s something that everyone should learn about? Prepare a formal proposal for changing your school’s curriculum and present it to building leaders.
Subject Lead:
Language Arts
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.
Subject Lead:
Science
In adopting an internal locus of control, a huge barrier in today’s age is social media. The expectations we set for ourselves based on “the algorithm” distorts realistic expectations. Analyze this study on the impact of social media, isolation, and happiness.
Subject Lead:
Science
Consider how and why we age biologically. Using scientific data, examine the ideas presented during this lesson and consider if it’s actually possible to expand one’s lifespan. And if so, how much we don’t know about the process.
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
Navigate this repository to design problems and questions around "wicked problems" (problems with no easy solution).
Subject Lead:
Art
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.
Subject Lead:
Language Arts
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!
Subject Lead:
Science
Explore how time is relative. How, scientifically, does this work? What is time dilation? Does this mean that time travel is possible? How is it possible to even understand the concept of space-time as a human?
Subject Lead:
Physical Education
We’ve seen what body language looks like through a few examples in the lesson below, but how else do we look when we experience emotion? Have students act out various emotions, from being tired and angry to joyful and gleeful.
Subject Lead:
Art
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?
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
Research famous speakers and business developers. Analyze how they use speech and written word to exemplify their ideas, noting the various tools they use to best convey their ideas. Convert this into a guide for others to follow.
Subject Lead:
Mathematics
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”!
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
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.
Subject Lead:
Mathematics
Analyze charts and other data to recognize how we can go about feeding the world by 2050 (as our population exponentially increases). Think about what steps young people can take to ensure that these changes happen.
Subject Lead:
Social Studies
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).
Subject Lead:
Social Studies
In many countries around the world the minimum voting age is between 16-18. But is that minimum voting age fair, should it be raised or lowered? What are the arguments for or against raising or lowering the minimum voting age? What would be the benefits or the costs? What about society would look different as a result?
Subject Lead:
Science
Consider the science of street art and graffiti. There are some that see graffiti as disorderly and unkept, while others see it as a sign of beauty. This study considers the context of one’s identity and upbringing and their perception of graffiti.
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
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.
Subject Lead:
Language Arts
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.
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
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.
Subject Lead:
Any Subject
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.
Subject Lead:
Science
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?
Subject Lead:
Art
If this lesson has examples of hostile architecture, what would humane architecture look like? What would a space hold if it were designed to be welcoming, caring, and accepting of everyone?