Interdisciplinary project database

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?

Research the state of “flow” and connect it to the hobbies you love (or take on a new hobby!) Document how understanding a “flow state” changes, for better or worse, your interest, engagement, or motivation in conducting your hobby.

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.

Reach out to local mathematicians, such as at a local university, to better understand what mathematicians do in the modern age. Consider the problems that have yet to be solved and the reason why these matter.

Use informal surveys and local contexts or the resources available in this lesson to prepare a class report/presentation on the perception of accents in a particular language(s) in your country or region. How do accents map onto our social understanding of class, race, stereotypes, etc.? 

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?”)

The link between physical activity and well-being is undeniable. Brainstorm or research the barriers to physical activity for individuals and groups in your community. What can you do to help remove those barriers and improve the well-being of your community through accessible physical activities?

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.

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?

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.

Learn about how sound waves connect to pitch, volume, tempo, and rhythm, noticing how the creation and manipulation of sound is heavily connected to frequency. By understanding sound waves, we can create music that goes beyond traditional sounds (e.g. through digital manipulation).

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.

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

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.

Find examples of individuals and groups throughout history or the present, from your country or elsewhere, who exhibited tenacity and grit. Which criteria of grit do they exhibit? How did they overcome barriers to success? How did they persevere through adversity to accomplish a goal?

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.

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 different cultures introduce themselves throughout the world. Challenge student assumptions about culture: are some introductions more appropriate or professional than others? What does it mean to be “appropriate” or “professional”?

Scientist Finds Secret to Thriving: Using this or other studies/survey data as a starting point, develop an understanding of how scientists could study something like well-being, happiness, or thriving. How can the scientific method evaluate something so subjective? Create your own methodology or survey and perform a similar study with a group in your school or community. What have you found? What are the limitations of your research?

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“You can't understand someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.”

Using this quotation as a starting point and sample questions from resources like this from CAMBIAR Education, develop and conduct an empathy interview to better understand your peers. Expand the empathy interview to any group that might be relevant or interesting!

Learn about how art can be used to intentionally break apart stereotypes. Music, dance, and traditional art all have the power to counteract stereotypes and make people think abstractly and critically about a multitude of issues.

Music is heavily connected to one’s culture and the entire concept of music theory shifts depending on where one lives. Learn about the differences between chords and key signatures across the world, such as quarter tone scales in the Middle East.

How does street art tie into the financial elements of vandalism? What is the cost of street art, and why is it that some spaces want to rid buildings of it and others pay to have it done professionally?

Take a moment to celebrate how weird and bizarre trends are during the modern era (and perhaps, the past!) Potentially, try dancing to various trendy dances throughout the years. Here’s a sequence of dances from the video game Fortnite…with their references!

Getting started is often the hardest step in making a difference. Consider how different organizing campaigns have utilized art and marketing to spur others toward change. Then, utilize these ideas in your own action campaigns.

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!

Identify community spaces in which other young people can grow their abilities in one or more of these “soft skills”, e.g. extracurricular clubs, local employer events, community events, etc. What organizations and activities build which skills? If there isn’t a space for young people to develop these skills, create your own!

Designing for disability is a vitally important element of our society. In schools, learning disabilities can often lead to many difficulties, including failure or discipline. Consider, what would your community look like if it centered disabled people? What would you need to account for? What would change? Create a plan that highlights these changes and propose them to your local governance.

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.

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 deeper about the stereotype threat, understanding how it impacts people and why this information matters to a flourishing society.

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?