Interdisciplinary project database

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.

Finding reliable health and nutrition information is incredibly difficult. There is so much mis- and disinformation about health, nutrition, and fitness. How do you know what to trust? Create a health misinformation guide with students to sort out what is reliable from what is false or potentially harmful. To show that they know the tricks, have them use those tips to create their own health and nutrition disinformation ad or video.

Creativity in the arts is a necessity, but creativity is often perceived as less useful outside of the arts or as a skill one either does or doesn’t have. Increasingly, however, creativity is viewed as a top industry skill, so how can we teach and cultivate creativity in students?

This is a powerful article from mathematics educator and author Sunil Singh on the Western narrative entrenched in mathematics education. Whose cultural narrative is the narrative of mathematics? Why do more children know about Newton than, say, Brahmagupta?

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.

Positive intentions often have unforeseen consequences. Have students research various attempts at solving the world’s problems, such as global poverty, women’s rights, climate change, or militarization, highlighting how a positive action without proper research could lead to disastrous outcomes. Then, compose an art piece that exemplifies this danger.

Partner up with another family and analyze each other’s lifestyle. Learn about what they do everyday, their family traditions, and what they enjoy doing. Compare and contrast how this differs from your own. If time, expand this analysis to other families to showcase and celebrate the differences of your classroom community.

Explore and assess the impact of fast fashion production on the communities and cultures in developing nations where production is concentrated (eg., Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Turkey, etc.) .

How does production disrupt traditional cultures and ways of living? How does production connect developing nations to global markets? In what ways are these connections positive and negative for the people and communities in these areas?

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The concepts of rhythm, balance, repetition, and harmony are not only musical concepts, but ideas explored throughout art. Demonstrate how these ideas apply to visuals and challenge students to represent these ideas in their work.

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.

Identify a "wicked problem" (a problem that seems impossible to solve) in the world and the various contexts, communities, and perspectives that exist around the topic. Show a diagram of how complicated this issue is, highlighting solutions that minimize potential damages.

“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!

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.

Research and complete a presentation of youth activism and youth-led movements throughout history.

Continue to examine how various religions interact in the world today, especially how these impact countries: their politics, culture, economies, and more. How do leaders navigate the world stage in light of various faiths?

Words like determination, tenacity, grit, and perseverance can often have different connotations depending on the context and how they are used. Find synonyms and antonyms related to these keywords used in the lesson, and play around with new and interesting contexts that could change the connotation. For example, “gritty” would not be a positive way to describe your dinner! Or could you use “aversion” as the opposite of perseverance in a sentence or story?

Communicating through the written word is linguistically beautiful, but often heavily focused on the aesthetics of laying out and formatting type. Examine how typography and layout are used to convey poetry. For example, Harlem by Langston Hughes indents after the first line, or [i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by e.e. cummings, which features all lowercase letters, heavy indentation, and a lack of traditional spacing.

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.

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.

Taking time to decompress is a vital part of accomplishing goals. Although it may seem counterintuitive, knowing how to relax is just as important as working toward a goal. Work with peers to start a program focused on mindfulness, socializing, and meeting up together for fun activities.

Consider how bullying and discrimination specifically targets marginalized groups and how allies of these movements can demand action. For example, utilize The Trevor Project’s Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Youth.

Develop a committee that focuses on student’s interpretations of success and happiness in the school. How many students have realistic expectations for what they want to do? Provide resources for students to help them achieve happiness.

Coordinate and host a focus group session in your community over a topic, such as something involving your school or an initiative you’d like to see happen. Gain permission and record the conversation, analyzing what people have said and making a policy proposal incorporating their perspectives.

Achieving a state of calm is paramount to being content. By finding a healthy, manageable, and enjoyable exercise, we can relax and de-stress. Perform a series of basic exercises to help students find ways to expel energy.

Perform additional research about green spaces, third spaces, and other forms of city planning. Dive into a deep analysis of your community and see what types of spaces are available. What changes could be made? Prepare a full blueprint or model and present it to local stakeholders.

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!

Showcasing random acts of kindness is a great first step to thinking about the impact one can make on the world. Have students write a simple act they can take today on a note card, sharing this with each other and committing to making a difference.

Investigate the impact of social media on young people. Whether it is extremism, social isolation, self-image, or any other drawback, prepare an interactive report that informs other young people on ways to use social media appropriately.

What is the language of the Internet? How does it differ from your local context? How does it contribute to society? How does it harm society? Analyze the language of the Internet through slang, grammar, memes, etc.

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.

What is the poverty line where you live? What structural and systemic economic, social, and political barriers keep people in poverty? Research the factors that produce inequality and poverty in your community, state, or country.

In Western Art, orientalism can appear as an imitation of artistic styles found in the Middle East, Asia, and even Africa, but can sometimes exist as stereotypical portrayals of Eastern societies and cultures as exotic, mysterious, alluring, and/or threatening. Help students find examples of orientalism in Western art and how to avoid stereotyping Eastern cultures in their own art.