Interdisciplinary project database

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!

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.

Consider the concept of scale. What about…infinite scale? As something impossible for humans to perceive, we’ve always been fascinated with the idea of infinite space. Conduct research and prepare a presentation, art piece, or community dialogue on why it’s worth exploring the idea of infinity.

Using your knowledge of the algorithm, research how these concepts could be used to advertise a business or nonprofit. Partner with a local organization, offering to manage their social media, developing a content and branding strategy to increase engagement.

Mental Toughness is a trait studied in athletes that, like grit, has been linked to athletic success. Research the characteristics of mental toughness - goal-setting, self-talk, imagery, etc. - and make a hypothetical or real plan for how to address mental toughness in young athletes.

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.

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.

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?

Analyze how various faiths around the world have been heavily tied to art, noticing how many great works have been as a result of faith-based initiatives. Compare the world religion’s different works and how they’re stylistically different.

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”?

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.

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.

Research a concept of “future technology” by contacting an academic at a local or regional university. Find a topic that interests you, conduct an interview, and consider the ethical implications of incorporating this idea. Present this idea!

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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Use a tool like Google Sheets or other spreadsheet program to develop a detailed monthly budget for a year of living in your chosen location. Use formulas and other spreadsheet tools to help track your finances.

Reach out to local businesses and establish a school “job fair”, where learners practice job interview schools with interested companies.

An ethnography is an observational research method used to understand societies and cultures. Create an ethnography of your class, highlighting unique characteristics of individuals of groups, routines and rituals, etc.

Examine ways in which hostile architecture is harmful to everyone based on where you live. In many cases, this would be a local metro area with a larger population.

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.

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.

For students who struggle with illustration, art can be a daunting task. Challenge students to create collages using magazines and other print media, teaching the principles of design that let the artwork flourish.

Conduct a walking tour of your local community. As you explore the city, have students document the concepts in this lesson: third places, green spaces, infrastructure, and more. As you walk around and explore, talk about the highlights of the city, any history you’re aware of, and connect with local residents.

Connect the ideas in the lesson below to historical inventions. What would a pitch look like for various historical novels: such as the printing press, telephone, or radar? Would all constituents be for their use? Who would be for and against these ideas? Were they accepted during their time?

Examine how different cultures deal with the idea of death. Do cultural differences change their opinion of expanding the science of age reversal and expansion? What about in other scientific inquiries? At what point does culture outweigh the need for scientific advancement?

Conduct the Harvard Project Zero “What makes you say that?” activity, which helps students share their interpretation of why they believe certain things, such as their expectations for the future.

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?

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?

Demonstrate how artists have been inspired by global art movements over time. Showcase how the development of art movements and intersection of regional developments has led to masterful works over decades and centuries.

Consider the impact of the environment on one’s health. Why is it that certain demographics have certain health issues, diagnosis, etc.? What impact does community safety and environmental racism have on health outcomes?

Use the Credibility Game as a starting point or design your own quiz game to help students understand and evaluate reliable, credible sources.

Similarly to science and math, our understanding of art is highly influenced (in traditional curricula) by Western, male artists (e.g. Picasso, Michelangelo).

Highlight the contributions of female scientists and non-Western thinkers in both historical and modern settings.

Develop a plan to tackle a personal or community challenge. What steps will you need to take in order to get there? What actions can you take within a certain number of weeks to make a difference? Log your progress and take on the challenge!