TEACHING ARTS AND TRADES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WORKS OF ART; WHAT DO ARTISTS EXPRESS IN THEIR WORKS, ELEMENTS OF DIFFERENT EPOCHS IN ARTS, THEIR SYMBOLISM, ETC.

• Stage a shadow play and perform* it for your peers.
• Organize a dance competition between 2 or more teams that take turns to demonstrate a dance* to convey a certain message, while the other team(s) watch and guess what the dance means.
• Invent a secret code and write a secret message* to a friend, planning it so the finished message aesthetically appealing and looks more like a picture or piece of art. Give the code and message to the friend and help them decode it if they need assistance.
• By ear, write down the notes for a piece of music* you are listening to. Then, compare it to the original work or show it to an expert to see how correct you were.
• Draw an artistic representation* of a musical piece using a different color or symbol for each instrument.
• Choose 5 different spheres of life and create & explain a photo gallery* of 20+ signs/symbols for each.
  
• Stage a performance* that would contain 3 different time periods and include distinctive signs of each of them.
  
• Analyze ancient signs on relics and write a research paper* on the topic “Language of ancient arts” (or a similar topic of your choice).
• Research the signs and symbology of 3 or more ancient cultures. Create and explain an artistic piece* representing a “new culture” that is a combination of them. Create an accompanying story* to explain how these cultures could have come together to create this new culture.

• Create symbols* for 5 trades you find interesting.
• Create a poster* of the top 10 symbols associated with 5 different trades.
• Use paper maché, sewing, pottery, etc. to create and explain a comprehensive “family crest”* representing your family’s and your top 10 values/priorities.
  
• Pick a group of related professions (health, home, public service, building, etc.) to research and in a 2 to 5 page paper* explain 100 symbols for that topic.
• Explore signs, symbols, and designs in a design related trade like graphic design, landscaping, bricklaying, quilting, etc. Create a symbol set* of your own for that trade, and explain* the usefulness of it.
  
• Create a set of useful signs* for an advanced trade like jeweler, pastry chef, glass blower, machinist, farmer, etc. and explain in a presentation* how their widespread adoption could benefit this profession.
• Create new custom icons* for the Arts and Trades Molecule, or design new way to represent the same type of information.
  
• Pick a profession that inspires you. Create a life plan* for how you would establish yourself in this profession as a symbol to inspire others. (e.g. world class yo-yo professional etc.)

TEACHING ENGLISH WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: THE MEANING/ MEANINGS ON DIFFERENT LANGUAGE LEVELS (PHONEMES, LEXEMES, PHRASES, SENTENCES, TEXTS, HYPERTEXTS, ETC.)

• Find pictures* to represent 30 onomatopoeias.
• Find and list* 10 words which sound alike but have different meanings (5 homonyms).
  
• Develop a mind map of images* around a word and it’s similes.
• Write a piece of literature* of the genre you like, the plot of which would include 7 different types of signs. (e.g. traffic signs, vital signs, etc.)
• Choose one word and write a 5 page paper* explaining the history of it, including why it is the symbol for what it represents, and explaining any historical reasons of any changes the word has gone through over time.
• Choose 5 literary works of different periods, in a videotaped presentation* compare and contrast the symbolism within them and how it helps to define the plot and the literary value of the book.
• Write and publish thesis-level paper* on the connection between signs and their meanings on all language levels (phonetic, lexical, and syntactical – the level of texts and hypertexts).

TEACHING HEALTH WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: BODILY REACTIONS AS SIGNS OF MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL PROCESSES, ETC.

• Draw a picture* artistically presenting the signs of a healthy person.
• Create something* that includes 10 symbols of health for you and spend time engaging in and journaling about it every day for a week ” share your results.
• Identify 30 common signs for the health industry and make your best guess on why they were chosen, then see what research shows you about them. Create a chart* to show your results.
• Interview 10 people and find 10 signs of healthy relationships, add your ideas, share conclusions in a blog article* you write about this.
• Make a presentation* about external signs of all the major systems of the human body. (e.g. a healthy tongue as a sign of healthy bowels, etc.)
• Create an improvement process* for one of the above systems and use and create a symbolical chart of the signs of improvement for that system to see what improvements do or do not occur.
• Write and open source publish* an encompassing research paper on all the signs of healthy and happy people in 10 different historical periods and/or different cultures.

TEACHING MATH WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: IDENTIFYING, MEASURING, AND COMPARING THE SHAPES AND GEOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF SIGNS; CREATING GEOMETRIC CONSTRUCTIONS AND FINDING THE OPTIMAL USE OF ROUNDABOUTS AND CONTROL SIGNS

• With another person, identify and compare out loud* the shapes of different signs. (e.g. traffic signs, computer icons, math symbols, etc.)
• Measure the geometric properties (perimeter, area, angles, etc.) of different signs and symbols and create a chart* of your results.
  
• Write an analysis* on different signs and symbols to categorize them based on their geometric properties.
• In a presentation* explore and explain the different signs and symbols on a scientific calculator or math application.
• Use a compass and straightedge to create geometric constructions of different signs and symbols and make a visual presentation* of this.
• Find the optimal decisions given basic economic signals (supply, demand, utility, elasticity, etc.) and write an essay* about this.
• Create a general traffic model* to determine the optimal use of roundabouts and control signs.

TEACHING SCIENCE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: MAIN SIGNS AND THEIR MEANING IN PHYSICS, CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, ETC.

• With another person, talk* about the signs of telling a healthy plant from an unhealthy plant.
• With 3 friends, discuss* the signs of telling a healthy animal from an unhealthy animal.
• Observe nature and create a journal* of natural signs that predict weather.
• In a one page essay* compare and contrast the signs of symbiotic versus parasitic relationships in 5 very different types of creatures.compare and contrast the signs of symbiotic versus parasitic relationships in 5 very different types of creatures.
• Analyzing 10 varieties of plants, and 20 different types of animals, in a poster list* the signs that you can use to tell how to classify them.
• Make presentation* on the signs of a healthy ecosystem and how to improve them.
• Choose 10 varieties of life that live in different climatic zones and identify at least 10 adaptations each has to the specific environment. In a chart, compare & contrast* with similar species in different climatic zones.
• Create and produce a map* that shows the countries, define what plants & animals are symbol(s) and in the index give reasons why and explain in terms of ethnobotany the use of each plant within the culture it represents.

• With a member of your family, explore & explain* what the signs & symbols on different electronic & household devices mean.
• With a mentor, identify and chart* 20+ signs of chemical reactions that happen in everyday life. (e.g. oxidation, digestion, etc.)
• Find a textbook and learn how to identify elements/chemicals by the signs of a reaction between them (chemical change of some kind). Write a 1 page paper* about this.
• Study the signs of the periodic table, in a list, write* equations for the creation of 25 organic and 25 non-organic acids and 25 alkalis.
• Make a circuitry design* for an apartment/ house/machine using electrical symbology. 
• Make the calculations by hand for a complex physics event and videotape a presentation* of what this means.
• In a free share essay, write* chemical formulae for 50 compositions you deal with on a regular basis. (e.g. glass, plastic bag, etc.) Compare ones that are similar and identify what most affected the differences in end results.
• Write a college level paper* on the signs & symbols in physics and their function in the body of physics.

• Choose 10 natural phenomena and draw* the symbols for them. (e.g. clouds = water vapor in air, etc.)
• Create a register* of natural signs that help to predict weather in different seasons. (e.g. plenty of rain in May is the sign of good harvest of wheat in fall)
  
• Create and explain a mindmap* of symbols representing a specific weather or earth science event.
• In a 5 to 10 page paper* identify 5 types of soil and the signs that soil is healthy for the plants suitable for it, and identify the signs of health/lack of health for plants in growing in these soils. Bonus: grow different plants in these different soils and document your observations.
• Make a presentation* on earth science symbology/meanings for 10 unique cultures around the world. (e.g. moon cycles, etc.)
• Choose an earth science molecule and create a poster* of 100+ different things in that category, and list 5 signs for each one that helps you identify it. (e.g. minerals, rocks, weather, moon influence)
• Create and publish a manual* on the main signs and prediction of earth processes. (e.g. volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, mountains formations, etc.)

TEACHING SOCIAL SCIENCES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: EXPLORATION AND EXPLANATION OF THE SIGNS AND SYMBOLS OF DIFFERENT CULTURES AND TIMES IN DIFFERENT SPHERES OF LIFE

• Analyze* the body language of 10 people to determine their most common postures, gestures, and facial expressions.
• Draw* a map of the territory you are living in, using a minimum of 10 different map symbols.
• Explore maps from 5 different cultures and explore their symbols “in a 2 to 5 page essay* identify and explain subtle and distinct differences.
• Identify 30+ signs and symbols that are not used in your culture, from a culture outside of your own, and make a speech* on what you learned.
• Make a presentation* of clothing of different countries/areas, etc. defining the territory by the patterns, texture, embroidery, style and other signs.
• Explore and explain the signs of prosperity in significantly different cultures and create a presentation* to share your findings using the cultural symbols for prosperity you researched.
• Research early writings, icons, imagery, and symbolism of ancient and existing civilizations, write and publish a book*on their meaning, similarities and differences, and their significance for the history of mankind and our modern world.

• Pick a different culture and identify their street signs and what they mean and what they say.
• Create a card game where people would have to find appropriate letter combinations for the given sounds and vice versa.
• Draw and label all the street signs from an additional culture.
• Pick 3 professions and 15 signs for each and label them in a foreign language.
• Explain the signs of morning, afternoon, and evening weather in spring, summer, fall, and winter.
• Give a presentation in a foreign language on the signs of that culture.
• Explain 3 grammar rules to your fellow student using signs.
• Write a college level paper in a language other than your own and compare and contrast the signs, letters, and symbols within it to 3 associated/similar languages.
• Define the signs of eloquence reading the bios of famous successful public speakers and make your own speech on a humorous topic based on these principles.

TEACHING TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: THE USAGE, EXPLORATION, AND PROGRAMMING OF DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS FOR WORKING WITH SIGNS AND SYMBOLS

• Find and use an application* to identify common signs and symbols.
• Use a graphics program to create* 5-10 common signs and symbols.
• Learn about and then create a multimedia presentation* explaining application icons. (e.g. Office, Photoshop, Visual Studio, etc.)
• Program an application or website* that draws common signs and symbols.
• Program an application* with a graphical user interface that animates bouncing signs within a container window.
• Create a new user interface* for an existing application that improves on its intuitiveness and usability.
• Program an algorithm* that identifies shapes, signs, and symbols in image files.*

• With 2 other people, guess and provide an explanation* for why you think signs and symbols look the way they do.
• In a visual presentation* create a new sign or symbol and explain its benefit and usefulness.
• Make a visual project* of an analysis of your own signs, gestures, and facial expressions that you use when you communicate.
• Write a 3 to 5 page paper* comparing the attributes of the same sign across multiple cultures and draw inferences.
• Analyze the signs, symbols, and colors used in a culture and how they’ve changed over time. Make a chart* showing your results.
• Analyze the signs and symbology used in logos, marketing, and other forms of advertisement. Videotape a presentation* and share on the internet.
• Create a new trend* (fashion, food, music, etc.) and create a strategy* to make it a success. Share your new ideas at a roundtable with others in that field.

TEACHING VALUES WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS: SIGNS OF HAVING A CERTAIN VALUE SET, WAYS TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUES OF OTHER PEOPLE, ETC.

• Choose 15 values you think are important and draw a symbol* that best represents that for you.
• Think of 5 different signs of appreciation and demonstrate them. Write a word* for how each of those experiences felt.
• Interview ten people you know on their top 10 values and the sign/symbol they best think represents each one. Write a 2 to 5 paper* with the results and share them with the people you interviewed.
• In a role-play with at least 2 others*, demonstrate the signs of 10 different things that are important to you.
• Choose 50 values from the list below the values molecule (without looking at the pictures) and assign a symbol for each one that you feel best represents it. Interview 10 people from a wide range of ages (adults and children) and ask them what they think each of your symbols represents. Write a 2 to 5 page conclusion paper*.
• Pick 10 values you would like to see more of in your environment, choose a symbol for each and strategically place them around your environment and see what impact this has on others, if any, and write a 10 page report* on your strategy and results.
  
• Create your own values molecule of 100 values most important to you and make a poster* of this.
• Choose your top 10 values and find the 5 public figures that best fit your values and in a visual presentation*define & explain the signs and/or features of why their values align with yours, and see how those values are also realized in your own life and what you can learn from those individuals to increase them even more.
• Create a mindmap for your 10 highest values and create a second mindmap on strategies for how to focus on and increase them in your life. Make a poster* of the 2 mindmaps together.
  
• Study the economy, culture, government, etc. of your country/community (family). Make a speech* to your community about what are the signs of interconnectedness within those systems?
• Pick a value you would like to see more of in the world and create and launch a strategy* for implementing a solution.
• Write and publish a book* on the signs and symbols of how corporate cultures/businesses differentiate their values in the workplace and marketplace.