Multi-disciplinary activities

School tends to be organized by subjects: math, science, reading, writing, social studies, physical education, etc.  Real life is multi-disciplinary.

Grocery shopping is a multi-disciplinary balancing act.  It involves:

• time - when does the store open, how much time do we have to shop?
• money - what is our budget today, what is the best deal on this item, are we buying only essentials today, or do we have room in the budget for a treat?
• planning - checking the fridge and cupboards to see what we need, making a grocery list, checking off the items as we buy them, circling the ones we can't find today
• organization - remember to bring the shopping bags, placing items in the cart in an organized way, placing items on the conveyor belt to make them easy to scan, keeping frozen items together so they don't melt on the way home
• comparing value between products of different sizes
• social interaction - with store staff, other customers, other drivers in the parking lot

Successful project planning - Tip 2

Knowing that children are more likely to get engaged and enjoy working on real-life challenges, include your child by asking them to help you with real-life tasks.

1. Plan a meal together.  What do we need?
2. Plan ahead, then go grocery shopping together. When you get home, put the groceries away together.  How are things organized?
3. Build something together that requires drawing a design, measuring, cutting, attaching, etc.
4. Ask your child for advice about how to help another (anonymous) child who is having difficulty with something. (Real or theoretical situation) Listen to their ideas, and talk together about more possibilities.
5. Think about what your child is really interested in right now.  Can you assist or enable them to explore their interest(s) further?