Real-world examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that actually work

The power of real examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes

Before talking theory, let’s start where teachers actually live: projects you could run next semester.

When we talk about examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes, we’re really talking about big, flexible ideas that:

• connect to real-world problems or authentic audiences
• naturally blend two or more subjects
• lead to a final product or performance that matters to students

Below are several of the best examples of cross-curricular themes I’ve seen teachers use in 2023–2025, updated with current trends like climate literacy, AI, media literacy, and student wellbeing.

1. Sustainable City of the Future: STEM, social studies, and ELA in one project

If you’re looking for an example of a theme that hits science, math, social studies, and literacy all at once, “Sustainable City of the Future” is hard to beat.

Students imagine, design, and pitch a future city that is environmentally friendly, socially just, and economically viable. This is one of the best examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes because it’s endlessly adaptable for grades 4–12.

Subject connections:

• Science: Renewable energy, ecosystems, water cycles, climate change, waste management. Students can reference current climate data from sources like NASA Climate Kids or NOAA Climate.gov.
• Math: Scale drawings, area and perimeter of city blocks, energy consumption calculations, population growth, budgeting for infrastructure.
• Social Studies: Urban planning, zoning, transportation, housing equity, local government decision-making.
• ELA: Research reports, persuasive pitches to a “city council,” informational brochures, reflective writing about trade-offs.

Possible final products include:
Students build a 3D model (physical or digital), create a slide deck or website explaining their city systems, and present to a panel of staff, local officials, or families.

This is one of those real examples where cross-curricular PBL feels natural: you can start from a science standard about human impact on the environment and quickly pull in math for city design, social studies for policy, and ELA for communication.

2. Community Storytelling & Local History: Literacy, art, and social studies

Another strong example of cross-curricular project-based learning themes is a community storytelling project that documents local voices and history.

Students become historians and journalists, collecting stories from family members, elders, or community leaders. This theme supports culturally responsive teaching and aligns beautifully with current emphasis on belonging and student identity.

Subject connections:

• ELA: Interview techniques, question design, narrative writing, editing, podcast or script writing.
• Social Studies: Local history, migration, civic identity, changes in the community over time.
• Art/Media: Photography, audio editing, layout design, visual storytelling.
• Technology: Recording and editing audio, creating a simple website or digital archive.

Real examples of final products:
Some classes create a “Voices of Our Community” digital museum, complete with audio clips and transcripts. Others publish a printed anthology of stories, or host a live storytelling night. You can connect this to primary source analysis skills recommended by institutions like the Library of Congress for social studies and literacy integration.

This is one of the best examples of examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes for building student pride and family engagement.

3. Farm-to-Table or School Garden: Science, health, math, and writing

Food is universal, and that makes it a powerful anchor for examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes.

In a farm-to-table or school garden project, students explore where food comes from, how it’s grown, and how it affects health and the environment.

Subject connections:

• Science: Plant life cycles, soil health, pollinators, ecosystems, sustainable agriculture.
• Health: Nutrition, balanced meals, food labels, food deserts. For evidence-based health information, students can use resources from ChooseMyPlate.gov or CDC Healthy Schools.
• Math: Measuring garden beds, calculating germination rates, graphing plant growth, comparing costs of fresh vs processed foods.
• ELA: Procedural writing (how-to guides), persuasive essays about school lunches, informational posters.

Examples include:

• Designing a small school garden and writing care manuals for the next class.
• Creating a “Healthy Lunch on a Budget” campaign with recipes, cost breakdowns, and nutrition info.
• Hosting a mini farmers’ market or tasting event where students explain the science behind their produce.

This project taps into current 2024–2025 trends around sustainability, student wellbeing, and practical life skills.

4. Climate Action & Youth Advocacy: Science, civics, and media literacy

Students are incredibly aware of climate issues, especially after the last few years of extreme weather events. This makes climate action one of the most relevant examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes for middle and high school.

In this theme, students investigate a local environmental issue—urban heat islands, air quality near the school, plastic waste on campus—and design an advocacy campaign.

Subject connections:

• Science: Data collection, local ecosystems, greenhouse effect, human impact on the environment.
• Math: Analyzing and visualizing data, interpreting graphs, calculating percentage changes or trends.
• Social Studies/Civics: Policy, local government structures, citizen action, evaluating sources.
• ELA/Media Literacy: Researching credible sources (for example, EPA for Students and Educators), writing op-eds, designing infographics, producing short videos.

Real examples of final products:

• A student-created climate report for the school board, including data, recommendations, and student testimonials.
• A social media campaign with student-designed posts, fact-checked using reputable sources.
• A school-wide “Climate Awareness Day” with student-led workshops.

This theme shows students that learning isn’t just academic—what they produce can actually influence decisions in their community.

5. Designing an Accessible School: Inclusion, engineering, and empathy

Accessibility and inclusion have become major priorities in schools, and they lend themselves well to examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that build both technical and social-emotional skills.

Students investigate how accessible their school is for people with mobility, sensory, or learning differences, then propose improvements.

Subject connections:

• Science/Engineering: Simple machines (ramps, lifts), ergonomics, assistive technology, human-centered design.
• Math: Measuring slopes, calculating ratios for ramps, budgeting for upgrades, comparing costs of different solutions.
• Social Studies: Disability rights history, laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act, civic responsibility.
• ELA: Writing proposals, creating surveys, presenting findings to administrators.

Examples include:

• Students creating a map of the school that highlights barriers and suggests specific design changes.
• Prototyping low-cost assistive tools (like pencil grips or visual schedules) for younger students.
• Presenting a formal accessibility improvement proposal to the principal or school board.

This is one of those real examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that naturally integrates empathy, advocacy, and STEM.

6. Personal Finance & Future Life Design: Math, economics, and ELA

With rising interest in financial literacy in 2024–2025, many districts are asking for examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that prepare students for real life. A “Future Life Design” project does exactly that.

Students imagine their life 10–15 years in the future and design a realistic budget and plan to support it.

Subject connections:

• Math: Income, taxes, budgeting, interest, savings, loans, percentage calculations.
• Social Studies/Economics: Cost of living in different regions, economic systems, wages, inflation.
• ELA: Researching careers, writing cover letters and resumes, preparing and delivering presentations.
• Technology: Using spreadsheets for budgets, creating visual dashboards or infographics.

Examples include:

• Students comparing the cost of living in three cities and deciding where they’d move based on their chosen career.
• Creating a “Life Plan Portfolio” with career research, sample budgets, and reflection on trade-offs.
• Hosting a “Future You Expo” where students present their plans to families or community volunteers.

This theme is a best example of how math standards can feel immediately relevant instead of abstract.

7. Health, Wellness & the Science of Habits: PE, science, and psychology

Student mental health and wellbeing are front and center in current education conversations, which makes wellness projects some of the most timely examples of examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes.

In a “Science of Habits” project, students explore how sleep, nutrition, exercise, and screen time affect the body and brain, then design a wellness challenge for the school.

Subject connections:

• Science/Health: Body systems, circadian rhythms, the impact of exercise and nutrition. Students can consult reliable sources like NIH’s MedlinePlus or Mayo Clinic for up-to-date health information.
• PE: Designing and testing fitness routines, tracking heart rate, setting personal goals.
• Math: Collecting and graphing data on sleep, steps, or screen time; analyzing averages and trends.
• ELA: Writing informational articles, creating public service announcements, reflecting on personal habit changes.

Real examples of final products:

• A student-designed 21-day wellness challenge for the school community.
• A series of short videos or podcasts explaining the science behind healthy habits.
• A data wall showing before-and-after changes in student-reported sleep or activity.

This theme respects student concerns about stress and health, while still firmly grounding work in academic standards.

8. AI, Media Literacy & the Future of Work: Technology, ethics, and writing

As AI tools become more common in schools, many teachers are searching for examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that help students think critically about technology instead of just using it.

In this project, students investigate how AI and automation are changing different careers, and create guides to help younger students or families understand both the opportunities and risks.

Subject connections:

• Technology/Computer Science: Basic understanding of algorithms, data, and how AI tools work at a high level.
• Social Studies: Economic shifts, future of work, ethical questions about privacy and bias.
• ELA: Research, source evaluation, argumentative writing, multimedia presentations.
• Math (optional): Reading and interpreting statistics about job growth and automation.

Examples include:

• Students interviewing family members about how technology has changed their jobs, then comparing that with current labor statistics.
• Creating a “Future of Work” guidebook or website for 8th graders choosing high school pathways.
• Hosting a panel (live or simulated) where students role-play experts debating AI policies.

This is a real example of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that prepares students for a world that’s changing fast.

How to adapt these examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes to your grade level

The best part about these themes is that they aren’t locked to one grade. The same idea can look very different in 3rd grade and 11th grade.

For elementary students:
Keep the content concrete and local. A “Sustainable City” might become a “Green Playground” redesign. A “Future Life Design” project might focus on saving for a class goal instead of long-term careers.

For middle school students:
This is a sweet spot for examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes because students can handle more complexity, but still love hands-on work. You can introduce data analysis, simple policy discussions, and more sophisticated writing.

For high school students:
Lean into authentic audiences and real consequences. Have students present to local officials, publish online, or partner with community organizations. Bring in primary sources, scholarly articles, and more advanced math or science.

Across all levels, keep these guiding questions in mind as you choose or adapt a theme:

• Can students see a real person or group who would care about the final product?
• Does the theme naturally invite more than one subject area, or are you forcing it?
• Can students make meaningful choices about how they approach the work?

If the answer is yes, you’re probably looking at one of your own best examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes in the making.

Quick planning checklist for your own project-based theme

When you’re ready to move from reading examples of themes to actually running one, try this simple planning flow:

Start with a real-world problem or question your students care about. Then, list the standards you want to hit in at least two subjects. From there, sketch a final product that would matter to someone outside the classroom—a proposal, an event, a publication, a design. Finally, map backward: what mini-lessons, workshops, and checkpoints will students need to get there?

You don’t have to copy any of the projects above exactly. Use these examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes as starting points, and remix them to fit your students, your community, and your standards.

FAQ: examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes

Q: What is an example of a simple cross-curricular project for beginners?
A: A great starter project is a “Redesign Our Classroom” theme. Students measure the room (math), research ergonomics and learning environments (science and ELA), sketch new layouts (art), and present a proposal to the class or principal (speaking and listening). It’s manageable, low-stakes, and still a clear example of cross-curricular project-based learning themes.

Q: How many subjects should I include in a cross-curricular PBL theme?
A: You don’t need to force every subject into every project. Many of the best examples include two or three subjects in a meaningful way, rather than five or six in a shallow way. Start with the most natural pair (for example, science and ELA, or math and social studies), then add others only if they truly fit.

Q: Do I have to assess every subject equally in these projects?
A: No. Often, one subject is primary and others are supporting. For instance, in a climate action project, science and ELA might be the main graded areas, while art or technology are assessed more informally. Be transparent with students about which standards you’re formally assessing.

Q: How can I manage group work in these kinds of projects?
A: Treat collaboration skills as part of the curriculum. Build in roles (researcher, designer, writer, presenter), teach conflict resolution strategies, and use checkpoints with individual reflections. Rubrics can include both content and collaboration, so students understand that how they work together matters.

Q: Where can I find more real examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes?
A: Look at PBL-focused organizations and university-based teaching centers. Many education schools, like Harvard Graduate School of Education, share case studies and classroom stories that can spark ideas. You can also explore district PBL showcases or state education department sites that highlight teacher-created units.

If you take nothing else from this guide, let it be this: start small, pick one authentic theme, and try it. Over time, you’ll build your own library of real examples of cross-curricular project-based learning themes that fit your students better than any template ever could.