"Social Justice Math"

"It is important but not necessary that all projects and units have a solution-based component.   Don't just focus on the problems your students and their communities are facing - it's the creative solutions we're generally short on.   So one of your goals should be for students to understand the issues and think about how to solve them.

One good way to design a project or unit is by partnering with a community-based organization and do a project on their behalf.   For example, find a group that wants to learn about how the community feels about an important community issue (ie. pollution, police presence, affordable housing).   Your class could survey the community and present the results to the organization.

It is also useful to have students share the information that they've learned with their friends and families.   You can have several homework assignments that involve them teaching something they've learned to family and community members, or have them present their findings to school administrators, local politicians, and other community members.

Last, and probably most important - Start With The Math. Find an issue that fits the math, not the other way around. When you try to make the math fit an issue you want to cover, most likely, you will end up sacrificing some of the mathematical content."
http://www.radicalmath.org/main.php?id=SocialJusticeMath

Um, this is awesome. So cool. I want this for biology, I can think of lots of little ways this could happen. But also, you need the right teacher and environment or else it could be really the very worst.

(credit to SG)