C-STEAM interdisciplinary project-based activity design focused on traditional Chinese culture—take “a thousand miles of rivers and mountains” as an example

STEAM education is the integration of content and methods from multiple disciplines, including science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. C-STEAM education highlights the discipline of chemistry and incorporates excellent traditional Chinese culture. Project-based learning provides students with a more practical, innovative, and engaging learning experience. Therefore, the C-STEAM interdisciplinary project-based activity design, rooted in traditional Chinese culture, is the best way to cultivate students’ comprehensive qualities, innovative thinking, interdisciplinary abilities, and cultural confidence. This study took constructivism and situational learning theory as the theoretical support of the three-level teaching framework of “project - task – activity” by selecting the famous work “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” by Wang Ximeng of the Song Dynasty as the material to create a situation for the design of C-STEAM interdisciplinary project-based activities. We constructed a comprehensive evaluation system of four dimensions: scientific inquiry, innovative thinking, interdisciplinary application, and cultural understanding. Furthermore, we provided an operational example for the in-depth integration of excellent traditional Chinese culture into the basic education curriculum. We offered local experience to develop international C-STEAM education.

1 Introduction

The Guidelines for Enhancing Education in Chinese Outstanding Traditional Culture, issued by the Ministry of Education in 2014, explicitly stipulated that education in Chinese outstanding traditional culture should be systematically incorporated into curricula and teaching materials. The Chemistry Curriculum Standards for Senior High Schools (2017 Edition, 2020 Revision) propose to inherit and carry forward the excellent traditional Chinese culture and to deeply explore the intellectual essence and humanistic spirit of the Chinese nation’s outstanding traditional culture. By delving into the ideals, humanistic spirit, and moral principles embedded in China’s outstanding traditional culture and integrating them with contemporary demands, we can achieve innovation through inheritance, thereby showcasing the enduring charm and modern elegance of Chinese culture. It can be seen that mining the unique characteristics of Chinese traditional culture and the value of the chemistry discipline, and integrating outstanding traditional culture into chemistry teaching, is a concrete implementation of the standard requirements as a basic requirement of the state for firm cultural self-confidence.

This study selects the monumental silk-based blue-green landscape painting, “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,” created by the young artist Wang Ximeng in the late Northern Song Dynasty, as the material for contextual creation. This work is not only a milestone in the history of Chinese art but also holds a significant position in the world art canon, renowned for its grand conception, masterful technique, and unique application of materials (Aboulnaga et al., 2024; Orphanidou et al., 2024; Schneider and Vollmer, 2024). Beyond its artistic significance, the painting itself serves as an interdisciplinary repository rich in elements of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and art, providing an ideal, authentic, meaningful, and engaging learning context for cross-disciplinary exploration. The learning activities are structured hierarchically as “project — task — activity” within an interdisciplinary project-based instructional design, fully leveraging the disciplinary and educational values embedded in outstanding traditional culture. This approach guides students in acquiring both discipline-specific and interdisciplinary knowledge rooted in traditional culture, enhances their disciplinary literacy, interdisciplinary competence, and humanistic cultivation, and improves their abilities in inquiry-based practice and higher-order thinking when addressing complex problems. The design integrates chemistry-focused learning with knowledge acquisition, literacy development, competency enhancement, and cultural inheritance into a cohesive interdisciplinary learning experience.

STEAM education advocates for the interdisciplinary integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics to cultivate students’ innovative spirit and practical abilities (Qian et al., 2023). In recent years, the C-STEAM model, rooted in local culture, has garnered increasing attention. It emphasizes the integration of outstanding traditional culture as a core element into STEAM education, aiming to foster students’ cultural identity and cross-cultural understanding (Qian et al., 2022). However, current practices generally face two major challenges: First, cultural integration often remains superficial, failing to deeply explore the disciplinary knowledge embedded within cultural carriers; second, interdisciplinary design tends to be unbalanced, often overemphasizing one discipline at the expense of others. For a long time, the research on the relationship between traditional culture and education and teaching has predominantly concentrated on literary subjects but seldom penetrates traditional culture education within the teaching of scientific disciplines such as mathematics, physics, and chemistry (Alan et al., 2019). Chemistry is a natural discipline with a rich humanistic heritage. The excellent traditional culture that carries the 5,000 years of civilization history of the Chinese nation is the source of cultural confidence of the Chinese nation, and it is also an important material and resource for chemistry teaching. Project-Based Learning (PBL), as a student-centered pedagogy that organizes learning through driving questions and complex tasks, provides an ideal pathway for achieving deep interdisciplinary integration (Meng et al., 2023; Yoon et al., 2023). This study constructs a C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL framework, using A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains as the context and chemistry as the core disciplinary anchor. The framework aims to provide an actionable model for the profound integration of outstanding traditional Chinese culture into basic education curricula and to contribute localized experience to the development of international C-STEAM education.

2 Theoretical foundations and framework design

2.1 Theoretical foundations

2.1.1 Constructivist learning theory

Constructivist learning theory posits that knowledge is not passively received, but rather actively constructed by learners through interaction with their environment (Cao et al., 2025). In this project, students serve as active constructors of knowledge. The tiered design of “project-task-activity” provides a progressive cognitive scaffold for learners. By addressing the driving question—Why does this nearly millennium-old painting remain timeless and vibrant?—within the authentic cultural context of the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains scroll, and engaging with a series of tasks and activities, students actively explore and collaborate to construct a deep, interdisciplinary knowledge system through assimilation and accommodation. Building upon their prior knowledge, students engage in active inquiry and collaborative dialogue through assimilation and accommodation, thereby constructing a deep, interdisciplinary knowledge system. The teacher’s role is to design the learning environment, provide scaffolding, and facilitate collaborative dialogue (Hong et al., 2020).

2.1.2 Situated learning theory

Learning is essentially a “situated activity,” a process of “legitimate peripheral participation” in which learners engage within a “community of practice.” This project anchors learning in the authentic, contextual cultural practice of preserving and understanding the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains scroll. It integrates knowledge from chemistry, physics, biology, geography, and other disciplines with interdisciplinary activities in technology, engineering, art, and mathematics, all centered around real-world scenarios. Students, acting as members of a “cultural heritage preservation team,” immerse themselves in a “community of practice” that blends ancient craftsmanship with modern scientific inquiry. From identifying problems and analyzing materials to attempting replication, their learning motivation, cultural understanding, and knowledge construction deepen through contextualized activities. They acquire knowledge and skills while solving real-world problems.

2.2 Framework design

Based on the aforementioned theory and integrating the curriculum development steps of “objectives-content-implementation-evaluation” from Taylor’s curriculum theory, an interdisciplinary PBL activity design process was established, as shown in Figure 1. This process establishes a three-tiered framework comprising “project-task-activity.”

Figure 1

Figure 1. Design process and framework for interdisciplinary PBL activities.

At the project level, grand and authentic cultural inquiry themes are defined to establish a broad learning context. At the task level, guided by the principle of the Zone of Proximal Development, complex projects are broken down into a series of challenging sub-goals, each explicitly targeting the cultivation of specific subject-specific or cross-disciplinary competencies. Activities serve as the fundamental units for executing tasks, representing concrete behaviors through which students actively construct knowledge, such as hands-on experiments, group discussions, and data analysis. Teachers provide critical scaffolding support during these activities.

3 Selection and analysis of project content

3.1 Science and art in “a thousand miles of rivers and mountains”

From a scientific perspective, “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” shows how highly skilled the ancient people were in using pigments. The painting uses mineral pigments such as litharge and litharge green, which have been used for many years, yet their colors remain vibrant and vivid. These mineral pigments are extremely stable.

They reflect the painters of the time’s in-depth understanding of the characteristics of pigments. Through fine grinding and blending, the painters made different colors reflect each other, creating a rich sense of hierarchy and three-dimensionality. At the same time, the layout of the landscape in the picture also reflects certain scientific principles. The artist adeptly employs perspective to depict the distant mountains as they gradually recede, thereby evoking a profound sense of spatial depth. This mastery of spatial representation indicates that the ancients possessed a remarkably advanced level of observation and comprehension of natural landscapes.

In terms of art, “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” is a masterpiece. The composition of the picture is grand, with thousands of miles of rivers and mountains in full view. The rolling hills and the vast river, dotted with pavilions, thatched cottages, and figures of travelers and fishermen, form a vibrant landscape painting. The artist outlines the landscape with delicate brushstrokes and then renders it with rich colors, giving the picture both a realistic texture and a poetic romance. The use of colors in the painting is bold and creative, with primary colors such as stone green and ochre paired with secondary colors like ochre and ink, creating a gorgeous and harmonious visual effect. Furthermore, the artist’s detailing of the painting is also breathtaking. Whether it is the waterfalls and springs in the mountains, or the texture of the branches and leaves on the trees, they are all depicted vividly, showing the artist’s exquisite painting skills and his love for nature.

Science and art have realized a perfect combination in “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.” The painter’s scientific use of pigments provides a solid material foundation for artistic creation. The careful conceptualization and delicate expression of art, on the other hand, lend science and technology a unique charm in the picture. This combination not only reflects the wisdom and creativity of the ancients but also provides useful inspiration for the development of art and science today. We can see from this that science and art are not mutually exclusive fields but can promote and complement each other. In the scientific quest for truth, we can draw on the imagination and creativity of art. In artistic creation, scientific methods and techniques can also provide us with new means of expression and ideas.

3.2 Interdisciplinary learning content choices

The reason “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” has survived for thousands of years is closely related to chemical knowledge, involving the properties of proteins and gelatine, as well as a variety of mineral pigments, in which the large area of lime green color comes from copper-containing compounds. By incorporating traditional paintings such as “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” into the teaching and learning process and closely linking them to real life, we have designed an interdisciplinary learning program. In the process, students, on the one hand, experience its aesthetic appeal and enhance their humanistic qualities through art appreciation; on the other hand, they learn to use science to solve practical problems by exploring the chemical knowledge involved in the paintings’ pigments and preservation. This integration ultimately deepens their understanding of and pride in their national culture.

STEAM education integrates multidisciplinary content and methodologies from Science (S), Technology (T), Engineering (E), Arts (A), and Mathematics (M) (Nong et al., 2022; Hong et al., 2020). The “C” in C-STEAM education can have multiple interpretations, commonly understood as Culture, with a focus on cultural heritage preservation. Some also interpret it as China, emphasizing local Chinese characteristics. It can also be understood as the discipline of chemistry. In other words, C-STEAM education can be Culture-STEAM education with cultural heritage as its guiding objective; China-STEAM education rooted in China’s local characteristics, or Chemistry-STEAM education centered on chemistry with integration across multiple disciplines such as physics, biology, and geography. In this study, C-STEAM refers to a multidisciplinary learning approach centered on chemistry (C), integrating physics (P), biology (B), and geography (G), grounded in China’s outstanding traditional culture, and encompassing science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics. Accordingly, the design code C denotes the chemistry discipline element, S-P represents the physics discipline element within the science dimension, S-B signifies the biology discipline element within the science dimension, S-G indicates the geography discipline element within the science dimension, T stands for the technology element, E represents the engineering element, A denotes the art element, and M signifies the mathematics element (Pérez Torres et al., 2023; Spyropoulou and Kameas, 2023; Lyu et al., 2024). Extracting curriculum elements from the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains scroll and integrating them with disciplinary characteristics, we have organized C-STEAM-based interdisciplinary learning content for the scroll, as shown in Table 1.

Table 1

Table 1. Interdisciplinary learning content based on C-STEAM’s “a thousand miles of rivers and mountains.”

3.3 Multidisciplinary learning content analysis

3.3.1 Content analysis of learning related to the subject of chemistry

3.3.1.1 Silk protein

The silk text of “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” is made of double-stranded silk with high warp and weft densities, and was chosen from the more remarkable silk fiber materials of the time, the main component of which is protein, composed of amino acid molecules. The chemical formula of amino acid is R-CH(NH₂)-COOH, which has both amine group (-NH₂) and a carboxyl group (-COOH), so it is both acidic and alkaline, with relatively active chemical properties, which makes silk fibers age with time, leading to phenomena such as reduction of the mechanical strength of the serigraphy, yellowing of the color, and disappearance of the luster. From a disciplinary perspective, it is necessary to identify the environmental factors of the aging of silk protein, adopt appropriate measures to slow down the aging, and protect this artistic treasure.

3.3.1.2 Ore pigments

There are three main types of pigments used by Chinese painters in painting: mineral pigments, vegetable pigments, and animal pigments (Dang et al., 2016). Wang Ximeng used mineral pigments in “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,” which were extracted from minerals such as graphite, malachite, blue copper ore, lapis lazuli, cinnabar, and orpiment. The colors extracted from these minerals can remain unchanged for a thousand years, signifying that the rivers and mountains are eternal.

The red pigment ochre, also known as ochre, is an iron-containing traditional pigment belonging to the hematite family, with Fe₂O₃ as its main component, and is dark red.

The lime green color in the painting mainly comes from the color of minerals such as azurite and mineral green, in which the third and fourth layers of the green are taken from the mineral green, also known as malachite, which is a carbonate mineral of copper, and its main chemical composition for the alkaline copper carbonate Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃, as early as in the Compendium of Materia Medica, has a record: “Copper gets the gas of the purple sun and produces green, green for a long time will produce stone, called stone green.” It is copper in the dioxygen-containing carbon dioxide gas formed in a humid environment, which is brittle and fragile, and easy to make into pigments. Basic copper carbonate is a peacock-green fine amorphous powder, stable at room temperature and pressure; when heated to 220 °C, it decomposes to CuO, CO₂, and H₂O; it is insoluble in water and soluble in acid.

The blue color of the fifth layer is derived from azurite, a blue chalcopyrite with the chemical formula Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂. Under the influence of weathering, chalcopyrite tends to lose CO₂ and gain water, thus transforming into malachite. Like malachite, the color of blue chalcopyrite also originates from the electron jump of Cu²⁺, which is insoluble in water and easily soluble in acid. Both are toxic minerals and can be used in paintings to protect paper and wood from insects.

3.3.1.3 Adhesive gelatin

The beauty of a painting is rendered by the different colors of pigments adhering to the paper. The silk and mineral pigments of Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains are not adhesive, so we need a cementing material, gelatin. It is a kind of animal collagen, composed of a variety of amino acids and a polymer peptide material. The gelatin molecular structure has a large number of hydroxyls, carboxyls, amino groups, hydrogen bonds, and hydrophilic groups, which can well adsorb pigment particles in serigraphy and have good adhesion. The water-absorbent nature of gelatine is like applying a protective film to the paintings, preventing water and oxygen in the air from penetrating them.

3.3.2 Content analysis of learning related to the subject of physics

Black, red, green, and cyan are the primary colors of “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.” The pigments used in the painting are all ores, primarily graphite, malachite, azurite, lapis lazuli, cinnabar, and orpiment. The primary constituents of the painting are C, Fe₂O₃, Cu₂(OH) 2CO₃, and Cu₃(CO₃) 2(OH)₂. The primary elements involved are C, Fe, Cu, etc., which are affected by the absorption spectra, electron leaps, particle size, and crystal structure, resulting in colored pigments with varying compositions. Azurite primarily reflects blue and green light, which combine to produce the blue-green hue we perceive. Malachite reflects predominantly green light with a small amount of blue light, resulting in the green color we observe. The green color in malachite and azurite originates from the electronic transitions of Cu²⁺ ions. Due to the influence of ligands on the central ion, malachite exhibits a more vivid green color. This color, determined by the internal electronic structure of the material, is known as intrinsic color. Its high chemical stability allows it to endure for millennia without fading. The layered depth and luster of a painting’s colors are closely tied to the physical structure of its pigment particles. When preparing pigments, artists grind minerals into particles of varying fineness. Coarser particles scatter light more strongly, appearing rough on the surface and potentially yielding higher color saturation. Conversely, extremely fine particles create a smoother texture, sometimes producing a degree of specular reflection that imparts a silky sheen.

3.3.3 Content analysis of learning related to the subject of biology

The raw materials of gelatin can be cowhide, pig skin, fish skin, fish scales, chicken skin, etc. The preparation process involves sorting, washing, soaking, degreasing, neutralizing, hydrolyzing, filtering, concentrating, gelatinizing, drying, pulverizing, etc., and ultimately obtaining gelatin.

3.3.4 Content analysis of learning related to the subject of geography

Graphite, malachite, azurite, lapis lazuli, cinnabar, orpiment, and other minerals in nature are the raw materials for making pigments, and these inorganic pigments are more stable than organic pigments, which can make the paintings last longer. Materials for recognizing mineral materials can be found on the Internet, in museums, in books, and in the immediate environment. The mountain forms, water networks, plains, and ravines depicted in the painting, along with the types and density of trees at the foothills and summits, encapsulate the quintessential topographical features of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. They represent the crystallization of observation, refinement, and artistic reconstruction of natural landscapes—the idealized, comprehensive vision of a magnificent river and mountain landscape in the mind of the Northern Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng. Course design can initiate an exploration from a geographical perspective into spatial patterns, human-land relationships, and landscape cognition (Taylor, 2009).

3.3.5 Technical analysis of the “thousand miles of rivers and mountains” scroll

3.3.5.1 The sequence of coloring mineral pigments

The coloring of “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” can be divided into five steps: the first layer is the base of the line drawing, then the ink drawing, the second layer of ochre and cinnabar on the red; the third and fourth layers of stone green on the color, the fifth layer of stone green on the green. With these five layers of color superimposed, the picture has a clear hierarchy and a very heavy texture.

3.3.5.2 The binding process of silk and pigments

The colors of the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains scroll have endured nearly a millennium while remaining firmly adhered to the silk fabric, thanks to an exceptionally sophisticated “adhesion system.” This system constitutes a composite material engineering framework comprising “substrate treatment—adhesive—curing reaction.” The substrate is silk, primarily composed of sericin protein, whose surface contains numerous polar groups providing excellent bonding sites for the adhesive. The adhesive, gelatin extracted from animal hides and bones, serves as the core medium connecting pigment particles to the silk substrate. Through hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and other interactions, it adsorbs and bonds to the surfaces of sericin fibers and mineral pigment particles, forming powerful interfacial adhesion. The curing agent is alum. Its hydrolyzed Al³⁺ ions form “ionic bridges” between the carboxyl groups of two or more gelatin molecular chains, initiating a cross-linking reaction. This cross-linked structure enhances resistance to microbial degradation and aging, thereby extending the lifespan of the artwork.

3.3.6 Analysis of engineering elements in the “thousand miles of rivers and mountains” scroll

Transforming coarse, dull natural ores into fine, vibrant, and stable painting pigments involves an extremely complex and precise production process that includes “selection, crushing, grinding, sifting, and binding.” First, high-quality azurite and malachite must be identified and selected. Large ore chunks are initially crushed into small particles using hammers and other tools. These crushed particles are then washed in water before being placed in a mortar. They undergo prolonged wet grinding with a pestle, followed by settling and sedimentation. During this step, particles of varying sizes settle at different rates. Finally, the wet pigment, now separated by particle size, is mixed in precise proportions with pre-prepared animal gelatin solution and thoroughly blended to form a paste-like pigment. This entire process demonstrates a profound understanding of material properties, precise control over process parameters, and standardized management of the final product’s performance. It showcases the ancient artisans’ exceptional capabilities in process design, process control, and quality management.

3.3.7 Mathematical content analysis in the “thousand miles of rivers and mountains” scroll

Mathematical elements in the course include the two-dimensional valence-category transformation diagram of copper and its compounds, as well as the proportional composition of paintings. The dominant sienna-green hues originate from copper compounds, enabling the construction of a two-dimensional transformation diagram with copper’s valence as the vertical axis and material category as the horizontal axis—the valence-category diagram of copper and its compounds. This diagram clearly reveals the chemical lineage and synthetic logic of pigment substances, serving as a mathematical model for understanding their preparation and stability. At the compositional level, the painting strictly adheres to the geometric order of the golden ratio and the “Three Distances” technique. The undulating contours of the mountains, the meandering flow of the water, and the arrangement of elements all subtly align with this mathematical principle, creating an exquisite sense of harmony and spatial depth. This masterfully unites the randomness of nature with the precision of mathematics.

4 Project-based learning activity design

4.1 Project-based learning objectives and literacy requirements

Project-based learning is a new type of learning mode oriented to core literacy, which is the key to realizing the transformation from “knowledge teaching” to “literacy teaching,” from “teaching-centered” to “learning-centered,” and from “subject knowledge” to “subject practice (Zhang et al., 2023; Seo et al., 2024).” The final result of this project is for students to complete a simple painting with self-made mineral pigments and adhesives, and to prepare a feasibility research report on protecting the “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.” It is important to develop multidisciplinary learning goals and interdisciplinary literacies and to make the goals and literacy requirements clear to students. The “where” needs to be clarified before the project is implemented, so they can continue to focus on the “how” during preparation and implementation. This is why it is important to develop multidisciplinary learning goals and interdisciplinary literacies and to make them explicit to students, as shown in Table 2.

Table 2

Table 2. Project-based learning objectives and literacy requirements.

4.2 Project-based learning implementation process

Project-based learning designers should transform the ideas of solving real-world problems into objectives, and the results of real-world problems into students’ project works, and design the learning content with a three-tier framework of “project-task-activity.” PBL designers should transform the results of real problems into students’ projects and design the learning content using a three-level framework of “project - task – activity.” The C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity design, based on “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,” includes four tasks and 14 activities, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3

Table 3. Design of project-based learning activities.

5 Teaching implementation and case study

[Contextual introduction] In the Spring Festival of 2022, a section of the ancient and elegant dance poetic drama The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting was on the stage of the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, which made the national treasure “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” travel through time and space 900 years ago, and stunned countless audiences. On the National Day of 2024, the dance film The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting was shown on the big screen, so that the audience could appreciate this artistic treasure again. Let us dig into the curricular and cultural elements in “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” from a high school student’s perspective, and appreciate the paintings with subject knowledge and interdisciplinary learning thinking.

[Driving Question] Why does “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains,” which spans nearly 1,000 years, continue to be everlasting and colorful?

[Task I] Examine the causes of “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” Aging.

[Activity 1] Name the phenomena presented in the aging of “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.”

[Suggestions for implementation] You can name the phenomena of reduced mechanical strength, loss of luster, and yellowing of colors in paintings.

[Activity 2] List the materials needed to paint “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.”

[Suggestions for implementation] It is composed of materials such as serigraphy, pigments, and binders.

[Activity 3] Check the information to understand the materials’ composition, structure, and properties.

[Suggestions for implementation] The main components of sericin are silk protein, which is a protein, and amino acids. The chemical formula of an amino acid is R-CH(NH₂)-COOH, which has both an amine group (-NH₂) and a carboxyl group (-COOH), so it is both acidic and alkaline and can react with both acid and alkali.

The pigment used is ore pigment, which belongs to inorganic pigment, the color change is small under the action of sunlight and atmosphere, it will not fade, good sunlight resistance, heat resistance, and weather resistance; larger density, large particle size, good covering power; excellent acid, alkali and solvent resistance, good chemical stability; good dispersion and bright color.

Gelatin is animal collagen, and its main components are also proteins and amino acids.

[Activity 4] Experimentally investigate the properties of proteins. [Suggestions for implementation] Add a certain concentration of HCl and NaOH to the egg white and observe the phenomenon. Both react to produce salt and water, producing heat.

$\begin{array}{l}\mathrm{R}-\mathrm{CH}\left({\mathrm{NH}}_2\right)-\text{COOH}+\mathrm{HCl}\to \mathrm{R}-\mathrm{CH}\left({\mathrm{NH}}_2\right)-\text{COCl}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\text{OR}\\ \mathrm{R}-\mathrm{CH}\left({\mathrm{NH}}_2\right)-\text{COOH}+\text{NaOH}\to \mathrm{R}-\mathrm{CH}\left({\mathrm{NH}}_2\right)-\text{COONa}+{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\end{array}$

To guide students to recognize the functional groups in amino acids, to cultivate students to learn chemical properties from the perspective of functional groups, and to cultivate students’ core qualities of “macro-identification and micro-analysis” in the discipline.

Students can also learn that amino groups can undergo acylation, nitrite reaction, reaction with aldehyde, and sulfonylation; carboxylic groups can undergo acylation, esterification, and decarboxylation under certain conditions.

[Activity 5] Describe and enumerate the primary causes why “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” ages.

[Suggestions for Implementation] Integrate Activity 3, which focuses on the properties of proteins and amino acids, to demonstrate that serigraphy, pigments, and adhesives undergo various chemical and physical changes over time. Additionally, summarize and generalize these findings by discipline and reaction category.

[Task II] Uncover the composition of the pigments and the order of coloring in “A Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers.”

[Activity 1] Look carefully at the main colors in “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.”

[Implementation Suggestion] Be able to observe and name the colors black, red, green, and cyan.

[Activity 2] Review the information and summarize the composition of the pigments and the order of coloring in “A Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains.”

[Suggestions for implementation] The black color is derived from graphite and amorphous carbon. The red pigment, known as ochre, is a traditional iron-containing pigment that belongs to the hematite family, with Fe₂O₃ as its primary component. The lime green hue primarily originates from minerals such as chessylite and mineral green. Stone green, also referred to as malachite, is a copper carbonate mineral characterized by its main chemical composition of basic copper carbonate (Cu₂(OH)₂CO₃). Additionally, chessylite, commonly known as azurite, has the chemical formula Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂.

Coloring sequence: graphite base - ochre paving - lime green only.

[Activity 3] Explore the valence states and classes of copper and its compounds involved in the project.

[Suggestions for implementation] Explore the valence of Cu, CuO, CuSO₄, CuSO₄·5H₂O, Cu₂(OH) ₂CO₃, Cu₃(CO₃)₂(OH)₂ and their classes of substances with the general idea of studying the elements and their compounds: monomers-oxides-salts, and try to draw a valence-class two-dimensional diagram of copper and its compounds, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Figure 2. Valence class two-dimensional diagram of copper and its compounds.

[Activity 4] Collect minerals around you and make simple inorganic pigments.

[Suggestions for implementation] Provide the concoction method of stone green recorded in the ancient canonical book “Pinhui Jingyao;” “first mashed Luo, more water to fly very fine, wait for drying, in the research and use,” and use the ores collected by the students to practice making pigments.

[Task III] Draw a picture that will last for a thousand years.

[Activity 1] Make gelatin from simple materials that you can collect in your life.

[Suggestions for implementation] Paper and pigments have been prepared, and the process of word painting requires bonding inorganic pigments to the paper. The raw materials for gelatin are mainly animal bones or skin, which require pre-treatment steps such as sorting and cleaning. It is then extracted with water at temperatures progressively increasing from 55 °C to 80 °C. In the process, you can consider steps such as slicing, soaking, boiling, and adding acid and alkali to understand the nature of proteins, learn by doing, and train hands-on skills.

[Activity 2] Create simple paintings with homemade paints and gelatin.

[Suggestions for implementation] Simple paintings made with homemade paints and gelatin, a deep understanding of subject knowledge based on the results of completed projects, and a comparison between different works can stimulate higher-order thinking, such as creative and critical thinking.

[Activity 3] Share and summarize possible measures to preserve the paintings for a thousand years and complete the research report.

[Suggestions for implementation] This activity is a comprehensive test of the effectiveness of the student program. Knowledge, ability, and thinking are considered and evaluated separately. Possible measures for the conservation and restoration of paintings arise from learning and thinking about the composition and nature of substances. Furthermore, it trains students’ logical induction and written expression skills.

[Task IV] Why is the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains in the Palace Museum in Beijing called the artistic treasure of the Chinese nation?

[Activity 1] Appreciate the landscapes and trees in the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains scroll, seeking aesthetic and artistic elements.

[Suggestions for implementation] “Masterpiece Appreciation Workshops” can be conducted to explain effective composition and brushwork techniques, while encouraging students to describe their aesthetic discoveries and experiences.

[Activity 2] Measure and calculate the aspect ratio of the painting and the area ratio between the mountain and waterways, exploring whether they approximate the golden ratio.

[Suggestions for implementation] Provide high-resolution digital files of the artwork and measurement tools, allowing students to work in groups to measure the length-to-width ratios and area ratios of different sections. Compile the data into a shared class spreadsheet. Guide students in analyzing the data and discussing how closely these ratios align with the golden ratio.

6 Establishing an evaluation system for interdisciplinary project-based learning activities

6.1 Identify performance-based evaluation indicators and rubrics

Learning activity assessment is a competency-oriented, comprehensive evaluation system grounded in objectives. It ensures the comprehensiveness and accuracy of evaluations, enhancing their scientific rigor, professionalism, and objectivity. On the one hand, it can serve as a feedback mechanism for adjustment; on the other hand, it can also function as an incentive, thereby enhancing the validity of evaluations and contributing to the achievement of objectives. The evaluation of interdisciplinary PBL activities emphasizes subject diversity, methodological variety, and comprehensive content. During the learning process, observe classroom behaviors such as actions, performances, presentations, operations, and writing by key participants, including students, teachers, groups, and courses. Integrate these observations with specific manifestations revealed through course assignments, project reports, practical activities, and assessments. Assess students’ written expression, oral communication, creativity, critical thinking, and practical skills based on their task completion and outcomes in authentic contexts. Prioritize individual differences to align objectives with core competency development, making the learning process “visible (Variacion et al., 2021; Jon-Chao et al., 2020).”

Design a multidimensional C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity evaluation rubric, encompassing four core dimensions: scientific inquiry, cultural understanding, interdisciplinary application, and innovative thinking. Conduct a comprehensive assessment aligned with performance-based evaluation indicators. Performance-based assessment indicators are evaluation criteria and assessment evidence established by teachers after setting learning objectives, based on students’ actual performance when solving problems in authentic contexts (Bataller et al., 2022). It must be grounded in authentic, performance-based tasks that demonstrate how students apply knowledge to real-world situations, and assessment criteria and performance standards should be communicated to students in advance. When designing assessment tools, it is not advisable to divide students’ learning levels into too many categories, as this makes implementation difficult for both teachers and students. C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity assessment employs a rubric with three performance levels—below standard, meets standard, and exemplary—to establish a diverse, evidence-based performance evaluation system. As shown in Table 4, timely evaluation and feedback were provided during the implementation of the activity.

Table 4

Table 4. C-steam performance-based assessment criteria and rubrics for interdisciplinary project-based learning activities.

6.2 Establishing an evaluation system for C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activities

The C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity evaluation system adheres to the “triangular mutual verification” principle. It ensures the objectivity, comprehensiveness, and depth of assessment outcomes through cross-validation of portfolio evaluations, student reflection reports, and survey data, as illustrated in Supplementary Figure S1. Showcasing achievements can boost student confidence and advance activity implementation, serving as an effective assessment method. The work produced by students during the project represents tangible outcomes that embody their knowledge, skills, and level of thinking, serving as the core basis for evaluation. Teachers use the Performance-Based Assessment Rubrics to score student work and must provide written feedback on each piece. They should cite specific descriptions from the rubrics to explain why a particular grade was assigned and offer students clear directions for improvement. Reflection reports are structured or semi-structured reflective texts written by students that reveal their thought processes, emotional experiences, and metacognitive abilities, thereby deepening the assessment. Teachers design reflection prompts centered on the rubric’s four dimensions to guide students in deep thinking. They must also review reflection reports and assess students’ proficiency across each dimension based on their self-assessments. The questionnaire survey collects anonymous data from all program participants to rapidly gather comprehensive feedback post-program, quantifying learning outcomes and attitude shifts. Teachers can convert the four dimensions of the rubric into a series of Likert-scale items, enabling analysis of questionnaire data such as means and standard deviations. The portfolio assessment addresses “what students can do,” the reflection report addresses “how students think and learn,” and the questionnaire survey addresses “how most students feel they have benefited.” The integration of these three approaches paints a comprehensive and in-depth “holographic portrait” of each student and the overall program’s teaching effectiveness—one that captures both the forest and the trees. By synthesizing the results from all three methods, a final evaluation conclusion is formed.

The evaluation of the C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity for the “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” painting employs a multidimensional, stakeholder approach. Based on performance-based assessment indicators and rubrics, process-oriented evaluation tools such as the “Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning Activity Implementation Effectiveness Assessment Form,” “Student Activity Performance Self-Assessment Form,” and “Practical Activity Record Sheet” have been designed. These tools, combined with the presentation of project outcomes, provide a comprehensive evaluation of students’ learning processes within the science curriculum.

7 Discussion and conclusion

C-STEAM education is a new paradigm of multidisciplinary integration that focuses on chemistry as an entry point for deep interdisciplinary learning through the incorporation of traditional Chinese culture. It is the best way to cultivate students’ comprehensive literacy, innovative thinking, interdisciplinary ability, and cultural self-confidence. Chinese outstanding traditional culture is a product of the wisdom of the Chinese nation. It is our rich cultural resources treasure trove that needs to be thoroughly excavated, extracted, and developed. These rich cultural elements should be integrated into various school curricula across disciplines through PBL design, enabling students to explore and learn the knowledge behind traditional culture. This process allows students to experience the deep cultural heritage, build cultural self-confidence, and strengthen national identity pride. The PBL design allows students to explore and learn the knowledge behind traditional culture while experiencing the profound cultural heritage, building cultural confidence, and enhancing national pride. The PBL design allows students to explore and learn the knowledge behind traditional culture while experiencing profound cultural heritage, building cultural confidence, and enhancing national pride. We must delve into and innovate the abundant resources of the chemistry curriculum found within the rich tapestry of traditional Chinese culture. Furthermore, it is essential to explore teaching methods, strategies, and modes that effectively integrate traditional Chinese culture into the chemistry classroom through practical teaching experiences. To achieve the fundamental objective of cultivating moral integrity, developing students’ core competencies, and fostering their holistic development, we need to commit to continuously improving, updating, and enriching our teaching materials. This includes emphasizing situational creation, enhancing evaluation systems, modernizing educational concepts in line with contemporary advancements, and promoting interdisciplinary integration alongside cross-cultural exchanges. Continuously refine, update, and enrich teaching materials; emphasize the creation of authentic contexts; continually improve the evaluation system; update educational philosophies; keep pace with the times; and promote subject integration and cross-cultural exchange.

The value and insights of the C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity centered on the Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains scroll extend beyond China’s domestic educational context. It offers a tangible, adaptable, localized practice model for the globally emerging STEAM education movement that emphasizes cultural diversity. First, this project provides a practical pathway for global STEAM education localization—transforming cultural resources into educational contexts—through a process of “cultural context anchoring—driving question design—multidisciplinary task decomposition.” Secondly, this project is deeply rooted in a specific culture, inspiring a more creative and inclusive educational model that demonstrates how cultural diversity serves as a source of innovation in STEAM education. Finally, the C-STEAM philosophy embodied in this project represents a valuable form of cross-cultural understanding education that cultivates students’ global perspective and capacity for empathy. In summary, the C-STEAM interdisciplinary PBL activity design for the “Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains” scroll powerfully demonstrates that cultural depth and scientific rigor can achieve perfect unity. Through the practice of C-STEAM education, we can not only safeguard cultural diversity but also propel global STEAM education toward a new phase that is more diverse, inclusive, and dynamic.

Author’s note

Research on the Adaptability of Chemistry Teachers in Senior High Schools in Western China under the Background of “Three Innovations” of “Innovative Stars” Project for Excellent Postgraduates in Gansu Province in 2022—Taking the immigrant middle school in Yongjing County, Gansu Province as an example.

Data availability statement

The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary material; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

Ethics statement

"Case Study on the Development of Chemistry Curriculum Resources under the New Educational Concept", a key project of the Tenth Five-Year Plan of the Chinese Chemical Society Chemical Education Committee in 2022 (Approval no. HJ2022-0001).

Author contributions

XJ: Writing – original draft, Conceptualization, Methodology, Investigation. SL: Investigation, Formal analysis, Writing – review & editing. ZM: Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition, Resources.

Funding

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Generative AI statement

The authors declare that no Gen AI was used in the creation of this manuscript.

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Supplementary material

The Supplementary material for this article can be found online at: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2025.1692998/full#supplementary-material

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