Avoid this
- Choosing a topic that is too broad
- Treating opinions as facts
- Ignoring who benefits and who is burdened
High school project idea · Law, Policy & Society
The Rulebook Behind Everyday Life
Investigate a law or policy that shapes daily life and explain why it matters.
Everyday life has a rulebook. Understanding it helps people become better citizens.
Original Compass project by Davisville LabsReviewed August 2026Goal real work, evidence, and reflectionEditorial standards →
Why this project matters
Learn by doing something real.
Laws and policies shape daily life in ways people often do not notice: school rules, phone use, transportation, housing, work, privacy, safety, social media, public spaces, and local services. This project helps students look behind ordinary experiences and understand the rules, institutions, and decisions that shape them. Students learn that civic life is not distant. It is built into the systems they use every day.
What you will create
Your project plan
Use these deliverables as milestones for The Rulebook Behind Everyday Life. Adapt the details to your interests, available time, and real-world opportunities.
- 01
Law or Policy Selection
Choose one specific law, policy, rule, ordinance, or regulation that affects everyday life in a real community or setting.
- 02
Rulebook Research Brief
Research what the law or policy says, who created it, why it exists, and what credible sources explain about it.
- 03
Everyday Impact Map
Explain how the policy affects students, families, workers, businesses, public spaces, technology, transportation, housing, or community life.
- 04
Stakeholder Perspective Notes
Gather perspectives through interviews, surveys, public comments, news coverage, or official documents to understand how different people experience the policy.
- 05
Public Policy Explainer
Publish a portfolio-ready explainer or case study that teaches others what the policy does, why it matters, who it affects, and what questions remain.
Make the work stronger
What separates a finished project from a meaningful one?
For The Rulebook Behind Everyday Life, use these checkpoints to protect the quality of the work without turning the project into a performance for admissions.
Evidence that it is working
- A specific law or policy was chosen
- Credible sources were researched
- Everyday impact was mapped
If you want to go further
- Interview someone affected by the policy
- Create a one-page student-friendly rights or rules guide
Skills you can build
Capabilities that travel beyond this project.
ResearchCivic LiteracyCritical ThinkingCommunicationPerspective Taking
College application value
Use the project as evidence, not decoration.
Demonstrates intellectual curiosity, civic engagement, research ability, analytical thinking, communication, responsibility, and the ability to connect public systems to everyday life.
Intellectual CuriosityCivic EngagementAnalytical ThinkingCommunicationResponsibility
The goal of The Rulebook Behind Everyday Life is not to manufacture an impressive activity. Do real work, keep evidence of the process, and reflect honestly on what changed.
Related college majors
Which fields connect to this work?
Use The Rulebook Behind Everyday Life as a clue, then open a related major guide to compare coursework, career directions, reality checks, and other ways to test the field.
How this guide was made
Read editorial standards →The Rulebook Behind Everyday Life is an original Compass educational starting point designed around real work, visible evidence, feedback, and reflection. It is not an admissions guarantee.
Ready to build it?
Try this project in Compass