Active Learning Activities

Find Someone Who… An Icebreaker With Purpose

In this activity, students try to find someone for each list item. Items highlight key issues explored in the course.

Silent Discussion

Conduct a discussion in your class without students ever speaking a word!

Reimagining the Reading Quiz: Peer Instruction in English

Students do a reading quiz in class and revise their answers after developing and sharing a rationale for their choice.

Snowball Starter: Goals of Science Education

In this activity, the snowball strategy links students' prior beliefs to a deeper inquiry of science education goals.

More Than One Way to Cook an Egg: Exploring Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Teams explore Gardner's Theory, present one component, summarize presentation content, and conduct a self-assessment.

Who Are You? A Multidimensional Examination of Self-Concept

Students investigate their self-concept, compare it to a classmate, assess differences between self- and social perception.

It’s All in the Delivery: 6 Rounds to Effective Presentation

Groups of students orally present a poem six times, focusing on six key aspect of effective oral presentations

To Pass or Not to Pass: Acting out membrane transport

Aim of the activity is to increase students’ understanding of molecules’ movement through the cell membrane.

An Abundance of Bells

Peerwise Assignment: Human Body

Yeas and Nays: Using Smartphones for Gathering Data

In-Class Think Pieces: Course Pack

Building Effective Teams

Let’s Role Play the French Revolution!

Identity Dot Exercise

Rhetorical Strategies

Projects on Junot Diaz: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”

Putting the “You” in education: Using self-reflections for learning

Understanding Terminology Using Jigsaw

Why Health & Safety is Essential to Recreation Leadership

Having Students Read and Apply Essay Feedback

Poetic Literary Jeopardy

Who am I: (Mis)conceptions of Self

Holding Your Seat: A Mindfulness Exercise