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.

Mechanics in Motion: Iterative GIF Creation

In groups, students create GIFs to demonstrate and explain how mechanic principles apply in real-life scenarios.

Nature of Science Ice-Breaker

A first class ice-breaker activity introducing the nature of science.

Real-World Physics: Mini Video Projects

Controversy in the Science Classroom: Nature of Science Quiz

Can I Use the Internet?

Two Stage Quiz

Yeas and Nays: Using Smartphones for Gathering Data

Dictation: Read and Run

Let’s Role Play the French Revolution!

Pratique d’écriture

Cercles de Lecture (Reading Circles)

Rhetorical Strategies

Sketching the graph of a curve

Forget the Math! Draw pictures to learn the wave theory of light

Jigsaw Geography Presentation

Poetic Literary Jeopardy

Race for the Hat!

Systems Ball Toss

Problem Set Using Lightboard Video Recordings

Circus Launch Clicker Questions