Active Learning Activities

Group Work Project Contracting

For instructors planning student group work projects over many weeks or months.

Running on Water: Activating Prior Knowledge of Static Equilibrium

Students watch, discuss, then analyze the veracity of a video in which hydrophobic shoes allow people to run on water.

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.

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.

Card Sorting Activities for Mechanics

Peerwise Assignment: Human Body

Categorizing for Review

Connotation Exercise: Interview and Presentation

Solving World Issues One Smartphone at a Time

4 Sociological Perspectives: Working with Theoretical Frameworks

Three-Tiered Writing

The Perry Scheme of Intellectual Development

Homophones Talent Show

Family HiStories of Migration

Students interview two members of their family to collect information about their family history and present it in class.

Reflective Reading on Islam

Students use homework questions to prompt a deeper engagement with the reading material to generate better class discussion.

Identity Dot Exercise

Forget the Math! Draw Pictures to Learn the Wave Theory of Light

Who am I: (Mis)conceptions of Self

Holding Your Seat: A Mindfulness Exercise

Teacher for a Day: Defining a Definition

Presentation skills: Conveying emotion

Kinematics Concept Mapping