Active Learning Activities

Group Work Project Contracting

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

Electron Odyssey: Journey through the Mitochondria’s Electron Transport Chain

Students play the roles of protein complexes to see how electrons, protons, and energy moves through the ETC to produce ATP.

Taskmaster: Diction Icebreakers

These gamified activities will help sensitize students to the nuances of diction and allow them to work together.

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.

Crossing Dimensions: A Math Odyssey into Cross Products

In groups, students learn about orthogonality and cross products by creating geometrical shapes.

Nature of Science Ice-Breaker

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

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.

Card Sorting Activities for Mechanics

Feeling Feverish: Homeostasis of Pyrexia

An Abundance of Bells

Peerwise Assignment: Human Body

Categorizing for Review

Connotation Exercise: Interview and Presentation

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard

“Light, Camera, Action” Starring Reactions in Photosynthesis

Three-Tiered Writing

Mouse Coat Colour

Homophones Talent Show

Dictation: Read and Run

Fireweed and Seals, oh my! Mini Cases in Population Ecology

The Sailing Iguanas: A Mini Case in Speciation

AR’e You Talking to Me? Mini Case Study in Cell Signalling

Now you see me, Now you don’t: Fluorescent Tagging Membranes