Active Learning Activities

Finding Catharsis in Film and Media

Students analyze a film or piece of media watched in the course using two concepts: climax and catharsis.

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.

Crash Course: Collision Theory

Students use PhET simulation to learn how factors affect reaction rate (collision theory) through hands-on activities

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Crystallization of Borax

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Organic Chemistry Introduction to Solubility

Group Problem Solving with Show and Tell

Students learn to build a conceptual model describing a Mechanics-based situation and practice mathematical problem-solving.

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Spectrophotometry Using Gatorade

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Volumetric Analysis of Household Acid with Cabbage Juice

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Paper Chromatography of Food Dyes and Ink

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Colligative Properties

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Activation Energy in Chemical Kinetics

CLAW At-Home Experiment: The Rate Law in Chemical Kinetics Using Blue Dye

The Matching Game

Students use a matching game to pair chemical compounds and their characteristics using a set of question cards.

The Right Tool for the Right Job

This activity encourages students to consider the nature of a chemistry problem and to identify the tools to solve it.

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

Bottle Rocket Tracker

In this activity, students learn to analyze and fit equations of motion to raw data using video and Tracker software.

Dart Gun Velocity

In this activity, students will find the muzzle velocity of a foam dart gun and predict its maximum range.

Forces Scavenger Hunt

Chemicards

Using cards in a "Chemicard' deck, students determine which ionic compounds are most likely to form.

Area Under the Curve

Projectile Tracker

Students use the Tracker software to analyze projectile motion to determine which equations fit the plots produced.