Active Learning Activities

Keeping Up With the Trends

This activity is aimed at getting students to be able to write sound, scientific rationales for observed phenomena.

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.

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

Group Problem Solving with Show and Tell

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

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.

Circus Launch Clicker Questions

Forces Scavenger Hunt

Chemicards

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

Explosives Detective

Area Under the Curve

Problem Sorting

Newton’s Third Law