Active Learning Activities

Group Work Project Contracting

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

Taskmaster: Diction Icebreakers

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

From Bauhaus to Britney: A Catchall Timeline

Students map key movements in Architecture and Design alongside social, political, artistic, economic, and tech milestones.

Navigating the Grey: Ethics in Nursing

In this card sorting activity, students create categories with words related to ethics in nursing.

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.

The Heart of the Matter: Exploring Exercise in Cardiac Disease

Before class, students read an article and gather 5 elements. In class, they "pool" findings and sort into categories.

Nature of Science Ice-Breaker

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

Cross-Disciplinary Synergy 101: Uniting Expertise for Success

In teams, students interact, share information on their profession, and create cases where each discipline is needed

Crash Course: Collision Theory

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

Rough Draft Workshop: Group Peer Assessment Jigsaw Activity for Case Study or Procedural Writing

Students bring a rough draft of a written group project for peer evaluation and feedback

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.

Feeling Feverish: Homeostasis of Pyrexia

Can I Use the Internet?

An Abundance of Bells

Peerwise Assignment: Human Body

Gender Socialization throughout the Life Course

Students complete a grid that illustrates different life periods that reinforce gender narratives.

Harvard Implicit Bias Test

Mouse Coat Colour

Let’s Role Play the French Revolution!

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