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.

Put Your Theory on Trial

Scaffolded debate that explores the nuances of a belief that the teacher has introduced.

Taskmaster: Diction Icebreakers

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

Find Someone Who… An Icebreaker With Purpose

In this activity, students try to find someone for each list item. Items highlight key issues explored in the course.

Crossing Dimensions: A Math Odyssey into Cross Products

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

Snowball Starter: Goals of Science Education

In this activity, the snowball strategy links students' prior beliefs to a deeper inquiry of science education goals.

More Than One Way to Cook an Egg: Exploring Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Teams explore Gardner's Theory, present one component, summarize presentation content, and conduct a self-assessment.

Nature of Science Ice-Breaker

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

Crash Course: Collision Theory

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

An Abundance of Bells

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Crystallization of Borax

CLAW At-Home Experiment: Organic Chemistry Introduction to Solubility

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

Rock Paper Scissors Lizard

Let’s Role Play the French Revolution!

Rhetorical Strategies

Projects on Junot Diaz: “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”

Understanding Terminology Using Jigsaw