Active Learning Activities

Group Work Project Contracting

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

Put Your Theory on Trial

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

Past, Present & Future: A Belize Timeline

Students collaborate to create a historical timeline for a country they will soon be travelling to.

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.

It’s All in the Delivery: 6 Rounds to Effective Presentation

Groups of students orally present a poem six times, focusing on six key aspect of effective oral presentations

Real-World Physics: Mini Video Projects

These mini-video projects require students to engage with course concepts and make connections to the world in which we live.

Can I Use the Internet?

Physics Worksheet Based Activity

The aim of the activity is the application of concepts and math to solve complex problems.

Peer Review, Assessment & Feedback

Group Problem Solving with Show and Tell

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

Model Building

Students learn to build a conceptual model describing a situation involving an accelerating charged particle.

Yeas and Nays: Using Smartphones for Gathering Data

Building Effective Teams

Sustainability Development Plan (Part 1 and Part 2)

In this activity, students learn to define sustainability and apply this to a single Montreal neighbourhood. 

Understanding Agro-Ecosystems by Observing, Writing & Discussing

In this semester-long activity, students visit a farm several times to engage in a critical analysis of that ecosystem.

Mine Ventilation Design

In this semester-long activity, students design and analyze mine ventilation systems as well as problem-solving skills.

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

Jigsaw Geography Presentation

Geography Video Test

The aim of this project is to get students thinking about facts and concepts related to rivers in the field (in real life!).

Engineering Poster Presentations with Peer Assessment

Peer Review Calibration and Constructive Feedback Workshop

This activity's goal is to familiarize students with the peer review process and teach them how to accept peer criticism.

Talk to Your Neighbour

The aim of this activity is to grab student attention and have them work on problems related to material just presented.

Bottle Rocket Tracker

Using video and Tracker software, students learn to analyze and fit equations of motion to raw data.

Dart Gun Velocity

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