Active Learning Activities

Editing Exercise: Mock Academic Conference

Research, writing & editing activity that builds interpretive skills and the ability to incorporate research.

Finding Catharsis in Film and Media

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

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.

Taskmaster: Diction Icebreakers

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

Silent Discussion

Conduct a discussion in your class without students ever speaking a word!

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.

Crossing Dimensions: A Math Odyssey into Cross Products

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

Can I Use the Internet?

An Abundance of Bells

5 Senses Lab

Connotation Exercise: Interview and Presentation

This activity introduces basic concepts of literary analysis and interpretation.

Who are We? Class Demographics

In this icebreaker activity, students answer questions about themselves, which is included in a anonymous class profile.

Interrupted Case Study in Material Engineering

This activity uses real life case study examples to give students a more in-depth look at analytics.

Activité sur les Homophones

Students pick a homophone out of a hat and are asked to first analyze and prepare a short 2 minute teaching lesson.

Cercles de Lecture (Reading Circles)

Rhetorical Strategies

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.

Jigsaw Geography Presentation

Problem Set Using Lightboard Video Recordings

Piece of Paper Question