Active Learning Activities

Constructive Commentary

This activity guides students through set steps and strategies to comment on their peers' creative writing.

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.

Data Mining and Sorting: Scaffolding the Exploration of Scientific Articles

The purpose of this activity is to deepen students' understanding of cardiac pathophysiology.

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

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

Card Sorting Activities for Mechanics

Categorizing for Review

Peer Review, Assessment & Feedback

Call Me By My Organelle

In this single-class activity, students use cards to match cells with their organelles and functions.

Gender Socialization throughout the Life Course

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

Building Effective Teams

The Matching Game

Students use a matching game to pair chemical compounds and their characteristics using a set of question cards.

If You’re Not Part of the Solution You’re Part of the Precipitate

Photosynthesis: Light Dependent Reactions

From “Yum” to “Yuk”: A Case in Point… Mutation

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

Who am I: (Mis)conceptions of Self

Does X Associate with Y?

Concept Map: Furniture Design Time Ripple

Homeostasis: Mapping the Endocrine System

Biological Molecules

Kinematics Concept Mapping

Nucleic Acids

This is an application-based activity that draws upon lesson material students have seen in previous classes.