Active Learning

Blogs on this page include lessons with an element of "hands-on" activities where students physically engaged with materials related to the concepts being learned.

Math on the move (Math 9) 
Students practice measurement skills using angles and shadows outside on a beautiful day. Key concepts in the curriculum are made active and relevant.

Using personal devices to demontrate understanding (Law)
Students use personal devices to demonstrate understanding of terms in Law class. (photos)

Spy Vs. Spy
Learning Elements of the Cold War by playing trying to solve clues involving secret double agents. (Video included)

"Playdough Pictionary"
Students learn new vocabulary by playing a game similar to Pictionary but using playdough instead.

Window Writers
Students work in groups and demonstrate their understanding by drawing and writing on windows. (Video Included)

3D Versions of Mitosis using Yarn
Students demonstrate their understanding in science by creating 3D explanations. Note: this post combines commentary about a Spanish class as well.

Creating simple visuals to engage learners and improve memory
Students simplify notes onto a paper construction and connect it to the concepts being learned. (Photo Included)

Christmas Toy Project (Math) Part I
Students create simply toys to demonstrate their understanding of surface area (Video Included)

Christmas Toy Project (Math) Part II
Students create simple toys to demonstrate their understanding of surface area (Video Included)

Using Mini-Chocolate Bars to teach ratios
Sitting on the floor and using mini-chocolate bars to learn ratios and percents (Photos included)

Playdough For Visualizing Concepts
Students create play dough sculptures while to help them demonstrate understanding of key concepts in a social studies classroom.

Cameras In Class
Students use digital cameras to capture key character elements in the play they are studying. (Photos included)

Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Government
Students write and act out songs to remember the three levels of Canadian Government (Video Included)

Comic Life
Students used an engaging and user friendly software program to demonstrate their understanding of lab safety rules. (Video and Photos included)

Movement and Technology
Students use cameras to create visual images to represent concepts from their geography class.

Linear Equations with play dough Students use play dough to create physical representation of linear equations (video and photo included)

Pirate Packs and Poetry Students use White Spot pirate boats to record key information from a core poem in the course (video included)

Impersonating Characters in English 9 Lit Circles Students chose key elements that represent characters from their lit circle novels and use them to create costumes that they wear around the school to promote their books. (photos included)

Creative Ideas for Teaching Pythagorean Theorum
Puzzles, Sticky Notes, and Kite Flying...

Tetrahedral Kites
Building (and flying) 3-D kites to teach volume and surface area

Coat-of-Arms T-Shirts
Students learn the concepts of heraldry and create their own T-shirts with original crests that use symbols to represent their personal interests, values, and heritage (photo slideshow)

Edible Rational Numbers
Making positive and negative fractions with rice krispie squares and placing them on a giant number line at the end of the class (photos and video) 

King Lear Cranium
Based on the  board game "Cranium" this review activity lets students demonstrate their understanding of a unit through drawing, sculpture, drama, and trivia. 


Using small sculptures in Comparative Civilizations
Students research Chinese characters to represent culture and history on their cell phones. and then construct small pinch tea cups out of clay. (photo)

Whiteboards in Spanish
Whiteboards are used to create movement and dialogue in a Spanish classroom (photos and video)

Picture This (Math)
Using digital cameras to allow students to find fractions in the world around them, and then to allow them to explain their understanding.  (photos)