This four-day learning activity on the controversy of exclusion of gays and subsequently atheists in Boy Scouting is particularly relevant because it highlights the complexities that surround issues of equality, equity, the provision of leisure services, First Amendment rights, and the implications of court decisions on social justice. This lesson…

Educators advocate that science education can help the development of more responsible worldviews when students learn not only scientific concepts, but also about science, or "nature of science". Cosmology can help the formation of worldviews because this topic is embedded in socio-cultural and religious issues. Indeed, during the Cold…

In this two-part activity, high school biology students examine human karyotyping, sex-chromosome-linked disorders, and the relationship between biological sex and gender. Through interactive simulations and a structured discussion lab, students create a human karyotype and diagnose chromosomal disorders in hypothetical patients, as well as…

This article describes a process of role-playing simulation (RPS) as it was used during an educational exercise in community dialogue in the Karkonosze Mountains region of southwest Poland. Over the past decade Karkonosze National Park, a regional tourist magnet, has provided an excellent example of environmental conflict emerging from the…

In this article the author introduces the roles he created for two phases of a simulation on language planning in Malaysia. The first phase is a radio call-in show. This is followed by a debate before a panel of arbiters concerning a recent dispute related to English language teaching in Malaysian schools. The final phase involves debriefing (for…

Leadership is a social process that brings together the interests of multiple stakeholders for mutual benefit toward the common good (Burns, 1978; Rost, 1993). In an effort to engage individuals to understand the complexities of the leadership and public policy making processes the authors developed a simulation-debate exercise designed to target…

Describes the "Running for Elected Office" simulation that enables undergraduates to gain knowledge of the campaign process. Students assume the roles of candidates, staffers, or journalists undertaking a ten-week campaign. Discusses the general structure of weekly events, special events, student evaluation of the simulation, problems, and the…

Describes two classroom activities that introduce critical-thinking skills into social studies instruction. One is a debate, followed by position papers, on the contribution of Christopher Columbus. The other is a simulation of a Constitutional Amendment conference. Discusses which parts of the lessons specifically focus on critical-thinking…

Suggestions to help faculty discover ways of achieving interactive, investigatory, and intimate learning environments in large settings are provided. The instructional objective is to empower students to take responsibility for their own learning. (MLW)

Methods developed by faculty to involve students in the classroom are described in 13 articles, based on the experience of University of Minnesota faculty in the Northwest Area Program on Active Learning. Each article considers: how to get started, sample applications of the method, challenges and how to deal with them, rewards, and where to get…