The key to student success lies in engaging students in their own learning. Finding ways to move from a “sage on the stage” to a more dynamic format that requires students to be involved in the learning process is challenging in any setting but is particularly difficult in large enrollment courses. Skits and demonstrations in the lecture hall can be used as a way to clear up student misconceptions and as a platform for teaching study skills in the context of the curriculum. These activities can be paired with a think-pair-share approach in combination with “clickers” or similar response tools to ensure full class engagement and probe the level of understanding of the students. Including activities of this nature livens up the classroom and makes it a smaller, friendlier environment than a straight lecture approach. Included here are examples of demonstrations and skits we have created for use in our Introductory Biology courses. While you can use the videos in your class, we highly recommend you run them live in your classroom for maximum impact. Instructor’s notes are included with information on materials preparation and directions for implementing the activities.

Skits & Demo Materials

• Lecture Hall Etiquette 101 Video
  An entertaining and instructive video starring senior UH students sharing how to maximize your academic success by following some basic rules of behavior and etiquette in the lecture hall.
• Meiosis Skit Video
  A larger-than-life demonstration of the stages of meiosis (prophase I, metaphase I, anaphase I, telophase I and cytokinesis, prophase II, metaphase II, anaphase II, telophase II and cytokinesis) using pool noodles and student volunteers.
  • Larger than Life Meiosis Lecture Hall Script
• Alpha Helix Instructor’s Video Video
  This video for instructors provides directions for implementing an engaging, hands-on activity to introduce students to primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure and the elucidation of the structure of the alpha-helix by Linus Pauling and some of the basic features of the structure.
  • Alpha Helix Teacher Instructions
  • Alpha Helix Template
• A Primer on Enzymes and Inhibitors Video
  An overview of enzyme and inhibitor function using a larger than life model created for the lecture hall. Induced fit, competitive inhibition, and allosteric inhibition are discussed.
• Specific Heat of Water Video
  A demonstration utilizing balloons to illustrate the consequences of the high specific heat of water.
• Cellular Respiration
  • Cellular Respiration Video Video
    Help students review the details of cellular respiration using this active learning demonstration suitable for the classroom or lecture hall.
  • Directions for Instructors
• Fluid Mosaic Model (Lipid Bilayers)
  • Fluid Mosaic Model Video Video
    Demonstration uses students and props to show parts of the phospholipid bilayer of the cell membrane, review hydrophobic vs. hydrophilic interactions, and saturated vs. unsaturated fatty acids.
  • Directions for instructors
  • Condensed Instructor’s Guide for Lipid Skit
• Muscle Contraction
  • Muscle Contraction Instructor’s Video Video
    This video demonstrates how a muscle contraction works using dancers to illustrate the process and discusses the value of using motion to enhance the learning of complex material. Dance based on an activity by Janice Meeking and Katja Hoehn (Dec 2002) Advances in Physiology Education. 26:4, 342–345.
  • Dancing Your Science-Integrating Dance as a Teaching Strategy to Illustrate Scientific Concepts Video Video
• Transcription and Translation
  • Transcription and Translation Video Video
    A larger than life demonstration of transcription and translation for the college lecture hall. Students transcribe the DNA template to mRNA and then translate the mRNA to protein.
  • Directions for Instructors