While learning about electric potentials, I intentionally moved students through different modes of engaging with material—small group, whole class, and individual learning experiences—with the goal of developed learner skills in different contexts. Students worked in small groups during the inquiry activity, exploring patterns through interactive simulations and building foundational content knowledge and social skills common to collaborative experiences. The class then moved to whole-group discussions: volunteers were asked to physically act out the motion of charges in various electric potential differences, and students had to have respectful dialogue about the interpretation of this phenomenon. Content knowledge was reconstructed further and the classroom norm of evidence-based arguments was reinforced. Finally, students engaged in more self-directed research using their laptops. They would use their current understanding of electric fields in order to make sense of real-world applications aligned with their interests. The autonomy from individual learning and the social demands of group construction were supported by the learning environment.