Winston-Salem State University incorporates critical thinking and oral communication into general education learning outcomes and assessment. To teach these critical skills, the authors used active learning techniques in a first-year seminar on animal behavior. Students performed simulation experiments and orally presented their findings. Their performance was assessed using grade sheets mapped to university-standard rubrics. Overall, student learning gains were promising. Students showed progress in critical thinking, particularly summarizing (sign test, P = 0.0019). Oral communication gains were more modest. Preliminary outcomes suggest that the hands-on active learning approaches that were employed are effective for teaching students critical skills.