This extended abstract details one instructor’s experience in incorporating hands-on laboratory portion in a junior level civil engineering class, Environmental Engineering. The objective of the change was to help students become more involved and aware of their own learning through active participation so that they can relate to course contents in a better way. The author sought to achieve this through a laboratory structure that 1) required students to reflect on certain topics and device a do-it-yourself experiment to measure certain parameters and 2) provided a level of autonomy by allowing them to choose to work alone or in small groups. The author implemented changes over a period of couple of years and made changes in types of laboratory experiments to suit course contents as well as to promote active and hands-on learning. Students’ participation in various types of labs made the course more interesting and students showed better involvement in class discussion. Instructor reflections and conclusions are included.