How to Embed a Simulation in Canvas LMS

If you want to embed a simulation in Canvas so students can run a virtual experiment right inside a page or assignment, it takes about two minutes. This guide walks you through it with Simulic: copy the embed code, paste it with Insert → Embed, place the page in a module, and choose between questions on the simulation itself and a Canvas quiz. You will also learn how to set the frame height so nothing gets cut off, and what to check when the frame comes up blank.

What you need

• A free Simulic teacher account. Students never need one.
• Edit rights on the Canvas course (teacher or designer role).
• A simulation. This guide uses the density simulation, where students drop blocks in a tank of water to see whether they sink or float.
• Two minutes to test the page as a student before you publish it.

Step 1: Copy the embed code from Simulic

1. Open the simulation page and click Share.
2. On the Simulation tab, set the starting values you want. For the density simulation, choose the Intro screen and a material such as wood. These settings are pinned to the new link.
3. Go to the Share Links tab. Under New link, name the link after the Canvas section, for example "Science 7 · Section B", choose the Language, and click Create link.
4. In the link card, open Embed code and click Copy embed code.

Create one link per section. Each link keeps its own play count and its own answers, and Duplicate gives you a copy for the next section with the same settings and question set but no answers.

Step 2: Paste it into a Canvas page or assignment

1. In Canvas, open the page or assignment and click Edit to open the editor.
2. Type your instructions first, then put the cursor where the simulation should appear.
3. Choose Insert → Embed.
4. Paste the embed code and confirm.
5. Save the page or assignment.

At the time of writing, these are the menu names in Canvas. Your institution may run a slightly different version, so if the labels differ, look for the option that inserts embed code. The in-app embed help page lists the short version for Canvas and eight other platforms.

After saving, preview the page as a student (Canvas has a student view for this). Run the simulation once and check that the frame is tall enough for any questions underneath.

Try what your students will see

This is the density simulation embedded the same way it will sit in your Canvas page. Pick a material, drop the block and watch the water level. Then switch to the Compare screen, choose blocks with the same mass and notice which ones float: the same mass spread over a larger volume means a lower density.

Put the simulation in a module

Most Canvas courses are organized in modules, so the page with the simulation should live there too.

1. Save the page with the embedded simulation.
2. Open your course modules and add the page to the right module the way you add any page.
3. Publish the page and the module item when you are ready for students.

If you prefer students to open the simulation full screen, for example on phones, add the play link (Copy link on the Share page) to the module as a link instead of an embed. Many teachers do both: the embed on the lab page, and the plain link as a backup for small screens.

Questions on the simulation or a Canvas quiz?

You have two ways to collect answers. Pick by what you need the answers for.

	Questions on the Simulic link	Canvas quiz
Where students answer	Below the simulation, inside the embed	In Canvas
Student identity	A nickname they type	Their Canvas account
Grades	Results table and CSV on the Share page	Canvas gradebook
Best for	Quick checks, predictions, lab data	Graded tests

Questions on the link. On the Questions tab of the Share page, build a question set: up to 5 questions (short text, multiple choice or number) and up to 3 prediction questions that keep the simulation locked until students commit. Pick the set for the link and the questions appear inside the embed. Number questions are checked automatically with a tolerance. For example:

• Number: "A block has a mass of 3.0 kg and a volume of 6.0 L. What is its density in kg/L?" Answer 0.5, tolerance ± 0.02.
• Multiple choice: "Will that block sink or float in water?" Correct: float, because 0.5 kg/L is less than water's 1 kg/L.
• Prediction: "Two blocks have the same mass. One has twice the volume. Which one has the lower density?" Correct: the bigger one, with half the density.

Ask students for a nickname or first name only, never full names or emails. You see the results on the link card, and Download CSV gives you a spreadsheet. The free plan collects 100 student answers a month; Pro removes the limit (see pricing). Simulic does not send scores to the Canvas gradebook.

A Canvas quiz. If the answers must be graded in Canvas, write the questions in a Canvas quiz and point students to the simulation from the quiz or from the page before it. How to place a simulation next to quiz questions is covered in how to add simulations to quiz questions.

Getting the height right

The embed code starts at 640 px tall. It ends with a small script that makes the frame grow with its content, which matters when questions sit under the simulation. Canvas usually removes script tags from page content, so plan for the fixed height:

• Simulation only: 640 px is fine.
• With 2–3 questions: change height="640" to about 850 before you paste.
• With 5 questions and predictions: try 1000–1100.

If the page is already saved, open the editor's HTML view, find height="640" in the iframe and change the number. A frame that is a little too tall wastes some space; one that is too short makes students scroll inside a box, which is easy to miss on a laptop.

Troubleshooting

The frame is blank after saving

Open the page in the editor's HTML view. If the <iframe> line is missing, your Canvas instance did not keep it; ask your Canvas administrator whether embedded content from simulic.com is allowed. If the iframe is there but empty only on school devices, a web filter may be blocking simulic.com.

The frame says the link is not available or has expired

"This Simulic link is no longer available" means the link is turned off: click Turn on link on the Share page. "This Simulic link has expired" means a last day was set in the Pro Options; change or clear it.

Students do not see the questions

Check that a question set is chosen for that link under Question set on the link card. If it is, the frame is probably too short; raise the height.

Answers from two sections are mixed

Both sections use the same embed code. Duplicate the link, paste the new code into the second section's page, and answers will separate from then on.

For other platforms and the general picture, see the guide to embedding a simulation in your LMS.

FAQ

Do students need to log in to see the embedded simulation?

They log in to Canvas as usual, but not to Simulic. The embed sets no cookies, so it keeps working when browsers block third-party cookies.

Does Simulic sync grades with the Canvas gradebook?

No. Simulic shows answers on the Share page and exports them as CSV. Use a Canvas quiz if the grade has to live in Canvas.

Why is the embedded simulation cut off?

Canvas removed the resize script, so the frame stays 640 px tall. Raise height="640" in the embed code.

Can I embed the same simulation in several courses?

Yes. Create one link per course or section so answers and play counts stay separate.

Can I put the simulation in a Canvas quiz question?

If your quiz editor offers the same Insert → Embed option, the same code works there. The quiz guide explains when that helps and when a separate page is better.