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In this unit, students will apply concepts related to ecosystems, such as interdependent relationships, to run various experiments in the NetLogo model. The use and modification of the computational model provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of ecosystems such as how the diversity of an ecosystem contributes to its balance. Students will also learn how computer models are built and used as testbeds to run simulation experiments, and about professional practices and practitioners in computational biology.
Students will decode the model and then compare it with what they know about natural-world processes. They will engage in argumentation from evidence using the Claims, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework to assess the validity of the model. Finally, students will have the opportunity to make modifications to the model to match their understanding of processes and/or answer new questions.
Resources available:
- Student materials in Google Documents
- Teacher guide in PDF with pacing guide and standards
- Teacher workbook with answer keys