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This unit models a simple ecosystem to provide students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions of organisms in ecosystems such as the flow of energy between trophic levels. Students will explore how computer models can be used to further their understanding of ecosystems. 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 the natural-world processes. They will engage in argumentation from evidence using the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework to assess the validity of the model. Finally, students will have the opportunity to suggest or 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