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Natural Selection Prey and Predator

This post includes a link to a model that can be used with the OpenSciEd Bacteria Food Hunt Unit net logo simulation.

Decode NYC Models

In the NSF-funded DecodeNYC program at the American Museum of Natural History, middle school students use the agent-based game and simulation programming environment StarLogo Nova to use, modify, decode, and create scientific models to test different strategies for fighting Lyme disease and answer questions about their urban ecosystem.

COVID-19 Modelling Challenge

Learn basic StarLogo Nova skills then use those skills to customize your model to reflect how Coronavirus spreads. To that model, you can add different strategies and study the impact of the strategies on containing COVID-19’s spread.

Locating the Epicenter of an Earthquake Lesson

Identify the location of an earthquake epicenter using a travel time graph and three seismograph tracings. The epicenter is the point on Earth's surface directly above an earthquake. Seismic stations detect earthquakes by the tracings made on seismographs. Tracings made at three separate seismic stations are needed to locate an earthquake epicenter.

Skill Building Deck

A slide deck of exercises to build CS and decoding skills

CS in Science Module 5: Greenhouse Gases

This Earth Science module explores greenhouse gases and climate change. The global climate system is presented as a complex system with feedback loops and interconnected processes. The goal is to clarify what is known, what scientists believe is happening and how climate change impacts our environment and species. Students use, modify, and customize an agent-based model of the build-up of greenhouse gases and its impact on the climate. This is an alternative to the Module 2: Water Resources

Coding Challenges

Coding Challenge are a series of short challenges that focus on improving coding skills using StarLogo Nova. Each set of challenges focuses on a specific concept: degrees & heading, x & y coordinates and randomness, conditions including absolute value and percent chance, adding color to the terrain and repeat loops, using the z coordinate, and other computer science concepts (logic blocks, data collection),.

CS in Science Module 3: Ecosystems as Complex Systems (for StarLogo Nova 2.0)

This Life Science module begins with an exploration of a simple predator-prey model to consider who eats whom—and what happens when one population grows faster than another. Students develop their own model of a local ecosystem and learn about ecosystem dynamics, producers and consumers, and interdependent relationships within an ecosystem. This module has been updated for StarLogo Nova 2.0 (HTML5/JavaScript version, updated 2017).

CS in Science Module 2: Shared Water Resources (StarLogo Nova 2.0)

In this Earth Science module, students will investigate the importance of ground water and the impacts of water usage on aquifer levels. They will also explore how to model important parts of the water cycle, including evaporation and infiltration of water into different types of soils to recharge the aquifers. This updated resource corresponds to StarLogo Nova 2.0 (HTML5/JavaScript version), a modeling and simulation environment developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

CS in Science Curriculum (binder) compatible with StarLogo Nova 2.0

This is the pdf of the complete CS in Science curriculum. Print copies can be ordered from Mimeo.

Daisy world

A model demonstrating the albedo effect of black or white surfaces. Use as a part of the Climate Change and Agriculture Project GUTS Curricular Unit, or as a stand-alone model, activity, and video.

Math Challenges in StarLogo TNG

This activity reviews the use of angles, heading, x, y, and z coordinates, and random ranges in StarLogo TNG. It corresponds to the coding challenges for StarLogo Nova (see related link). .

Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in StarLogo TNG

What do we know about climate change? This unit discusses climate change: what it means, what the difference is between climate and weather, and evidence of climate change. It also discusses the global climate system as a complex system with feedback loops, and the current state of the art in the computational modeling of climate change. Our goal is to clarify what is known, what scientists guess is happening, and how climate change impacts our environment and species.

Water as a Shared Resource for StarLogo TNG

As the human population grows, it is becoming increasingly important to understand how humans affect the environment and to consider how we are using and managing our limited resources. This unit examines water as an important resource to be shared and managed to ensure its future availability.

This unit explores water as a shared resource using StarLogo TNG. For the related unit using StarLogo NOVA, see CS in Science Curriculum Module 2.

Epidemiology for StarLogo TNG

How do diseases spread?  In this Project GUTS unit, students research contagious diseases and customize a computer model to explore how disease — or gossip, bullying or fashion— might spread within their school or neighborhood.

The primary goal of this unit is to engage students in simple interactive activities to explore epidemiology concepts, and in the use, modification, and creation of agent-based models to conduct experiments on simple contagion.

Ecosystems for StarLogo TNG

What keeps an ecosystem in balance? Students begin with a simple predator-prey model to consider who eats whom—and what happens when one population grows faster than the others. The primary goal of this unit is to engage students in simple interactive activities to explore ecosystems concepts, and in the use, modification, and creation of agent-based models to conduct experiments on simple virtual ecosystems.