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Complex Adaptive Systems Background Resources

The attached files can provide teachers and students with some simple background explanations of complex adaptive systems and feedback loops.

Guía de estudiantes para la actividad "Dados y datos" (Dice & Data)

Esta es la hoja de actividad para los estudiantes para "Dados y datos", una actividad de probabilidad. La probabilidad juega un rol importante en los modelos de sistemas complejos adaptativos. En esta actividad se programan agentes para imitar el movimiento de criaturas en el mundo real. También eventos aleatorios que ocurren cuando los agentes interactúen como por ejemplo contagiar una persona a otra.

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.

Pond Ecosystem Biograph project

Ecosystems are made up of interacting, interdependent parts, which are always interacting with and changing each other. Healthy ecosystems are long-lasting. In a long-lasting ecosystem the number of plants and animals may increase and decrease over time, but there are always enough individuals to reproduce and establish the next generation. In this Biograph Virtual Lab your challenge is to build a model of a long-lasting, healthy pond ecosystem using Toolblox programming blocks.

Code.org and SLNova Computer Science Concepts

This is a 4 week unit for a Computer Technology class in a middle school. Students are introduced to computer science concepts through lessons in Code.org's Course 3. Students then apply those concepts in SLNova projects.

An Example of CT in the Workplace

This is an example of how a computer modeler uses various aspect of computational thinking while designing, creating and using a computer model as a tool to think with.

Feedback loops

This document provides background information on feedback loops in complex adaptive systems.

Guía de referencia de bloques de StarLogo NOVA

Se trata de una guía que describe los bloques de comandos más comunes utilizados en StarLogo NOVA en el curso MOOC de Project GUTS en español. Están agrupados según el módulo en que se utilizan.

Guía de conceptos de ciencias de la computación

Se trata de una guía que describe varios conceptos de ciencias de la computación agrupados por categorías como eventos, instrucciones y programas, iteraciones, etc.
Explica y ejemplifica diferentes conceptos como por ejemplo: ¿Qué es un bucle o loop?

Bloques de código para modelo de cambio climático

Es una hoja de referencia con los bloques de código necesarios para el modelo de cambio climático. Se explica bloque por bloque qué función cumple cada estructura en cada pestaña de la programación con StarLogo NOVA.

What is a Complex Adaptive System?

A brief explanation of the characteristics of Complex Adaptive Systems, with a few examples of activities that demonstrate these characteristics.

Tiburón en medio de un cardumen de peces en el fondo del océano

¿Complejo o complicado?

¿Complejo o Complicado? utiliza una presentación de diapositivas para crear una actividad que se utiliza para involucrar a los estudiantes en argumentar basándose en evidencias y mejorar su comprensión sobre los sistemas adaptativos complejos.

Vocabulary for Code.org & SLNova

This is a Quizlet link to some vocabulary useful for students to know using SLNova.

Line graphs in StarLogo Nova

A brief summary of how to decode a line graph in StarLogo Nova.

Screen shot of code from completed model

Alternative Intro to StarLogo Nova - Modeling Change Lesson 1

The first part of the Modeling Change Unit can be used as a fun stand-alone programming activity for students unfamiliar with StarLogo Nova. It guides students to build a model that use keyboard controls to change the two-dimensional location of agents (in section 1a) and change other traits including the third dimension (z), shape, color, and heading (in section 1b).

Screen shot from model showing projectile motion

Modeling Change

This contributed curriculum physics unit introduces and builds models to explore concepts of independent and dependent change, constant and variable x and y change, gravity, and projectile motion. Each lesson contains detailed instructions on how to build each model, and links to base models and completed projects. Modeling Change Lesson 1 is also uploaded as an independent resource (since it can serve as an alternative introduction to StarLogo Nova).

Kinesthetic Flower Turtles Activity

This activity is an extension to the CS in Science Module 1, Lesson 2, between activity 1 and activity 2. It is a kinesthetic activity to show how the agents behave according to a certain program. It can replace the activity that is there or be used as an extension or add on to the listed activities.

Maze

Students struggle understanding proportional relationships and scaling shapes. This module allows students to scale one shape and transfer it to 3 different environments. Students will create a game online (SL Nova) and program a Sphero (robot) while learning the math standards.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Utb1plCyyb0

Exploring the Wiggle Walk and Collisions via a Kinesthetic Activity

This activity teaches the Wiggle Walk blocks (random right by ___ degrees, random left by___ degrees), through a kinesthetic activity and explores when a programmer would want to code agents to move this way. It avoids the statical analysis of the random probabilities found in Module One, Lesson 4 Activity 1: Probability with Dice and Data and Colliding Turtles, while still addressing the end goals of the Module One Lesson 4.

Image of slider from www.thenounproject.com

What are the chances?

An off-line activity to introduce students to concepts of randomness and how to program percent chance using a slider in StarLogo Nova.

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