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MSM Unit 1: Things Break Apart

This is the page for Making Sense of Models Unit 1: Things Break Apart.

Modeling molecules is solids, liquids, and gases

This model simulates intermolecular forces and lets people change the temperature using a slider. At high temperatures, you can see the molecules fly around as a gas, with occasional collisions. With lower temperatures they condense to a liquid, and even lower they freeze to a solid.

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

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),.

Middle School Dissolving Salt Chemistry Module options

This lesson was developed to be used with two stand alone models developed by GUTS as alternatives to the Chemistry Module 4. This is aimed at middle school students. This pairs a hands on lab activity with the CS models to explore the strengths and weaknesses of CS models of physical changes at an introduction to chemistry level. Students decode the models and make changes including adding and testing variables.

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.

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).

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).

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.

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.

image of battleship by https://www.vectorstock.com

Battle of the Agents

A take on the classic board game Battleship, this paper and pencil activity is a fun way to help students understand the use of x and y coordinates in StarLogo Nova. After the activity, students can use the StarLogo Nova model to experiment with x and y locations in a game-like context.

Image from Project GUTS instructions showing grid

Battleship activity in StarLogo Nova

This activity uses the idea of the classic "battleship" game to review x and y coordinates in StarLogo Nova. Students do a pen and paper simulation of the game, and then use a base model in StarLogo Nova to review the coordinates.

Screen shot of SLNova code for wiggle walk

Random Walks with code blocks for StarLogo Nova

Modeling the movement of agents (people,molecules, cars or ideas) is an important part of modeling systems. Different agents will have varying amount of randomness in their “walks” which can have an impact on systems. In this activity, students will apply the concept of randomness to a simple StarLogo program in which the agents will use ‘random’ blocks to ‘wiggle’ as they move around SpaceLand. This programming activity follows the ‘What are the Chances?" activity.

What are the chances?

This activity to explore randomness and how to program percent chance in StarLogo Nova.

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