Find Resources

Module 3 Lesson 1 - Ecosystems as Complex Adaptive systems

In this lesson, students will be introduced to ecosystems concepts through an activity called "Papercatchers", a participatory simulation in which students play the part of agents in a simulation. After playing the “game” that illustrates population dynamics and carrying capacity, students will view a computer model of a simple ecosystem. Through the model, students will review concepts of population growth, producers and consumers, and the movement of energy through an ecosystem.

Elementary School Water Cycle overlay module - Water as a Shared Resource

This is an overlay for a 5th grade that adds computational thinking, modeling and simulation on top of an existing Water Cycle lesson.

Image of scavenger hunt from recyclescene.com

Scavenger Hunt for Teachers

This scavenger hunt asks teachers to locate various Project GUTS resources. A fun tool to increase familiarity with Project GUTS and what's available.

Understanding by Design

Understanding by Design (UbD) curriculum offers a 3-stage “backward design” framework for developing units of study. The same process guides larger-scale curriculum development for courses and
programs (macro level). The UbD curriculum structure for building a coherent curriculum spirals around “big ideas,” essential questions, and core assessments.

Papeles en el viento ("Papercatchers")

"Papeles en el viento" (Papercatchers) es una simulación participativa en la que los estudiantes aprenden sobre el crecimiento de la población y los límites al crecimiento. Los estudiantes desempeñan el papel de miembros de una población creciente, siguen reglas sencillas que rigen la supervivencia y la reproducción, y recopilan y grafican datos.

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.

Modeling MRSA in Chicago (scientist talk)

This is a talk Dr. Chick Macal gave to GUTS teachers at a Chicago PD workshop in 2015.

Interview with Hal Scheintaub

Teachers with GUTS interviewed Hal Scheintaub and demo of StarLogo Nova models created by his students on August 2, 2017.

Decoding a Model - Dissolving of NaCl in Water

Start of a lesson on dissolving a solid in water by decoding on a model.

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.

What's Represented?

These exercises ask the learner to identify abstractions in the computer model as compared to a diagram or image of a natural phenomenon.

Emergence video

A portion of a PBS NOVA video discussing the concept of emergence (or complex adaptive systems) where patterns emerge in nature where agents follow simple rules.

CS in Science Module 4: Chemical Reactions (for StarLogo Nova 2.0)

This Physical Science module explores chemical reactions: the conditions under which they occur, the evidence that a chemical reaction has taken place, limiting reactants versus reactants in excess, and when chemical reactions stop. The base model for this unit simulates the chemical reaction between silver nitrate and copper. The pacing guide and models have been updated for StarLogo Nova 2.0 (HTML5/JavaScript version).

The Greenhouse Effect

A short video on the basics of the greenhouse effect, used in CS in Science, Module 2 (Greenhouse gas model).

Beaker with silver nitrate solution and copper pipe

Silver Nitrate Production video

A short video showing "Silver Production from Silver Nitrate using a Copper Pipe" - used if wet lab activity not available for CS in Science Module 4 (Chemical Reactions)

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.

Papercatchers

Papercatchers is a participatory simulation in which students learn about population growth and limits to growth. Students play the role of members of a growing population, follow simple rules governing survival and reproduction, and collect and graph data.

Cover page for CS in Science Module 3 Instructor's Manual

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).

Screen shot of greenhouse gasses model in StarLogo Nova

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

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.

Search for "[keyword]" across the whole site.