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MSM Unit 1: Things Break Apart

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

Assessing Youth's Computational Thinking (2011)

AERA conference proceedings 2011

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).

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),.

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

My Robotic Friends (cups activity)

This is the cups activity by Thinkersmith (later part of Code.org)

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.

Skill Building Deck

A slide deck of exercises to build CS and decoding skills

Computational Thinking for Youth in Action (2011)

This is an early paper of Computational Thinking that has a lot of traction. It's where we first describe the Use-Modify-Create trajectory.

Application of the Occupational Analysis of Computational Thinking-Enabled STEM Professionals as a Program Assessment Tool (2012)

Journal of Computational Science Education (2012)

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.

Integrating Computational Thinking Across the K-8 Curriculum (2014)

ACM InRoads (2014)

Reclaiming the roots of CT (2016)

CSTA Voice 2016

Profile of a CT Integration Specialist (2017)

Computational Thinking Education 2017 conference

Developing a framework for computational thinking from a disciplinary perspective (2018)

Proceedings of the International Conference on Computational Thinking
Education 2018. Hong Kong: The Education University of Hong Kong.

Making Sense of Models one page description

This is a document that describes the Making Sense of Models project.

Trailblazers Activity for Virtual Instruction

The Trailblazers activity from Module 1 - Lesson 3 modified to be done in a synchronous virtual learning environment.

Dice and Data Activity for Virtual Instruction

Dice and Data Activity from Module 1 Lesson 4. Adapted for use in a synchronous instructional setting.

Experimental Design for Virtual Instruction

A Google Sheet to use for conducting the Experimental Design activity in a remote learning classroom.c

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.

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