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Module 2 Lesson 3 - Adding More Water Pumps and Running Experiments

Posted January 3, 2020 by wellina

In this lesson, students will modify the Water Pumping model. First, students will add a 2nd water pump that pulls water from the aquifer. Next, students will add monitors and a line graph that collects and displays the cumulative amount of water pumped by each pump. In the second activity, the new model can then be used as an experimental test bed. Students develop a hypothesis, run an experiment, and analyze the results to see what effect the modification had on the system.

What's Represented?

Posted June 12, 2019 by ilee

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

Walk & Turn for StarLogo Nova

Posted July 27, 2018 by turtle

This is the CS in Science, Module 1, Activity 1 activity. Students participate in an activity acting as agents, then view a computer model, to introduce concepts of computer science and complex adaptive systems.

Alternate activities to introduce Project GUTS

Posted July 27, 2018 by turtle

Sometimes, teachers have a students who have already participated in Project GUTS introductory activities, and want to use something different, or want another activity to expand a lesson. Below are links to some alternate activities, both hands-on and on-line, for you to explore.

StarLogo Nova Blocks and Drawers Guide for StarLogo Nova 2.0

Posted October 9, 2018 by ilee

This is the updated StarLogo Nova blocks and drawers guide created by Jennifer Krause. Shared with us by the ModelBEST team! This guide corresponds to StarLogo Nova 2.0 (HTML5/JavaScript version).
Maria Levy created another version in high resolution that is also available below.

Code Blocks for CS in Science Module 4 (Chemical Reactions)

Posted October 27, 2018 by sgibbs

Use this document while decoding the base model in CS in Science, Module 4: Chemical Reactions.
Select the relevant link below, depending on whether you are using StarLogo Nova 1.0 (flash version) or StarLogo Nova 2.0(HTML5/JavaScript version).

Skill Building Deck

Posted June 12, 2019 by ilee

A slide deck of exercises to build CS and decoding skills

Module 2 Lesson 2 - Math Basics for Modeling and the Water Pumping Base Model

Posted January 2, 2020 by wellina

In this lesson, students will become familiar with the Water Pumping base model. Students will (1) review math basics necessary for understanding the model, (2) decode the base model, run simple experiments, make observations, and identify complex systems characteristic of the model (3) add an evaporation slider and run an experiment, using the slider, and (4) finally, be asked to think of ways to improve the model, based on what they know about the hydrologic cycle and water as a resource.

Module 1 Lesson 2 - Introduction to StarLogo Nova and Building Flower Turtles

Posted November 3, 2019 by wellina

In this lesson students will participate in two activities. The first activity is a guided introduction to the StarLogo Nova simulation environment. In the second activity, students will learn a few simple commands and then create their first computer program. Students will progress from single turtle explorations to instructing many turtles to follow their commands in parallel.

Module 1 Lesson 3 - Conditionals with Trailblazer and Bumper Turtles

Posted November 17, 2019 by wellina

In this lesson students will participate in two activities. In the first they will
learn about conditionals, logic, and Boolean expressions as they guide an
agent through a puzzle. They also consider the best path / solution and the degree of universality of their solution. In the second activity, students will learn a few simple commands and then starting with a basic project, implement a Bumper Turtles program in which agents respond to their environment.

Module 1 Lesson 4 - Probability with Dice and Data and Colliding Turtles

Posted November 17, 2019 by wellina

In this lesson students will participate in two activities. In the first activity, students will learn about probability, how it is implemented in StarLogo Nova, and use probability to implement chance behavior in agent movement. In the second activity, students will create a Colliding Turtles project in which turtles react to other turtles upon collision. The wrap-up discussion covers what probability is used for in computer modeling and simulation.

Module 1 Lesson 5 - Modeling the Spread of Disease

Posted November 17, 2019 by wellina

In this lesson students will convert their Colliding Turtles model into a simple Epidemic model by adding slider widgets for transmission rate and recovery rate. The Contagion model represents a very simplified version of an epidemic or spread of a disease. Two variables will be created: transmission rate and recovery rate. Students will later use this model to run experiments to determine if disease will spread throughout a virtual population in different scenarios.

Module 1 Lesson 6 - Adding Instrumentation to your Model and Running Experiments

Posted November 21, 2019 by wellina

In this lesson students will add instrumentation to their model so they can collect quantitative data on the spread of disease. Students will use this model to run experiments to determine if disease will spread throughout a
virtual population under different initial conditions and different scenarios.

Module 2 Lesson 1 - Introduction to Water as a Shared Resource

Posted November 21, 2019 by wellina

In this lesson students will engage in discussion about water resources and group decision making, stimulated by a video and a participatory simulation that serve to highlight group decision-making dynamics. The video will serve to get students thinking about water resources and the difficulties some people their age face in obtaining safe drinking water. The two activities will provide background on how communities make decisions, especially when dealing with a shared resource like water.

Coding Challenges

Posted July 27, 2018 by turtle

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),.

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