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Biology+C – Genetics: Phenotypes and Genotypes

This unit focuses on genetics and how the allele frequency in a population can change over time.

Biology+C – Natural Selection and Evolution: Natural Selection in Moths

This unit reviews concepts related to natural selection and Darwin’s theory of evolution. It provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the process of natural selection and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models.

Biology+C – Homeostasis: Maintaining Glucose Levels in Blood

This unit reviews concepts related to feedback loops for maintaining homeostasis in the human
body.

Biology+C – Simple Ecosystems: Energy Flow in an Ecosystem

This unit models a simple ecosystem to provide students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the interactions of organisms in ecosystems such as the flow of energy between trophic levels.

Biology+C – Enzymes: Food Digestion

The unit provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of process and how they can be represented and demonstrated using computer models.

Biology+C – Ecosystem Dynamics: Balancing an Ecosystem

In this unit, students will apply concepts related to ecosystems, such as interdependent relationships, to run various experiments in the NetLogo model.

Science+C Intro Unit: Epidemics

This unit introduces students to using models as scientific testbeds, the NetLogo interface, and the basics of the model code by exploring how disease spreads through a population.

Biology+C – Experimenting with Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is a dynamic process through which plants turn carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates such as glucose while releasing oxygen as a byproduct.

Fish schooling from National Geographic video

Complex or Complicated?

Complex or Complicated uses a slide presentation to create a whole class game-show like activity that is used to engage students in argument from evidence and refine students' understanding of complex adaptive systems.

The Giraffe and the Platypus

This is an activity that allows teachers in a workshop to experience and explore the equity issue involved in differences in background knowledge of students.

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.

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.

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.

Photo of participants playing 27 Blind Mice

Alternate activities to introduce Project GUTS

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.

Characteristics of a complex adaptive system

Summary of CAS concepts

Dice and Data (see also CS in Science, Module 1)

Dice and data is a hands-on activity in which students learn about probability and how probability is used in modeling and simulation. Students first investigate single dice rolls and connect the results to randomness, then students investigate two die rolls and learn how the results of two-die rolls are used to mimic animal movement in a wiggle walk.

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.