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Chemistry+C — Chemical Reactions: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

This unit reviews concepts of a commonly known chemical reaction concept (conservation of matter) and then provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in the energy transfer during a chemical reaction and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models.

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.

Chemistry+C — Kinetics: Rate of Reactions

This unit reviews concepts of kinetics and rates of reaction. It provides students with the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in changing the reaction speed and how it 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.

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.

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 – Homeostasis: Maintaining Glucose Levels in Blood

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

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 – 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.

Biology+C – Genetics: Phenotypes and Genotypes

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

Chemistry+C — Matter: Physical Change of Salt in Water

This unit reviews concepts related to matter. Students will gain a deeper understanding of processes involved in the physical change of an ionic compound dissolving in water and how it can be represented and demonstrated using computer models.

Dice and Data Activity for Virtual Instruction

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

Trailblazers Activity for Virtual Instruction

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

Skill Building Deck

A slide deck of exercises to build CS and decoding skills

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.

My Robotic Friends (cups activity)

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

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.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology video - image of birds flocking

Complex Adaptive Systems Modeling Video

This short video (3:13 minutes) introduces complex adaptive systems and agent-based modeling concepts to middle-school students. It shows beautiful footage of birds flocking as an example of a complex adaptive system.

Pair Programming video

This short video (2:51 minutes) features two middle school girls describing and practicing pair programming. It is a great introduction to this method of learning programming and creating models.

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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