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Dice and Data Activity for Virtual Instruction

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

Computational Thinking

This video introduces computational thinking. It was produced by Project GUTS with Code.org.

Emergency Egress for StarLogo TNG

In the case of fire, how do we plan for safe exit? After learning how a fire marshall evaluates buildings for safety, students model how people would exit a building in the event of an emergency. Are more exits needed? Can everyone get out safely? This unit engages students in interactive activities to explore human behavior during emergencies and egress concepts, and in the use, modification, and creation of agent-based models to conduct experiments on simple emergency egress situations.

Epidemiology for StarLogo TNG

How do diseases spread?  In this Project GUTS unit, students research contagious diseases and customize a computer model to explore how disease — or gossip, bullying or fashion— might spread within their school or neighborhood.

The primary goal of this unit is to engage students in simple interactive activities to explore epidemiology concepts, and in the use, modification, and creation of agent-based models to conduct experiments on simple contagion.

Pollution Unit for StarLogo TNG

What can we do about pollution in our town?  In this unit, students learn about pollution and the spread of contaminants from a point source. Some collect traffic data outside their schools and ask how many trees are needed at their school to maintain acceptable CO2 levels—even as traffic flow fluctuates and traffic jams form. With computer modeling, they investigate possibilities.

Social Networks for StarLogo TNG

How are people connected?  Humans are inherently social and have relationships far more complex than the random encounters often seen in agent-based modeling. These relationships can vary in strength and meaning – we see social networks that range from kinship networks, friendship networks to contact networks used in the study of epidemiology. The primary goal of this unit is to engage students in simple interactive activities to explore social network concepts and to model those concepts.

Opinion Dynamics with StarLogo TNG

Does Your Opinion Count? 
People form opinions on topics from current styles to political issues to product preferences, and often our opinions are based on information from others, rather than on our own experience. In this unit, we explore Opinion Dynamics as an aspect of human society that can be studied as a complex adaptive system. Here, agents representing humans can influence and be influenced by other agents both directly (one-on-one) and on a more global scale (advertising, etc).

Traffic Patterns for StarLogo TNG

Why do traffic jams form?

Each year the number of paved miles grows by roughly 20,000 miles. When traffic gets too congested, traffic engineers must consider changes to existing roads or intersections. This unit engages students in interactive activities to explore pattern formation in complex systems, and in the use, modification, and creation of agent-based models to conduct experiments on simple virtual traffic systems, to study whether proposed road changes will the desired effect.

Introduction to Computational Science

This video was produced by Project GUTS and Code.org to introduce computational science.

Dispositions and Classroom Culture

In this video, GUTS teachers talk about instilling dispositions and classroom culture that supports scientific inquiry and the development of computational thinking.

Trailblazers Activity for Virtual Instruction

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

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.

BCSC 5e Instructional Model

BSCS (Biological Sciences Curriculum Study) paper explaining the 5e instructional model. The model describes a teaching sequence that can be used for entire programs, specific units, and individual lessons. The BSCS 5E Instructional Model plays a significant role in the curriculum development process as well as the enactment of curricular materials in science classrooms.

Why Model?

A paper describing the author's reasons why modeling is essential to science.

Computational Science video

A short video (1:27) on the computational science cycle, used in Project GUTS CS in Science (Modules 2-4).

Project GUTS teacher & facilitator guides

These guides are aimed at helping teachers or workshop facilitators help their students or participants be independent learners while working with computer models. They are a work in progress - final versions will be uploaded soon. Please feel free to point out any corrections or additions in a discussion thread -- Thanks!

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.

Swords and Shields variations