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Workshop Planning Guide

A list of factors to consider for facilitators and school districts or partner organizations in planning a workshop.

Models in the Classroom

In this video, GUTS teachers talk about using models within science classrooms.

Rock Paper Scissors

The classic game of Rock Paper Scissors is known to all students. This common experience can then be used to encourage students to think about Complex Adaptive Systems in terms of unpredictability, which comes from the simple rules of agents. The off-line activity gives students a set of rules that will then be programmed into their computer model using Boolean logic and collisions.

Introduction to Computational Science

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

Complex Adaptive Systems

This video was produced by Project GUTS and Code.org to introduce Complex Adaptive Systems.

Agent Based Modeling

This video was produced by Project GUTS and Code.org to introduce agent based modeling.

Computational Thinking

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

Teacher testimonial: Corinna Low

This video shows an interview of Corinna Low, a middle school science teacher from South San Francisco.

Teacher encouragement

In this video, Corinna Low give teachers words of encouragement to try the Project GUTS CS in Science curriculum.

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.

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.

Using Computer Models in Scientific Inquiry

In this video, a Project GUTS teacher explains how and why we use computer models in science classrooms.

Project GUTS MOOC

Project GUTS presented the CS in Science curriculum modules in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The links below will allow you access to the original MOOC site, to see not only the written curriculum but also screencasts of building the related StarLogo Nova models and other background information for teachers and facilitators. The MOOC was also translated in Spanish (see link below).

For the 2017 course, please go to guts-2017.appspot.com

Teaching Tip - How to organize and share student work

Tips on how to set up a folder so students can share their work in an online gallery of sorts.

Battle of the Agents

A take on the classic board game Battleship, this paper and pencil activity is a fun way to help students understand the use of x and y coordinates in StarLogo Nova. After the activity, students can use the StarLogo Nova model to experiment with x and y locations in a game-like context.

Daisy world

A model demonstrating the albedo effect of black or white surfaces. Use as a part of the Climate Change and Agriculture Project GUTS Curricular Unit, or as a stand-alone model, activity, and video.

Tips for teaching decoding

Some techniques to introduce students to the process of decoding a model.

Teaching Computer Science and Creating Independent Learners

A video (7:54) for teachers and facilitators with helpful techniques on facilitating design-and-build activities in ways then encourage students to become self-sufficient problem solvers.

Getting Unstuck: Karen Brennan's "8 for 8"

This 8:13 minute video gives techniques for facilitating classrooms of students who are working on projects.

Swords and Shields

Swords and Shields is an interactive simulation game which teaches students some of the basic ideas of complex adaptive systems. After playing, you can show the students a model of the game in StarLogo TNG or StarLogo Nova to discuss basic concepts of agent-based modeling. Try it, it's fun! See also the variation to this activity in Resources, and see the related activity of TryAngles.