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Debugging Guide

A short guide for identifying and fixing common bugs in StarLogo Nova 2.0.

Why Model?

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

Penny Growth

Penny growth is a table-top hands-on activity in which students grow penny colonies based on simple rules. Through this activity and a corresponding computer model, students gain experience with modeling population growth, plotting data, and recognizing patterns. Different sized environments can be used to prompt a discussion of limits to growth fo the colonies.

Peanut Butter & Jelly Robot

This activity introduces students to several computer science concepts, to the necessity for thoroughness while programming, and to the often strange results of literalism. The overarching theme is that computers do what they are told and nothing more. The ability to read between the lines and determine what was meant rather than what was said is a skill computers lack. Additionally, students are introduced to the concept of debugging.

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

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.

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.

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.

Tips for teaching decoding

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

CS in Science Agenda for 5 day workshop

This is an agenda for facilitators to use in planning a five-day CS in Science workshop.

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.

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.

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.

Workshop Planning Guide

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

StarLogo NOVA 2.0: ¿Qué cambió y qué es lo nuevo?

Spanish version of "SLNOVA 2.0: WHAT'S CHANGED OR NEW".

Versión en español del documento "SLNOVA 2.0: WHAT'S CHANGED OR NEW" con la comparación entre ambas versiones y el detalle de las nuevas funcionalidades de SLNOVA 2.0

Tips for Facilitators

Suggestions on best practices for teaching Project GUTS lessons, by acting as a facilitator to student learning, rather than a lecturer on your known content.

27 Blind Mice

An off-line activity that introduces the concept of global and local communication strategies.