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Natural Selection Prey and Predator

This post includes a link to a model that can be used with the OpenSciEd Bacteria Food Hunt Unit net logo simulation.

Progress Monitors for CS in Science Modules (coding activities)

Progress Monitors are meant to be guides for students, giving goals for the model but not providing specific coding instructions.

CS in Science Module 3: Ecosystems as Complex Systems (for StarLogo Nova 2.0)

This Life Science module begins with an exploration of a simple predator-prey model to consider who eats whom—and what happens when one population grows faster than another. Students develop their own model of a local ecosystem and learn about ecosystem dynamics, producers and consumers, and interdependent relationships within an ecosystem. This module has been updated for StarLogo Nova 2.0 (HTML5/JavaScript version, updated 2017).

StarLogo Nova 2.0 galleries for CS in Science modules

These links create a shortcut to find the StarLogo Nova 2.0 gallery for each module in CS in Science. For StarLogo Nova 1.0 galleries, go to flash.starlogonova.org.

Code Blocks for CS in Science Module 3 - Rabbits and Grass Ecosystems Model

This is a worksheet to use while decoding the Rabbits and Grass Ecosystems Model - CS in Science, Module 3. Select the relevant link below, for StarLogo Nova 1.0 (flash version) or StarLogo Nova 2.0 (HTML5/JavaScript version).

CS in Science Curriculum (binder) compatible with StarLogo Nova 2.0

This is the pdf of the complete CS in Science curriculum. Print copies can be ordered from Mimeo.

Sugar Transport Activity

Have you ever drank a can of soda and suddenly felt more energetic? In this Biograph Virtual Lab, you will use a simulation to explore how the glucose molecules from the soda move from the lumen of your small intestine, across the membranes of your epithelial cells, and into your bloodstream. (Ultimately, the glucose in your bloodstream will move into your body’s cells).

Gene Regulation and Protein Synthesis

Every cell in your body has a full set of genes, or ‘recipes,’ to build many different kinds of proteins (including enzymes). What causes a gene to go from its normal ‘turned off’ state (when it IS NOT building proteins) to its ‘turned on’ state (when it IS building proteins)?  To answer this question, we will zoom in and take a closer look at a gene and its environment to see how and why a specific protein is made.  

Enzymes: Chew on This!

Carbohydrates in food are an important source of energy for the body. When you eat starch, it must be broken down into simple sugars before your body can use it for energy. In this Biograph Virtual Lab you will use a simulation to explore the breaking down of starch into sugar. The simulation will enable you to compare and contrast the conversion of starch to sugar both with and without enzymes. This will help you understand the role of enzymes in digestion.

Evolution Curriculum from BioGraph

Evolution is a change in genetic information in a population that is observed over many generations, due to the random chance survival and reproduction of particular individuals. In this BioGraph Virtual Lab, you will observe how a population of fish in a pond changes over time. By the end of this activity, you will understand how random factors (genetic drift) and non-random factors (natural selection) contribute to evolution.

Pond Ecosystem Biograph project

Ecosystems are made up of interacting, interdependent parts, which are always interacting with and changing each other. Healthy ecosystems are long-lasting. In a long-lasting ecosystem the number of plants and animals may increase and decrease over time, but there are always enough individuals to reproduce and establish the next generation. In this Biograph Virtual Lab your challenge is to build a model of a long-lasting, healthy pond ecosystem using Toolblox programming blocks.

Archived Material: CS in Science Module 3 - Ecosystems as complex systems (for StarLogo Nova 1.0)

Archived Material: CS in Science Module 3 (for StarLogo Nova 1.0, Flash version updated 2015). This Life Science module begins with an exploration of a simple predator-prey model to consider who eats whom—and what happens when one population grows faster than another. Students develop their own model of a local ecosystem and learn about ecosystem dynamics, producers and consumers, and interdependent relationships within an ecosystem.

Sustainability for StarLogo Nova

In this unit students will learn about issues relating to becoming a sustainable community, including recycling materials and turning waste into energy. Important concepts include: feedback loops in systems and ideas relating to cooperation in society.

Middle school students will learn about sustainability concepts using videos and activities to map their community. Their computer models can build off of either of two base models: consumerism or wastewater.

Shared Resources for StarLogo Nova

As the human population grows, it has become increasingly important to understand how humans are impacting the environment and to consider what resources we are using and how we are managing or not managing them for the future. In this unit we will be looking at a variety of different types of resources that are important to our area. Although the resources are different, they are interdependent, and way the humans manage these assets can be looked at in a similar fashion.