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Archived Material: CS in Science Module 1 (for StarLogo Nova 1.0)

Posted December 2, 2016 by turtle

Archived Material: Module 1 introduces basic concepts in modeling complex systems through hands-on activities and participatory simulations. A scaffolded series of highly-engaging design and build activities guide students through developing their first computer model in StarLogo Nova 1.0, a modeling and simulation environment developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Traffic Patterns for StarLogo TNG

Posted November 24, 2016 by turtle

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.

Spring Introductory Unit for Project GUTS after-school clubs

Posted August 25, 2016 by turtle

The Project GUTS after-school clubs were structured to have 10-12 week units in the Fall and Spring Semesters, with a 4-5 weeks Introduction to StarLogo Nova and computer science concepts, followed by a 5-6 week content unit. This is the curriculum page for the Spring Semester Unit introductory weeks. It assumes students had participated in the Project GUTS club during the Fall Semester, so might require building some background knowledge and skills for students new to StarLogo Nova.

Fall Introductory Unit for Project GUTS after-school clubs

Posted August 25, 2016 by turtle

The Project GUTS after-school clubs were structured to have 10-12 week units in the Fall and Spring Semesters, with a 4-6 weeks Introduction to StarLogo Nova and computer science concepts, followed by a 4-6 week content unit. This is the curriculum page for the Fall Semester Unit introductory weeks. It assumes students are new to Project GUTS and to StarLogo Nova. If you have repeating students, see the Resources Link to Other activities to Introduce Project GUTS for additional ideas.

Science of Friendship

Posted August 16, 2016 by turtle

Why do humans help some people and not others?  This Project GUTS unit explores this question and allows students to test their own assumptions. Using methods and data from anthropology, sociology and psychology and computer modeling in NetLogo, students investigate the role of cooperation in human interactions—and how cooperation plays a role in global issues such as resource management, health equity and climate change.

Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in StarLogo TNG

Posted August 16, 2016 by turtle

What do we know about climate change? This unit discusses climate change: what it means, what the difference is between climate and weather, and evidence of climate change. It also discusses the global climate system as a complex system with feedback loops, and the current state of the art in the computational modeling of climate change. Our goal is to clarify what is known, what scientists guess is happening, and how climate change impacts our environment and species.

Social Networks for StarLogo TNG

Posted August 16, 2016 by turtle

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.

Pollution Unit for StarLogo TNG

Posted August 16, 2016 by turtle

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.

Geothermal Energy for StarLogo Nova

Posted August 15, 2016 by turtle

This unit was developed as a Project GUTS after-school club unit. Students learn about geology topics relating to hot springs with mineral deposits, as well as geothermal energy with hot water being heated underground and rising to the surface. Students decode a base model and add their own enhancements.

Climate change and agriculture for StarLogo Nova

Posted July 29, 2016 by turtle

Climate change is a significant topic today, and this unit examines some causes of climate change, discusses feedback loops that are important to climate change, analyzes related graphs and considers climate change in New Mexico as it relates to food security.

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