Choose one of the content-area modules (Module 2, 3, or 4) and brainstorm potential student modifications for the base model based on difficulty/time. Please include:
- Your Name
- Module Chosen
- A modification that students could do for their models to extend them and whether the modification is:
- An easy modification that could be done quickly
- A medium-difficulty modification
- A challenging modification
- Any other ideas you have for extending or modifying the model
See the forum for an example.
Comments
Example:
One of the "unrealistic" aspects of Module 4 is that the model will run, even if there is no water included. If you put silver nitrate powder in a beaker with a piece of copper, nothing will happen. The silver nitrate has to be in solution (with water). I had the students modify Module 4 to create new "hydrated copper" breeds. To create these breeds, the copper nitrate had to "collide" with water molecules (3 times) in order to form hydrated copper. If they didn't have enough water in the model, then the reaction wouldn't work. Just like in the actual chemical experiment.
My name: Melody Hagaman
Module 3: Rabbits and Grass
Medium Modification: Make some rabbits faster than others so they get to the grass more easily and see how that affects the ecosystem.
Difficult modification: Add an invasive species that eats grass too but gets more energy from it that rabbits. See how that effects the ecosystem.
My Name: Tracyee C Hogans Foster
Module 3
Easy modification: Add a shelter where rabbits can avoid being preyed on in the four corners. Show how shelter protects the population.
Difficult modification change grass into algae and rabbits into herbivorous fish and carnivorous fish. Make it an aquatic ecosystem. Add a slider to change turbidity and temperature to show how those things influence the aquatic ecosystem.
Vickey Drew
Water Pump Module
Modification: Add a rock type to the model to see if this would impact the water flow
Steven Kaestner
Module 5 Easy Modification: Add "Stop the Clock" slider so students can end their experiments at set times and collect data more quickly.
Other Modifications:
Add tree that "absorbs" CO2. Add 2nd greenhouse gas (Methane?) that traps heat better, but leaves the environment quickerI
If using the greenhouse model with cars and buses, students can alter the efficiency of the vehicles (MPG) to better match reality. The surface albedo could be changed Clouds could be added that reflect/absorb heat
My Name: Phylis Wilson
Module 3
Easy Modification: adding sliders requiring nutrients for plants to reproduce
Difficult Modification: with rabbits, grass, and predator possibly simulate seasons where the amount of grass decreases depending upon season. This will help show why animals migrate. Also adding it different species (invasive or natural) of animals to show competition for plants or rabbits.
Also having a way to show adaptations like camouflage would be cool.
My Name: Alana Meek
Module 3
Module 3
Prior to having students work on this project we created a question for each of the four classes I taught. Next students tested the question changing one variable related to the question. For example one of the question was "What is the best ration of rabbits to wolves to have a balanced ecosystem?" After we created the question we came up with 10 different ratios that each pair of students tested 10 times. The results were entered into a spreadsheet that was projected on the smartboard. We discussed the results and then decided which ratio was the best.
For my more advanced students I challenged them to create a more realistic reproduction of their ecosystem (male/female, number reproduced, and number died as infants). Some of those students started adding more elements to their ecosystem that were relevant such as additional predators and even some of the diseases the learned about through their research.