Model Mysteries: An Exploration of Vampires, Zombies, and Other Fantastic Scenarios to Make the World a Better Place |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, & Lees Stuntz |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This book contains six main chapters, each with a new mystery to solve. Each chapter has a number of similar stories to try, depending on your interest. The modeling activities are intended for students from ages 10 to 110. In other words, if you’re interested in thinking about how to solve mysteries and like the idea of creating computer models and applying them to real-world problems, this book is for you. You can use it independently as a student, work with a group of students, or if you’re a teacher, share it with interested students to complete a guided or independent study project.
In addition to the main chapters, Chapter 7 provides an extension to build additional capacity in modeling, and Chapter 8 includes next steps, additional resources, and information about modeling software. You can also reference the appendices for details about completing the chapter mysteries.
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Micro-Lesson: Making Thinking Visible - A Video Collection |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne |
Subject:
Micro Lesson |
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A short introduction to the Making Thinking Visible Video series. |
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PDF
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Making Friends for Primary Students (Grades K-3) |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, & Lindsey Buckler |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This lesson is very similar to the “Making Friends” lesson in The Shape of Change. The main difference is the wording of the questions, the handouts, and the activity rules, which are aimed at younger students. In addition, a simple online simulation is available as an extension. Students explore what happens to the number of friends over time, given different scenarios for gaining new friends. Students can also explore what might happen if they lose friends. |
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Zipped (Models & PDF)
Link to the simulation: http://www.clexchange.org/curriculum/shapeofchange/soc_2_Friendship.asp
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Living Lands — Forest and Town Simulation |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, & Jen Andersen |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This lesson with multi-user simulation explores the management of a national forest and its surrounding towns. Student teams log in and make decisions for a local town or for the surrounding forest that has a large level of accumulated fuel. The decisions of individual teams impact all other teams. Damage from potentially catastrophic fires looms, and students must try to manage the situation to protect the area, both now and into the future. |
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Linguistic Clues for Spotting Feedback Loops in the Wild |
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Author(s):
Kim A. Kastens, & Thomas F. Shipley |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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It’s not so hard to recognize a feedback loop when you encounter it in a course where the teacher is explicitly talking about systems thinking. It’s a much harder knack to recognize feedback loops amid the distractions and complexity of the real world. But that’s the knack our students will need if they are to use their understanding of feedback loops to explain phenomena, or make predictions, or solve problems in their personal and professional lives. The goal of this article is to provide learners with a strategy with which to recognize non-obvious feedback loops in their out-of-school reading. |
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PDF
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Let It Roll! An Interdisciplinary Middle School Math/Science Unit Using a STELLA Model of the Physics of Motion |
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Author(s):
Rob Quaden, J. Trierweiler, & D. Lyneis |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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In this unit eighth graders first conduct a physics of motion laboratory experiment and then try to understand the behavior using model building, math reasoning and scientific reasoning. |
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Zipped (Models & PDF)
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Lessons in Mathematics: A Dynamic Approach |
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Author(s):
Diana M. Fisher |
Subject:
Math |
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The abstractness of a traditional approach to mathematics causes many students to falter. This book focuses on making the abstractness more concrete with interesting and fun lessons. It uses STELLA software's icon-based, non-abstract language to structure |
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More about the book at: http://www.iseesystems.com/store/college_university/MathBook.aspx
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Lessons in Mathematics Section 9: Appendix |
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Author(s):
Diana M. Fisher |
Subject:
Math |
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This book provides a set of tools that enables educators to teach mathematics using the framework of System Dynamics. Section 9 is a useful reference for all lessons in the book. Included are generic modeling structures, a summary of motion, distance-velo |
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More about the book at: http://www.iseesystems.com/store/college_university/MathBook.aspx
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Lessons in Mathematics Section 8: Miscellaneous Topics |
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Author(s):
Diana M. Fisher |
Subject:
Math |
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This book provides a set of tools that enables educators to teach mathematics using the framework of System Dynamics. Section 8 presents a natural extension of linear and exponential growth study - arithmetic and geometric sequences. Application to an age |
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More about the book at: http://www.iseesystems.com/store/college_university/MathBook.aspx
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Lessons in Mathematics Section 7: Differential Equations |
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Author(s):
Diana M. Fisher |
Subject:
Math |
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This book provides a set of tools that enables educators to teach mathematics using the framework of System Dynamics. Section 7 builds on the skills of Sections 5 and 6 using classic problems studied with differential equations. Exponential, convergent an |
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PDF
More about the book at: http://www.iseesystems.com/store/college_university/MathBook.aspx
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