K-BLOG 6: Try Some Computer Simulations

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The Challenge:

Finding engaging computer activities for students that can augment and enhance material being taught by teachers and/or parents.  Activities related to changing variables and designing thought experiments that could be done at home and/or school.

A Solution:

One activity that can be used by homeschoolers, parents and teachers to help augment fundamentals being taught is the use of computer simulations.  A student(s) can change variables in a scenario to see what changing the variable does to an outcome.  Students can design and test thought experiments. There is an excellent website by Jon Darkow, a high school teacher.   The website contains many types of computer simulations that hit on many topics that are covered in science classes.

Written on the Header on John Darkow’s website  

Welcome to my collection of computational models for biology and ecology.

Hypothesize, test, and revise your mental models.

Perturb, run, and reflect upon these thought experiments.

 Resources:

Simulation Groupings Listed on Darkow’s website

System Modeling, Transport, Ecology, Evolution, Genetics, Metabolism, Molecular Biology, Physics, Timing and Coordination, Physiology,

Jon Darkow’s website - https://sites.google.com/site/biologydarkow/