One of the netlogo simulations that I enjoyed was the Bird Breeder one. It dealt with genetics giving different genes that code for different characteristics. I liked it because you could change the birds to dragons and drag and click them around the page. Some of the other ones the students just sit back and watch, but as you did this simulation you brought the dragons into punnett squares to see after mating the dragons what characteristics would show up. I like it mostly importantly for the more interactive value it gives and it is labeled more clearly then just lines and dots moving around like some of the rest. http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/run.cgi?BirdBreeder.816.572
The second one I enjoyed was called Plant Hybridization. Again this one was more interactive then some of the ones I saw on the site. You were responsible for setting up a plant site with seeds and then changing environmental and other factors as each seaon came. It was a very real life ‘game’. It gives students the chance to try out a real world experience for a semi longterm period. (Depending on the amount of seasons you assign the students to go through). http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/run.cgi?PlantHybridization.770.566
The third I liked was one called Bug Hunt Speeds. This one was visually pleasing because of the multi colored bugs and graphs. This one gives more actual information because there are graphs about bugs vs. time, frequency of bugs, average speed of bug vs. time, etc. It is a good segway into graphing data and maybe researching a specific bug’s information about its speed etc to be able to put it into the data source. This one is good because it can go in many more directions after watching it on the screen. http://ccl.northwestern.edu/netlogo/models/run.cgi?BugHuntSpeeds.791.532
Tags: Assignment
February 27, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Thanks Caitlin. I think these simulations do a very good job at simulating not only the natural processes involved, but also our need to have an understanding of them (genetics, artificial selection) in order to achieve a goal. These are not just simulations, they are applications of a concept as well.