I will be teaching Module 3 Life Sciences. I plan on presenting this module to my students first by showing a YouTube video of how this module looks like in the real world. The second thing that I will present to them is my model of the real world example. My plan for this lesson will be to allow the students the opportunity to work within small collaborative learning groups to discuss and plan their models. I will simply be a moderator in the classroom that will guide them along the way. I am looking forward to the remixing activity of this project. I really want to see what types of predators that they will add, and watch my students grow as they figure out how to balance their ecosystem. The help that I can offer others will be in the blogging and sharing of the project through the use of social media.
I will be teaching module 3: ecosystems. I plan to present lesson 2 and 3 in a format very similar to how it is outlined in the pacing guides. Instead of, however, front loaded the students knowledge of ecosystems I plan to present them with the objectives of the module. From there I plan to have students generate questions they are curious about and questions they need to answer before they can build their ecosystem models. We will use these questions to drive our research and learning about ecosystems. We will then start the lessons for module 3.
I am looking forward to having my students show their understanding of a science concept (ecosystems) by coding a simulation. My students are currently working through cs-first lessons and are creating projects in scratch on a regular basis. I am glad they will have an understanding of coding before we start module 3 where they will learn more coding skills but will also show their understanding of ecosystems. I am also looking forward to doing an extension of module 3 where students will code a simulation to represent disease transmission. This will relate to a project we are doing on on biology and pathology.
At this time I am not feeling stuck. I think I need to practice coding more but having my students code at lease once a week with cs-first has been really beneficial to improve their basic coding skills and my own!
I’ll be teaching Module 3 Ecosystems.
I plan to present lesson 2 as written in the lesson plans, but when I teach it to my students, I may have to modify depending on whether my students can stay on pace as expected. A teacher here who has already begun teaching Module 1, is experiencing what I fear, that it will take FOREVER. My department has already allotted extra days in case some lessons spill over. Back on campus, I might go over the model observation and loop execution orders as a class to finish on time, but have to wait to see how my students respond to earlier lessons to know.
My plan for lesson 3 is almost as written as well. The modifications I know I’ll have to make is allowing more time to complete the experimental design form and running the experiment. Additional modifications to make, if needed, is the modeling of the adding a predator over the projector and brainstorming investigation questions as a class and having them choose one from the compiled class list.
The activities I am most looking forward to is the students understanding what is happening in the Rabbit and Grass model code and seeing that there is an energy flow. Also, when they tweak the existing model to make it their own, it’ll be fun.
I’m not stuck yet, but am concerned about troubleshooting when the time comes for everyone’s models to begin looking different.
I don’t know what help I can offer to others yet since I don’t start any coding until late November, but am hoping to hear what problems to anticipate and getting the work-around from others whose students have begun their coding or modules already.
I will be starting with module 1 then use module 3 when we move into the ecology unit. During module 3, I would like to use the paper catcher activity along with going over key ecological terms before having the students use the module to simulate prey and predator relationship. I have students who told me that they have used code in their previous school so hopefully we will learn from each other when we are stuck. I have other teachers at our school doing this for the first time so we can support each other.
My plan is to test the first module in my MESA elective class. After troubleshooting technical difficulties and figuring out where the difficulties might be, I will implement with 5 science classes. Lesson 1 is the easy one for me, complex adaptive system introduction and the turn and walk activity make sense to me. Where I start having a problem is the ‘make your own part’. It doesn’t relate to what I am teaching. I suppose I can do the chemical reactions, but I need to teach matter first. I wish there was a module on the simple interactions of matter with energy! That’s what I would like my students to attempt programming - something to show how well they understand the physical phase changes. Chemical Interactions seems just way too complex at this early stage in the year.
I will be teaching module 4. Currently our computer teacher is teaching the students module 1 and she only sees them once a week. I am stuck on writing the code. I understand the science concepts, but I am clueless about the computer module. I desperately need help and I am not prepared to teach in front of my colleagues.
I will be teaching Model 1 first. I want students to learn to use the GUI and then for those that get ahead of the others will do some creative things with the turtles. I have thought about this for a while. The challenge will be to teach large classes of varying ability to work through learning a complex program. My solution will be to use interactive lectures with Pear Deck. I like this program because it can work seamlessly with Google classroom and the Drive. I have made screen casts to explain how to do parts that I know students will need instruction for. I would like to teach all of the module, if this is possible. I will start with module 2, the water one and see how much time I have left. I’m excited for what my students will be able to make!
I plan to start module 1 with all my classes and then move on to each of the module for each different class. I plan then on going to module 3. I am very confident on teaching the content of ecosytems and the hands on activity like papercatchers but I am not confident on teaching the computer module. I have started the hour of code with my students and they enjoyed the experience. Some students had more experience then others. I’m hoping to have the students buddy program. I am not confident in teaching to my peers, I’m hoping that I can gain additional experience from the meeting on Saturday.
I am finding that every lesson in the book takes me two class periods to teach. I’m okay with that but I don’t see the students everyday. They lose some of the continuity during the days I don’t see them. They made it through the starter module okay, we’ve started with the probability and we didn’t finish so I’m curious to see how it will look after a 4 day break.
I agree that Module 1 needs to be taught first… However, I would like to introduce it with having my students use a model first… changing variables by using a slider and seeing the result. I would begin the module after this. I think students might have a better idea of what they’re trying to do if they start using it first.
I would teach lesson 2 as it is but might give the students a smaller list of commands and, instead of giving students the meaning of the command, I would have them try each and find out what they each do. (I don’t think I would have the teachers do this on Saturday – because of time constraints) – I might have them make cards for them.
Lesson 3 - I like the playing board and so, would keep it in. Since there are new command blocks, I may make manipulatives for them to use with their flash cards. Might make it easier for them to understand. (this is all speculative until I really sit down with all of it)
I’m looking forwards to the playing board and bumper turtles. I think my students will have fun with this lesson.
I’m not sure about lesson 4. activity 1 – is this just to try to get “randomness” across to them?
Really, I just need someone there with me while I’m trying everything out again so that I can ask questions as I go.
I am planning to go through module one and then go into the ecosystem module. I teach 7th grade science so plan to go over this during a unit on ecosystems during 3rd quarter. I am not feeling confident since it as been so long since we had in person training.
If you go to the Project GUTS site (projectguts.org) and click on the resources tab in the top menu bar, you will find the slide show links.
Willing to share the Youtube link?
I’m currently having my students on code.org working on the 20 hours of code. They are loving it! Maybe I’m just trying to “buy some time” before I jump in to the StarLogo Nova with my students 
After reviewing the handbook, I think I’ll be going over Module 1 first and then Module 3 (Ecosystems)
During the summer PD, I looked at module 3: Ecosystems and complex systems for my 7th grade. I’m still not 100% comfortable with coding and looking into phase 3 coming this Saturday I probably will start with module 1 as well.
I plan to create a 5 week unit that I will be implementing at the end of October. I am planning to start with Module 1 and do both Lesson 1 and Lesson 2 the first week. I will also have them try code.org studio student creations for homework. Lesson 3 and 4 will be covered the following week, with implementing Chemical reactions. I then plan to do Module 4: chemical reactions. The final project will be students not only balancing a chemical reaction, but also creating a computer program to show the chemical reaction taking place.
My advice to others is to work together. Do not do this alone. Try to talk to people who have already tried implementing it into their own classroom.
I look forward to see what the students create, but am a little anxious with how things will go the first time through.
I’m planning on introducing module one with my peers from my school and use our knowledge gained from summer to implement. I’m very apprehensive about the other modules as I feel like I’m still learning. I will have to refresh my memory and work with my peers to figure it out together.
I will be teaching module 2 about water as a shared resource. I fell that module 2 is a great expansion from module one and I like how lesson 2 in the module starts with a review period where students can refamiliarized themselves with SLN. Students use the bulk of their time looking at the new commands and trying to figure out what they mean. Lesson 3 allows for students to take what they learned in lesson 2 and try to construct their own pump. I think that this is a smooth progression and that the students will do well with it.
I am excited for students to use existing code to build their own code. That is what programmers do and it will be interesting for them to do themselves. I am a bit nervous about helping kids when they begin to take their projects farther. I think that my kids are going to go way over my head.
My plan for TLO is to gain some insight in presenting to the class. I have a feeling the students will probably know more than me. I want to start slow, as I don’t know what I am doing and I need to let the students be the leaders. I am going to start with module 1 before jumping into the content modules. This will be a way to address pacing, assess students’ ability so I can better anticipate questions and problems. the content module will be Ecosystems as Complex Systems.
I teach sixth through eighth grade science and hope to begin incorporating the program soon with all my classes. The best course of action will be similar to most and that is to begin with Module 1 and wait for the best time to incorporate the other Modules in my curriculum. This next month students will be focused on completing their Science Fair projects; however, they will have time to explore and learn coding. Last year I presented coding to a number of classes and it did not affect the course of my units. During the summer session I took focused on the Earth Science Module and feel “fairly” comfortable implementing the lessons in my classes.
When teaching Module 1 – Lesson 2, I will utilize Google Classroom as a tool for group discussions, a central location to share materials, and the location for storing their final product. I may need to create a guided (graphic organizer) that will assist the students with the pacing of the lesson. Students will be able to view the guided sheet “in color” in the computer. The addition of color and interaction with a computer will aid with the student’s ability to follow the pacing of the lesson.
For lesson 2 in Module 1, I will make sure to review the lesson (main concepts) introduced in the previous lesson and give students an opportunity to begin making connections to the vocabulary that will be introduced in this lesson. When introducing the StarLogo Nova commands I will create another graphic organizer that I can upload to Google Classroom. Students are very familiar with the website and will easy for them to transitions between “tabs” as they use the colored graphics in their planning. I guess I am a bit “old school” and might have students create simple flowcharts on paper as they plan their challenge.
I am looking forward to seeing what students produce in their final products. Most of the lesson tend to deliver a similar final product, but I will give my students some flexibility to allow them to grow with the program.
I am very familiar with Google Classroom and other online resources that can support the instruction of this curriculum.