Sunday, March 15, 2015

3/16 Kim and Laura - We didn't start the fire

We plan to continue work on our fire ecology model.  We hope to incorporate wind direction and speed, with options for controlled or random direction/speed.  We also hope to have a clickable interface where the user can set the origin of the fire with their mouse.  Continuing our work from class last week, we also plan to perfect the ember action to be more representative of embers in the wild. 
            There are many standards we could potentially work into our model.  We are most excited about creating a lesson where students consider and model the relationship between human activity and fire ecology and the potential solutions for fire ridden areas like southern California (controlled burns, natural fire, limited fire, etc).  This would address Earth Systems standards HS-ESS3-1, 3, and 6, and HS-ETS1-3 and 4.  Alternately, this model could be used in a life sciences course to discuss the mechanisms controlling biodiversity and carrying capacity (HS-LS2-1 and 2) as well as the impact of changing environmental conditions (HS-LS4-5).  In both courses, the model addresses abstract reasoning and data representation (MP-2 and HSS-1D.A1), as well as many of the scientific practices and crosscutting concepts from the NGSS (modeling cycle/practices, cause and effect, stability and change, scale, proportion and quantity, patterns, consistency in natural systems, science as a human endeavor, systems and system models, etc).  

            As an extension of our model, we are also hoping to consider a “STEAM” approach to our lesson that would encourage students to utilize art within their models and explore the beauty of and interconnectivity between design and nature. 

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