| Oscillations 3C: Rabbits, Rabbits, and More Rabbits: Logistic Growth in Animal Populations |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, Jennifer Andersen, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This simple population model explores a variety of animals limited only by their own population densities. Students can change various settings for each population, including birth factor, lifespan, and habitat area. Each of the populations does (or would eventually) level off as it reaches a carrying capacity.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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 PDF
Link to the simulation: http://www.clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/oscillation/Oscillation_PopulationC.asp
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| Oscillations 4 Background Information on Simulation Created for Lesson 4: Waves of Change: Predator and Prey Dynamics |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, Jennifer Andersen, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This lesson builds on Lesson 3 – Rabbits, Rabbits, and More Rabbits: Logistic Growth in Animal Populations within the Oscillation curriculum created for the Complex Systems Project. Lessons 3 - 5 work together to show how a population in isolation can experience growth or decline, but not oscillation (Lesson 3). Further, it is only when considering a population in relation to a wider system boundary, either interacting with another population (Lesson 4) and/or a food supply (Lesson 5), that we have the structure necessary to produce cyclic behavior.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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PDF
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| Oscillations 4A Up and Down in the Wild: Predator and Prey |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, Jennifer Andersen, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This lesson allows students to explore the interactions of two animal populations (wolves and moose) within an ecosystem. One animal in the simulation is a predator. The other animal is its prey. Their populations rise and fall (oscillate) over time as they interact and impact one another.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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PDF
Link to the simulation: http://www.clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/oscillation/Oscillation_PredPreyA.asp
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| Oscillations 4B Wild Things: Interacting Populations |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, Jennifer Andersen, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This lessons allows students to explore the interactions of predator and prey within an ecosystem and create a map showing connections between predator and prey populations, to compare results for simulation runs.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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PDF
Link to the simulation: http://www.clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/oscillation/Oscillation_PredPreyB.asp
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| Oscillations 4C Waves of Change: Predator and Prey Dynamics |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, Jennifer Andersen, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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The predator/prey model explores a moose and wolf population living on a small island. Students can change various components of a predator/prey model, including birth factor, lifespan, and habitat area. The default simulation behavior is oscillation of both prey and predator populations, in which the state of each population impacts the state of the other over time.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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PDF
Link to the simulation: change.org/curriculum/complexsystems/oscillation/Oscillation_PredPreyC.asp
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| Oscillations 5A All Together Now: Predator, Prey, and Plants |
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Author(s):
Anne LaVigne, Jennifer Andersen, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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This lesson allows students to explore the interactions of two animal populations (wolves and moose) and plants within an ecosystem. The populations and the plants rise and fall (oscillate) over time as they interact and impact one another.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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PDF
Link to the simulation: http://www.clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/oscillation/Oscillation_BiomassA.asp
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| Oscillations: Characteristics of Complex Systems in K-12 Education Project |
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Author(s):
Jennifer Andersen, Anne LaVigne, & in collaboration with the CLE |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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Led by a partnership between MIT Professor Emeritus Jay W. Forrester and the Creative Learning Exchange, the goal of the Characteristics of Complex Systems Project is to create online curricula for ages five and above that will illustrate the characteristics of complex systems. In exploring the nature of complex social systems, the curricula address questions such as – why do such systems resist policy changes? Why are short-term and long-term responses to corrective action often at odds with each other? How can leverage points be applied to bring about desirable change in social systems?
The goals of the project are grounded in the belief that an abstract level of understanding of social systems will help prepare future citizens to actively shape their society.
The lessons and simulations are based upon the fourth characteristic of complex systems: the cause of the problem is within the system.
Complex Systems Connection: Cause within System. Five interdisciplinary areas are covered in a series of lessons, utilizing a family of models that all generate oscillation. Oscillation in real-world systems is often considered problematic rather than a consequence of system structure. This progression of lessons will help students understand that undesirable behavior can be a consequence of system structure and not a result of outside, uncontrollable influences. In other words, a system that oscillates does so because it has an inherent tendency to do so. |
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PDF
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| Some Basic Concepts in System Dynamics (D-4894) |
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Author(s):
Jay W. Forrester |
Subject:
System Dynamics |
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In its full development, system dynamics is a discipline with the scope of science, education, law, engineering, or medicine. On the other hand, it is becoming clear that teachers in ordinary K-12 schools can make enough progress in two or three years to achieve major improvement in students’ thinking, self reliance, and enthusiasm for learning.This paper gives a glimpse of the principles and concepts that make up an understanding of complex social and economic systems. |
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PDF
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| Steps to Downloading Road Maps from the Internet (D-4662) |
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Author(s):
Stephanie Albin, & Nan Lux |
Subject:
Road Maps |
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From SDEP. Explains how to download Road Maps from the sysdyn.mit.edu website as well as how to download the Acrobat Reader software necessary for viewing/printing Road Maps and the other CLE documents. |
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PDF
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| Succession from Sand Dune to Maritime Forest on a Barrier Island |
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Author(s):
Aili Carlson, & Sarah Clemmitt |
Subject:
Science |
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From the Maryland Virtual High School. By building a computer model of a complex dynamic system--the succession form sand dune to maritime forest on a barrier island--the student develops an understanding of the relationships among many contributing variables. The exercise deals with both modeling skills and the ecology of barrier islands. Funded by the Gordon Brown Fund. |
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 Zipped (Models & PDF)
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