Simulating a Marine Ecosystem
Suggested Pre-Work for this Module
Science: Students will simulate a marine life ecosystem in Lessons 1 and 2. To build familiarity with this ecosystem, we recommend this Ocean Animals Video (9:42 minutes).
In Lesson 2, students will code several sustainable fishing practices. These are a few readings to build some background knowledge and deepen connections to the real world: Understanding Overfishing (Monterey Bay Aquarium article), or Mw,kwa Talks to the Loon (Children's book).
Computer Science: In this module, students will learn new coding concepts that might be difficult for new-to-computer science students. If students are not familiar with Code.org’s Sprite Lab we recommend trying Swimming Fish with Sprite Lab (55 minutes) for a basic introduction to the tool.
This module also uses an advanced CS concept called conditional statements. Students learn this concept in a scaffolded way, but some students may benefit from first engaging in this introduction to conditionals unplugged activity: Conditionals with Cards (50 minutes).
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| Week 1 | Lesson 1: Overfishing Simulation Lesson 2: Balancing the Ecosystem Lesson 3: Coding My Ecosystem |
| Key | Instructional Lesson Assessment Unplugged Lesson |
In this skill-building lesson, students will program a model of an aquatic ecosystem and then simulate an overfishing situation. Students will learn how to program conditional statements to check the amount of algae in the water. If there is too much algae, the coral becomes sick. If there is too little algae, the fish have no food source and leave the area. If there is just the right amount of algae, the sick coral will heal and the fish will stay in the area.
In this skill-building lesson, students will read about and then program three different solutions to the problem of overfishing.
This lesson starts where the previous lesson left off, with the model of an unbalanced aquatic ecosystem. First, students will modify the behavior of the boat so it can only move within a specified “fishing zone”. Second, students will program a new event to specify a “fishing season” and a “no fishing season”. Third, students will learn how to use a variable to keep track of the number of fish the boat has removed. The lesson ends with a Check For Understanding level to make sure students learned the three solutions to overfishing.
In this skill-building lesson, students will explore several different ecosystem simulations. Students can choose to explore a rainforest, desert, arctic, or wetlands ecosystem. They will take on the role of an ecologist and investigate the interactions between the plants and animals in each ecosystem’s food chain. Students will read the instructions to understand the challenge each ecosystem is facing. Then they will modify the corresponding code in order to rebalance the ecosystem.
| Level Type | Level Details | Level Status | |||||
| Not started | In progress | Completed | Assessments / Surveys | ||||
| Concept | Text | Video | Map | Concept: Not started | Concept: In progress | Concept: Completed (perfect) | N/A |
| Activity | Unplugged Lesson Extras | Online Assessment | Question Choice level | Activity: Not started | Activity: In progress | Activity: Completed (perfect) | Activity: Submitted |
