Biodiversity and the Environment
Sponsoring Company: Texas Instruments
In this session you will learn how to use a simulation
of an aquatic ecosystem to help students see the relationships between biotic
and abiotic factors such as dissolved oxygen, pH, and temperature. The
simulation makes it possible to model environments that would otherwise be very
difficult to monitor and experiment with. Plus, the fish animations are really
cool!
Takeaways: 1. Using simulations with students can help them better visualize the mechanisms behind phenomena; 2. Simulations are a great complement to hands-on learning and work best when hands on isn't possible/practical; and 3. Effects of changes to certain variables in aquatic ecosystems can have negative effects on the organisms that live there.
Speakers
Jessica Kohout (Howard County Conservancy: Woodstock, MD)
Presenter Materials for this Session:
(Materials are only accessible to NSTA Members)
Biodiversity and the Environment
In this activity, students will observe model environments, adjust abiotic variables in those environments, observe the results of those adjustments, and then draw conclusions about the effects of the abiotic world on the biotic world.