Notes from Plant mgt.
Sept 27, 2007
Carolyn, Ed and Paul

NetLogo Activity Notes
Create a zoom model of a tree where students click on a leaf and get a netlogo model.

Step 1 - need light, carbon dioxide and water
Focus on understanding the three variables in our model
Sugar and oxygen production graphs.
Challenges - find the combination that gets the most amount of sugar.
Unpacking the challenge around misconceptions.
Have them move the sliders and then take a snapshop of the graph and then compare in non-NL environment.
(learning goal) we need all three to produce sugar.

NL change notes

• remove the sun
• create a graph that has sugar production, sun brightness, carbon dioxide and water (one graph would be sugar production and the other graph is sun brightness, carbon dioxide and water)
• Take a snapshot of the final graphs

Step 2 - what is going on inside a chloroplast (individual chloroplast to the gross idea)
Focus on the chloroplasts
One chloroplast and a small number of molecules
(learning goal) the chloroplast is a place where sun energy, water and oxygen come together to create sugar

NL change notes

• part 1 - show the chloroplast getting excited
• part 2 - show the excited chloroplasts taking in carbon dioxide and water

Possibly use molecular workbench for this model. We need to make sure that the chloroplast looks the same in NL that molecular workbench.
Carolyn will see if this will work.

Step 3 - go to the sun and moon cycle
Focus on understanding the graphs and what they mean.
(learning goal) what happens to sugar rates, oxygen rates and water rate during the daytime and night time.

NL change notes
Thinking is that this is the summary of step 1 and step 2 and we need to build these before we solidify these notes.

Non - NL discussion

Act 1 - modified plant game waiting for permission
Act 2 - Starch activity
Act 3 - NL chloroplasts
Act 4 - Relative humidity activity from teams and possibly add a light sensor.
Math - line graphs taken from NL
Idea - possible unpack the sugar day and night.

(probes available to use - light, relative humidity, force, surface temperature fast response and slow response, voltage)

Suggestion for Probe activities:
Mer/Carolyn - try the gas activity Carolyn sent earlier and try it out. Carolyn is going to send a gas sensor.

Ed - likes relative humidity - relative humidity sensor, possibly add a light sensor.