CS382:Predator-Prey

Predator Prey ( Lynx Hare )

Overview

Some prose describing the unit.

Background Reading for Teachers and TAs

• US Department of Energy's very nice (if ugly) intro to System Dynamics
  • Great compilation of knowledge on the subject. Is the primary source for the present lecture notes.

Reading Assignments for Students

• An item and synopsis.

Reference Material

• Page on Lynx - Hare Populations
• Talks about Lynx - Hare as a Pred/Prey model
• Wolf Sheep Agent based netlogo model
• Wolf Sheep Systems Dynamics netlogo model
• US Department of Energy's very nice (if ugly) intro to System Dynamics
• Systems Dynamics Society SD Wiki

Lecture Notes

Outline of the lectures designed to fit into 2 1:20 slots per week.

Lecture 1:

• Intro & Concepts
  • What is system dynamics?
  • What is it for?
  • What does it let you do?
  • Why use System Dynamics? When should you use it?
  • Strengths / Weaknesses
• Basic Terminology (Building Blocks)
  • Time Paths
    • System Dynamics is interested in the behavior of systems over a period of time. Time paths are critical to expressing this.
  • Types of Time Paths
    • Linear Family
      • Growth
      • Decline
      • Equilibrium
        • The expression of a system under which there is no pressure for change, or a system in which all variables reach their desired state at the same point in time
        • Note that this is an extremely artificial scenario, most systems do NOT reach or maintain equilibrium.
    • Exponential Family
      • Paths showing exponential growth and exponential decay. Real systems tend to grow along exponential paths rather than linear paths.
    • Goal-Seeking Family
      • Displayed in most living, and some nonliving systems
    • Oscillation Family
    • S-Shaped Family
      • This is extremely visible in the

• Notes cut from the previous lecture
  • Link
    • Feedback Loop
  • Flow
  • Stock
• Applications of Basic Terminology
  • Casual Loop Diagram

Lecture 2:

Lecture 3:

Lab

Some prose describing the process, outcomes, etc.

Software

What title, version, supported platforms, license, etc.

Bill of Materials

A list of all the required stuff with quantities and cost estimates.

Evaluation

CRS Questions

• A question.

Quiz Questions

• A question.

<The Unit's Name> Metadata

This section contains information about the goals of the unit and the approaches taken to meet them.

Scheduling

A note about early, late or doesn't matter, dependencies.

Concepts and Techniques

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General Education Alignment

• Analytical Reasoning Requirement
  • Abstract Reasoning - From the [Catalog Description] Courses qualifying for credit in Abstract Reasoning typically share these characteristics:
    • They focus substantially on properties of classes of abstract models and operations that apply to them.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • They provide experience in generalizing from specific instances to appropriate classes of abstract models.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • They provide experience in solving concrete problems by a process of abstraction and manipulation at the abstract level. Typically this experience is provided by word problems which require students to formalize real-world problems in abstract terms, to solve them with techniques that apply at that abstract level, and to convert the solutions back into concrete results.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
  • Quantitative Reasoning - From the [Catalog Description] General Education courses in Quantitative Reasoning foster students' abilities to generate, interpret and evaluate quantitative information. In particular, Quantitative Reasoning courses help students develop abilities in such areas as:
    • Using and interpreting formulas, graphs and tables.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • Representing mathematical ideas symbolically, graphically, numerically and verbally.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • Using mathematical and statistical ideas to solve problems in a variety of contexts.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • Using simple models such as linear dependence, exponential growth or decay, or normal distribution.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • Understanding basic statistical ideas such as averages, variability and probability.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • Making estimates and checking the reasonableness of answers.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
    • Recognizing the limitations of mathematical and statistical methods.
      • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
• Scientific Inquiry Requirement - From the [Catalog Description] Scientific inquiry:
  • Develops students' understanding of the natural world.
    • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
  • Strengthens students' knowledge of the scientific way of knowing — the use of systematic observation and experimentation to develop theories and test hypotheses.
    • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.
  • Emphasizes and provides first-hand experience with both theoretical analysis and the collection of empirical data.
    • Analysis of this unit's support or not for this item.

Scaffolded Learning

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Inquiry Based Learning

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