CS382:Unit-foundation-templated

Foundations of Modelling

Overview

This unit covers all of the basic skills needed to create and vet models.

Specifically we provide the answers to three question:

1. What data do you need for a model?
2. Where do you get that data?
3. What do you do with that data?

Background Reading for Teachers and TAs

• A worked through fermi-problem
• Edward Tufte, Sparklines Theory and Practice

Reading Assignments for Students

For lecture 1

• Shiflet et al. Chapter 1 "Overview"
  • A good introduction to what models are and how to build them.
• Wikipedia on modelling

For lecture 2

• Wikipedia on scientific visualization
• Edward Tufte, Sparklines Theory and Practice

Reference Material

• a collection of fermi-problems
• Fermi's yield calculation a good example of how simple a model can be
• The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Mathematics in the Natural Sciences
• more basics
• Philosophical

Lecture Notes

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

Lab

Some prose describing the process, outcomes, etc.

Software

N/A

Bill of Materials

• A jar of jellybeans (to be counted by TA's) $5.00

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

This is a placeholder for a list of items from the context page.

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.
      • Solid support
    • They provide experience in generalizing from specific instances to appropriate classes of abstract models.
      • Solid Support, we dedicate an entire lecture to this
    • 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.
      • Kinda what the whole unit is about
  • 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.
      • The discussion of vetting materials strongly supports this objective
    • Representing mathematical ideas symbolically, graphically, numerically and verbally.
      • Tufte. Strong coverage of this
    • Using mathematical and statistical ideas to solve problems in a variety of contexts.
      • Our discussion of how to use data covers this
    • Using simple models such as linear dependence, exponential growth or decay, or normal distribution.
      • Strong support
    • Understanding basic statistical ideas such as averages, variability and probability.
      • Strong support
    • Making estimates and checking the reasonableness of answers.
      • Vetting data covers this
    • 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.
    • We lay the framework for understanding the world through models.
  • Strengthens students' knowledge of the scientific way of knowing — the use of systematic observation and experimentation to develop theories and test hypotheses.
    • One of the major take-away points of this unit is how to develop a scientific knowledge of a situation.
    • In order to test hypotheses students need to build models and apply them to the real world
    • Well established in this unit
  • Emphasizes and provides first-hand experience with both theoretical analysis and the collection of empirical data.
    • The second major point in the above lecture notes is how do we collect data
      • Collecting data is divided into first-hand experience and using other people's data (theoretical analysis)
    • Well established in this unit.

Scaffolded Learning

Some prose.

Inquiry Based Learning

Some prose.