Background

1
Background
I will be conducting project based environmental
biology this coming year as a part of my classes
The environmental projects are a source for a
variety Supercomputing projects.
2
The following is a list of possible environmental
problems. Water flow Water Allocation and water
rights Ground water and declining water
tables The dam and reservoir behind it Boundaries
and historic agreements Agricultural
Irrigation Urban water intensive practices Water
quality sewage pollution Water quality
commercial and industrial pollution Water
quality agricultural chemicals Water quality
garbage and litter Water quality
salinity Sediment Endangered plants and
animals Exotic plants and animals Air quality
dust Air quality car and trucks
3
You may want to review the Bosque Environmental
Monitoring Program (BEMP). Its web site is
at http//www.bosqueschool.org/BEMP/bemp.htm
My web site is www.vla.com/mccurdyscience The
address will be shortened this coming school year
to www.vla.com/mccurdy
4
Understanding the water flow from the surface
into the ground is not always easy.
There are groundwater hydrology models available
but expensive --- about 600 each.
5
My project goal is to prepare a StarLogo model
that students could use as a basis for their
models.
As a teacher How difficult is it to prepare a
StarLogo model? How much time do I need to
complete a model? Multiply this by 4 to have a
sense of how long the typical student will
take.
6
A consideration Add some features to the model
that might be useful for students. In this
case, I use invisible turtles to trace out a
ground water model.
7
Some conclusions Even simple models can evolve
many behaviors. Keep the model really
simple. Have some expertise available to assist
Supercomputing Challenge teams. Plan to use
programming on a regular basis in order for
students to become more proficient. If
programming is introduced as a form of
gaming, then perhaps more students will become
involved. See http//education.mit.edu/aig as
an example of using gaming for education.