The Website Shodor hosts a large number of interactive activities designed to help teach math and science to students. Many of them though are far beyond my capabilities to understand or explain and are too bogged down in practical science to be considered fun. That is with the exception of one: Rabbits and Wolves. It is a very simple simulation that allows the student to run a simulated ecosystem with three organisms: Grass, Rabbits, and Wolves. Every parameter from the size of the ecosystem, the speed of reproduction, and all base values can be changed to create a stable environment, or test what variables can cause its permanent destruction. Once the program begins it records the population over time and all cumulative statistics to show how the environment has changed, and where things might have gone wrong. It is not an understatement to say that when I fist discovered this activity years ago I actually spent hours trying to create the perfect parameters for a sustainable ecosystem. Even if nothing else on the website garners a second glance this activity should be in the toolbox of ever Biology teacher. |
| Green = Grass Blue = Rabbits Red = Wolves |
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