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Getting to grips with describing
variables, and understanding the relationships
between them, is a key area for all
science concepts. This innovative
modelling programme allows teachers
and pupils to illustrate these relationships
with an easy-to-build interactive
model. Even the most nervous ICT model
builder can be designing and running
interactive relationships within minutes.
Unlike many commercially available
packages, this resource is not specific
to a particular concept.
The simplicity of the modelling programme,
and the fact that it can be adapted
to illustrate any concept, makes it
a very powerful teaching tool. The
learning focus for pupils is identifying
the key variables, and how they relate
to each other. This is an excellent
example of ICT as a tool for developing
scientific thinking. The programme
includes three levels of complexity,
which allow pupils to develop more
sophisticated models as their understanding
of concepts grows.
The easiest way to get started is
to build and run a simple model. For
example, pupils could be asked to
model the relationship between the
amount of time a person spends at
work and their income. Further variables
can then be added, such as time spent
on holiday. Using everyday examples
such as these, where pupils have a
clear idea of the relationships, is
one way of introducing the model building
process. It also helps clarify the
language of models, for example, variables
and relationships. Alternatively,
several ready-made models and activities
are available as part of the package,
which you could use with pupils at
appropriate points in your curriculum.
On-screen help is available to guide
you through the package, and several
PDF documents are provided for easy
reference as you begin.
As this is a new resource, email
feedback to jenifer.burden@scienceyear.com
would be most appreciated. It would
be helpful to have the following information:
1) Issues: Things that the programme
does not do, perhaps confounding your
expectations, and things that you
would like it to do. For these please
attach a model to the email and use
the body of the email to explain how
the model fails to fulfill your expectations.
2) Lesson stories to share good practice:
This is a new tool, and people will
think of many ways to use it. Please
attach a model to the email, as a
partial illustration of the purposes
that the tool has served. Please then
complete the story in the body of
the email, using the following pattern
to provide guidance to others.
- Name of model file
- Topic
- Pupil age range
- Outline of lesson
- Brief details of how the model
contributed to the lesson
- Your name, position and the name
of your school, college or organization
It is very likely that many of these
ideas will be useful to others. Please
indicate whether you are willing to
have your contribution made available
on a future CD, or via the web, with
appropriate acknowledgements.
Windows Version
Please note that this file is
an 8 Megabyte download.
Click on "ASE MODELLING TOOL".
When prompted "What would
you like to do with this file?",
select "Save this file to
disk ", then click OK.
The file will tehn begin to download.
Please note that this file is
an 8 Megabyte download.
Macintosh Version
Please note that this file is
an 8 Megabyte download.
N.B. Macintosh users must be running
OSX to use the modelling package.
This is a simple model that demonstrates
the spread of a virus under different
conditions. It may be used individually,
or as part of the citizenship Immunisation
resource from this website.
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