Looking at the spread of viruses

A sequence of models and activities

This sequence of simulations allows you to look at how a virus (or other infectious disease) spreads through a community of creatures.

You can interact with the simulations, creating new worlds within the rules that are programmed in. Each model has a pupil sheet to go with it, providing the following activities:

simple observation, to set the pupils on their way;
re-running the model with altered parameters (a fairly convergent task);
and finally an open-ended question for further exploration.

As you work your way down the list of tasks, the complexity of the model underlying the simulation increases. At the same time, the model becomes more realistic as a representation of how infectious diseases spread.

The creatures appear as coloured squares, moving on a grey background. The lack of distinguishing characteristics allows you to imagine the creatures to be anything that you want humans, other animals, plants. The virus could also be a bacterium, a prion, or any other infectious agent.

Technical notes for teachers

There are seven models in the sequence.

You may decide not to use all of the simulations. To allow you to choose from among them, each pupil sheet is designed to stand alone.

You could use the models as a demonstration to the class (with questions and answers).

Alternatively, pupils could work through the models singly or in pairs. You could ask them to present their findings to the class (ask a different group for each model).

For a demonstration:

From this page in your browser.

Click on the Go links below to see the models.

You might ask pupils to predict the outcome of each run; you may have to run the model for a short while so that they get the idea.
Then ask them to explain the observations.

For pupil use:

Pupils may find it easier to have a hard copy of the worksheet to read while operating the model on the screen., rather than flipping between two different documents.

Going further

If you want more control of this type of model, then a free download is WorldMaker, that will allow you to alter the rules and the chance that the rules fire. This is then full blown modelling, with a corresponding increase in the time that must be allocated and something of a change in emphasis as regards the learning outcomes.

http://worldmaker.cite.hku.hk/worldmaker/pages/

Colour-coded creatures

Creatures (represented by small coloured squares) move about on a grey background.

When a healthy creature comes into contact with an infected one, there is a chance that it will become infected.

Healthy: Green

Infected:Blue

Dead: Red

Recovered: Dark green

Inoculated: Purple

Managing the files

Either the whole folder, or any of the separate (v1-v7) folders can be copied to any disk drive, allowing the resource to be used as you see fit.

The sequence