The Gist
Students will draw their own social networks, ponder the meaning of complexity and begin to notice unexpected patterns that emerge around them, unnoticed. Through hands-on activities and digital experiments, students will discover how complexity research enriches our daily lives.
Driving Question(s):
- Why do humans and other animals live in groups?
- How do simple behavioral rules lead to emergence of novel properties at the group level? (i.e. How do animal flocks, market trends, and viral videos emerge from animal collective behaviors?)
- How do scientists use computer simulations and other tools to study emergence?
Hook(s):
- Creative, art-infused "draw your own social network activity"
- Active movement flocking simulation
- Mind-blowing interactive simulations of fish schooling and social network dynamics
Notes on grade level
Lessons 1-3 are very flexible, and could be scaled up or down between middle school and high school to build student engagement around complexity in animal behavior and group living. The remaining lessons delve into more rigorous simulations and topics, and may work best with older students.
Estimated time6 x 45 min
Grades6-University
Lesson summaries
Supporting Multimedia
VideoLesson 2
1 / 3
What makes a video go viral? Emergence!
Summarizes key take-homes from lesson 2. Students will have explored The Game of Life to discover what emergence means.