Stability and Change |
| For both designed and natural systems, conditions that affect stability and factors that control rates of change are critical elements to consider and understand. |
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Australian Red Foxes and Rabbits in the 1850's
In this modeling exercise, students can explore how changes within a food-chain might impact and affect the stability within an ecosystem to learn the cross-cutting concept “Stability and Change”.
At the beginning of the course, teachers could give background information about the overflow of rabbit populations in 19th-century Australia. Teachers could also invite students to predict the impact of the vast numbers of rabbits on the local ecosystem (e.g., the adverse influence on agriculture) through modeling. Then, students are encouraged to share their opinions on controlling the rabbit population and reflect their ideas in models. Teachers could facilitate the peer discussion before giving the method adopted by the Australian government in the 1850s (i.e., increasing the number of red foxes). Students are encouraged to think about the reason behind this movement and predict the impact of this movement on the rabbit population and other ecosystem parts by making hypotheses, graphics, or illustrations. In the end, teachers could give the result of using red foxes for controlling rabbits and facilitate discussion targeting the difference or alignment between the predictions in students’ models and results. |
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Suggested Modeling Elements: N/A or Review Library. This modeling exercise suggests a general usage of drawing, predicting, and observations in learning stability and change within an ecosystem. For teachers interested in customizing this exercise further into students' modeling-making, we encourage you to explore the visual library tool and choose the modeling elements/moves that best fit your instructional plan, if applicable. Suggested Sensemaking Components: Movement/Motion, Zoom in/out, Flow of Matter, Flow of Energy |
