Group+3

Members of Group:
Jonathan Fisher and Katie Stainback

Name of Tool:
PhET: Free online physics, chemistry, biology, earth science and math simulations (Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado, Boulder)

Website of Tool:
http://phet.colorado.edu/

Does tool require Sign-in?
No, it does not. It does acquire information about your location and OS.

Description of Tool:
This tool provides interactive simulations covering a plethora of scientific concepts. It's a particularly good tool for Physics, Physical Science, and Chemistry (contains the widest variety of simulations on these subjects).

Other educators can upload lessons and questions (as a pdf) and you can access those.

There is teacher guide and a grade-level selector (to help you choose appropriate content).

Multiple language translations (25+) available.

How does tool apply to your curricular area? (if your group contains more than one curricular area, give an example in each area)
Provides students with the ability to manipulate variables and understand the relationship between various parameters in a system (i.e. How to temperature and volume affect molecular motion? How do food supply and predation affect population?).

Where does tool fit in Digital Blooms and why?
Applying and Analyzing: Students apply their knowledge of different factors (environment, mutation, food supply) and can analyze how those factors affect the overall system (population increases/decreases, demography, pedigree).

=Part 2=

Adapted Lesson Plan
NATURAL SELECTION

SWBAT: Visualize how phenotypic variation influences overall population through Natural Selection (depending on the environment); Analyze how food supply and predation affect population based on graphing; Interpret pedigree information for an individual in a population (track multiple generations)

Guided Practice: Students will run the Natural Selection simulation, and fill out the worksheet (provided) and use the Scientific Method to predict the affects of natural selection (which traits are conserved from generation to generation, and their affect on the overall genetic frequency in the gene pool), as well as dominant/recessive genes (and their affect on pedigree and phenotypic expression).

Go to the website: [] and click "Run Now"

Download the worksheet at: [] Click on "PhET Natural Selection.doc" (180 kB)