Today, the class was taught how to use different objects as models. They were put into groups and had to come up with different things they could use to model with the objects they were provided. The different things they could use to model depended on what they wanted to model. They used examples to show how to model a real plane. You can model a plane's structure and the way it flies with two different objects. Each group presented the object that they were given and told the class what it could be used to model.
Judith Canner, a guest speaker, talked to the class about math and science and what she studies. She talked about myrmecochory and the species that she studied (ex: little brown jug and wild ginger). She used graphs and modeled how the ants disperse seeds for these plants. She explained how many organizations, like the EPA and USGS, use models. EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, help protect and analyze the environment including water quality, climate, and our ecosystem. They use models to model the air condition and temperature changes in the Earth. USGS, the U.S. Geological Survey, help monitor and research the environment and natural disasters. They use models to model the water quality and occurrences of earthquakes on Earth.
Near the end of the workshop, the class used Shodor's Interactivate applet: Rabbit and Wolves. This model showed how rabbits and wolves interact with one another. The class also played around with the parameters of the applet to see if it affected the populations of the rabbits and wolves.