Stimulating Understanding of Computational science through Collaboration, Exploration, Experiment, and Discovery for students with Hearing Impairments
a collaboration of the Shodor Education Foundation, Inc., Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf, Barton College, the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and Interpreters, Inc.

For Teachers!

Surface Water Runoff Modeling

Overview:

The amount of runoff under different conditions can be modeled through the use of an Excel application. It allows for the modification of
such variables as soil type, ground cover type, and amount of rainfall in order for the user to obtain a greater understanding of the quantity of
water runoff and the effect of different soil and cover types on the water runoff. 


The simulation uses the conceptual framework of computational science: application, algorithm, and architecture. The application refers to
the scientific problem of interest and the components of that problem that we wish to study and/or include. The algorithm refers to the
numerical/mathematical representation of that problem, including any numerical method or recipe used to solve the algorithm. Finally, the
architecture refers to the computing platform and software tool(s) used to compute a solution set for the algorithm. 

Goals and objectives: 

This lesson addresses these National Science Education Standards:

Human beings live within the world's ecosystems. Increasingly, humans modify ecosystems as a result of population growth, technology, and
consumption. Human destruction of habitats through direct harvesting, pollution, atmospheric changes, and other factors is threatening current global
stability, and if not addressed, ecosystems will be irreversibly affected. 

Student Prerequisites: 

Students need to be familiar with the use of a computer mouse.  

Materials Needed: 

Computers with Excel and internet access or CD with this lesson.

You can download a free zipped version of the model used in this lesson.

Developed by
The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.

Copyright © 1999-2001 by The Shodor Education Foundation, Inc.

This project is supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Science Foundation.