Go to The Virtual Biology Lab Web Page.  This will be your home base for an investigation in ecology principle.  Using Google Docs or MS Word, you will produce a report documenting your investigation.  Your grade will be based on your depth of study and the strength our your reasoning and your use of the data to valid/invalidate your hypothesis.

Day 1:

Go to the Virtual Biology web page and click on Population Ecololgy.  Read the introduction.  Click on Population Estimation.  Click on more info for instructions and then run the model.  

Click on Mark and Recapute.  Read the introduction.  Click on more info for instructions and then run the model.

Open a document (Google or Word).  Create a header that says Your Last Name, Your First name, next line Your Hour.  Create a Title Called Ecology Project.  Create a Sub-Heading called Population Ecology.  Write one paragraph about the simulations you ran.

Day 2:

Go to the Virtual Biology Web Page and Click on Community Ecology.  After reading the introduction, click on Barnacle Competition, read the introduction, click on instructions and then run the program.  Repeat this for microcosm. 

Now go to Behavioral Ecology.  As before, check out bee foraging, vigilance behavior (there are two models to experiment with here), and searching behavior.  

Go to your Project document.  Create a new sub-heading called Community Ecology.  Write one paragraph about the simulations you ran.  Create a new sub-heading called Behavioral Ecology.  Write one paragraph about the simulations you ran.  

Day 3:

Go to the Virtual Biology Web Page and Click on Conservation Ecology.  After reading the introduction, click on Biomagnification, read the introduction, click on instructions and then run the program.  Repeat this for Tragedy of the Commons.  

Now go to Biodiversity.  As before, check out Island Geography, Stream Diversity and Plant Diversity.

Go to your Project document.  Create a new sub-heading called Conservation Ecology.  Write one paragraph about the simulations you ran.  Create a new sub-heading called Biodiversity.  Write one paragraph about the simulations you ran.  

Day 4:

Which simulation interests you the most?  Using this simulation, ask a question that you can test using the simulation.  Design a hypothesis (if....then).  Identify the independent and dependent variables.  Run your experiment at least 3 times, gathering data and taking screenshots of the activity.  Make a spreadsheet if necessary.

Day 5:  

Open your Project document.  Create a Heading called Experiment.  In  this section state which simulation you chose and why.  Create a sub-heading called Hypothesis and then write your hypothesis.  Create a subheading called Variable and identify your independent and dependent variable.  Create a subheading called Data and include your data.  Can you make a graph?  If so then put it here.  Include snap shots of your work.  

Go back the beginning of the docment and write an introduction.

Go to the end of the paper.  Create a Heading called Conclusion.  Write a conclusion in 4, separate, labelled parts.  The four parts are Statement of Finding which is a statement about the validity of your hypothesis, sources of error, Discussion of Theory (will depend upon what simulation you ran, use the introduction for that section to guide you) and a written reflection.

Submit your paper via a direct message to me using Edmodo no later than Friday, May 25, 2012.