Humans & the Environment
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I developed a series of simulators for the Annenberg Media
course,
The Habitable Planet, in conjunction with the
Harvard-Smithsonian
Science Media Group.Flash 7. The Habitable Planet is an Official Honoree of the 2008 Webby Awards! |
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The Carbon Cycle
uses an equilibration model to show how fossil carbon released into the air,
migrates into various carbon sinks - atmosphere, terrestrial plants, soil,
ocean surface, and deep ocean. User can explore changes in fossil fuel usage,
net deforestation, and melting tundra.
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Demographics
explores population growth pyramids, much like my
Human Demographics simulator below,
where you can change birth and death rate schedules. In this rendition,
the user can directly set vital rates to match those of a different country.
(For instance,
how would India's population develop under US birthrates.)
Countries: USA, China, Egypt, India, Italy, Mexico, and Nigeria.
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Disease
demonstrates contagious disease spread through a population. Three
diseases (Kold, Impfluenza, and Red Death) are supplied, and the user can create
variations with different incubation, deathrate, etc. parameters. Explores
the effects of population density, population mixing, vaccination strategies,
and pitting one virus against another.
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Ecology
is a construct-your-own-foodweb simulator, from a supplied collection of
plants, herbivores, omnivores, and a top predator.
Explores competition and trophic switching.
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Energy
explores meeting energy demand via assorted technologies, while
trying to keep atmospheric CO2 below the international goal of
550 ppm through the year 2100.
Revised 2007-11, originals 2006-2007. |
Human Demographics explores human population growth and the current
demographic transition. Allows students to shift and change fertility and mortality rates.
Shows overall population growth, both officially projected and simulated, and
population pyramids, for 7 example
countries (USA, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico.)
Used in teaching Environmental
Science and Conservation Biology. Java 1.3.
Revised 2005-04, orig 2000-12.
In Foodweb Kerplunk,
the player tries to save species in a plot of suburban
California chaparral. Foodweb Kerplunk has been featured as an
NRDC website
pick of the week (Mar'03), and in Mitch Leslie's NetWatch column in Science
(Feb'03).
Kerplunk has been republished for German middle-schoolers by the SWR broadcasting company. Java 1.2.
Released 2001.
Lab! A Foodweb Kerplunk Lab for high school biology students, written by Adam James, Biology Teacher/Football Coach at Carter-Riverside High School, Fort Worth ISD, Texas. This activity has been student-tested and enjoyed. Thanks for sharing, Adam!
Released 2005-2.
ArchaeoSim
explores social and environmental tradeoffs in ancient
farming civilizations in ancient Subir (northern Mesopotamia). Includes detailed
paleoclimate data and completed archaeological survey data. Used in teaching Human Creation and Destruction
of Environments. Java 1.4.
Released 2005-1, updated 2008-12.
Aid Game
explores the effects of humanitarian
aid on population growth and the environment.
Java 1.2.
Released 2001.
One of my scientific projects,
LoadRunner
automates the calculation of dissolved river loads, based on public US Geographical Society
river flow and water quality sample data. LoadRunner is used to research
ocean carbon sequestration, among other things. Java 1.4.
2008 ongoing.
Copyright © 2009 Ginger Booth