Kickoff Materials

• The Computational Science Process
• The Abstract Sessions
• Introduction to Starlogo
• Agent-based modeling with Starlogo
• Java Class
• Advanced Class

This class is one hour long. No hands-on work. Get the students to talk with you as much as possible during the class.

• A Model for Computational Science Investigations
• The Computational Science Process (Word file)
• The Computational Science Process (PDF file)
• Blank Computational Science Process Form (Word file)
• Blank Computational Science Process Form (PDF file)

Here are files from past years:

• One-page student handout: Word File
• One-page student handout: Web Page
• Instructor Lesson Plan/Lecture Notes Word File
• Instructor Lesson Plan/Lecture Notes Web Page

The content for these documents was taken mostly from Dick Allen's STI PowerPoint presentation on the subject.

• PowerPoint Presentation

Feel free to use whatever materials you like.

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The facilitators/instructors/scientists will meet the students in their teams. The students will have copies of their abstracts with them.

The purpose of the session is to make sure the teams have chosen a problem that is suitable for science, has measurable components so that a mathematical model can be developed, and from that a computing solution can be written. The session is secondarily about mentoring teams who have good abstracts and are ready to get started on their project.

There will be computer available for teams to get their abstracts submitted.

Some students will come to this session and need help from scratch. When the abstracts are ready, they, too, can submit their abstracts.

Students whose abstracts are complete can move to computers to begin research or work at tables to plan their timeline, assign tasks to different members of the team, etc. They will learn to use the phpbb bulletin board system to communicate with their teammates. If there are facilitators who are not working with teams to get their abstracts completed it would be great if they could do some mentoring of teams who are ready.

It may be helpful to look at the abstract guidelines and the abstracts that are already up on the Challenge web page - http://www.challenge.nm.org/abstracts. There is also a link on the web page for questions to ask to direct the students: http://www.challenge.nm.org/glorieta/curriculum/tpd.html. Additionally, http://www.challenge.nm.org/about/areas.shtml links to areas of science and may be helpful for teams still looking for an idea. This guidelines link can be useful, too. http://www.challenge.nm.org/about/guidelines.shtml. We urge the students to step through the flow chart at http://www.challenge.nm.org/ctg/overview/project.shtml.

You can see which teams have submitted abstract on the abstracts page of the Challenge web site.

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• Introduction to StarLogo (ppt)
• Turn and Walk activity (doc)
• Turn and Walk code (slogo)
• Turn and Walk code NEW (slogo)
• Swords and Shields activity (doc)
• Swords and Shields code (slogo)
• M and M Challenge
• M and M Challenge solution (slogo)
• M and M Challenge Greg's solution (slogo)
• Predators and Prey and grass (slogo)

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• Red and Green Chili (ppt)

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• Introduction to the Java Language
• Introduction to the Java Language (PDF file)
• Introduction to Algorithms in Java - The Sieve of Eratosthenes
• Introduction to Algorithms in Java - The Sieve of Eratosthenes (PDF file)
• Introduction to Java and NetBeans - Hello World!
• Introduction to Java and NetBeans - Hello World! (PDF file)

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This class is three hours long.

INTRODUCTION TO MONTE CARLO METHODS

This brief mini-course will introduce the student to one of the most powerful and oldest numerical methods. Some of the Monte Carlo basics will be used to integrate equations and simulate the random walk of particles (neutrons, gamma-rays) through matter.

Students will manipulate template files written in C. Codes will be compiled with the gcc compiler under the Cygwin environment on MS-Windows PCs.

PREREQUISITES:

Some programming experience in one of the following high-level languages:
C/C++, FORTRAN, JAVA

Mathematical experience:
Basic trig
Simple equations/functions (equation for a circle, natural logarithm, etc.)
Basic statistics (e.g., average, variance, standard error, etc.)

Class Materials:

• Introduction to Monte Carlo Methods (PDF file)
• Introduction to Monte Carlo Methods (PPT file)


• Optional1 solution
• Pi solution

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Questions? Contact Consult