SimForest Home

You are Here!
Contact Information
Funding

About the Project

Overview
Research
Papers & Reports

Curriculum & Professional Devel

PD Summer Institute
Teacher's Guide
Sample Lessons
Sample Worksheets
Inquiry skills test
Curriculum overview
PD 'how to' guide

The Software

SimForest Description
Software downloads
Screen shots
Software docs

Related Links

Forest Modeling
Inquiry-Based Learning
Tree Identification
Silvicultural Resources
Old-Growth Forests
Image Resources
Quabbin Reservoir

The SimForest project is an NSF-funded project aimed at developing simulation-based software to support inquiry learning. The project has four parts: 1) software development, 2) curriculum development, 3) teacher professional development and classroom implementation, 4) research results.

The SimForest software:
Students can plant trees from a pool of over 30 regional species, set environmental parameters such as rain fall, temperature, and soil conditions, and watch the forest plot grow and evolve over many years. A forest plot's sensitivity to natural and man-made disturbances can be evaluated, and emergent properties such as species succession can be observed. Graphing and analysis tools are provided to make inquiry more efficient. There are two versions of the SimForest educational simulation that you dan download from this site: the "back box" simulation and the "glass box" simulation. In the more advanced glass box version learners can inspect and modify the underlying forest growth model (however, the glass box version is still an early prototype--download at your own risk!).

The SimForest Curriculum:
We have developed activities and instructional methods for using our software in biology and ecology classes for grades 7-12 and college level. The curriculum is designed as a resource for teachers to help them design lessons tailored to the needs of their class. The curriculum is structured to allow emergent student interests and hypotheses to form the basis for sustained inquiry activities. It also connects the simulation activities with outdoor experiences and actual forest growth data.

Teacher and Professional Development Materials:
The use of educational simulations and the incorporation of sustained inquiry activities is new and challenging for many teachers. Successful adaptation of innovative educational programs requires more than just good software and good written curriculum resources. In our 2001 Summer Institute on Educational Software for Inquiry-based Science we worked with teachers to prepare them to use our software in the following academic year. We also provide support during the school year. Teachers also acted as research collaborators, helping us modify our software and curriculum materials to accommodate to the demands of the average classroom situation. Our materials include teachers guides and suggestions for running professional development workshops aimed at increasing skills in using simulations for inquiry-based science education. .

Research and Evaluation:
We have evaluated the software and portions of the curriculum in laboratory and classroom conditions. See the link to publications for details of our research.