Varying your Model

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  Now your model is built, you can set about making some variations to it.

You can download a copy of the completed model here.

Using your model, try out some of the following:

  • Try altering the starting population.  (You could add in another slider for initial population if you like.) Are the devils more likely to become extinct if the initial population is larger or smaller?
     
  • Try adjusting the speed the devils move around (Make the forward steps 0.5 instead of 1).  What difference does this make to the spread of the disease?
     
  • Try altering the territory size.  Does the disease spread faster if the territories are smaller or larger?
     
  • Under what conditions can some devils survive?
     
  • Alter the rate at which the Devils die after infection.  What difference does it make?

Think of a question of your own that you could use your model to answer.

In what ways is your model different from the situation of Devils in the real world?  What factors are missing that might be important? 

Extension

Add in a Devil breeding program, so that healthy Devils can reproduce.  You can get some ideas about how to set up breeding from the Fish and Plankton example that comes packaged with Starlogo TNG.

 

 

 


This page has been produced by Margaret Meijers.  Questions concerning its content may be directed by email to margaret.meijers@education.tas.gov.au.  This page was last modified on Monday, 07 January 2008. The URL for this page is http://www.mindtools.tased.edu.au/starlogo_tng/varying_your_model.htm .

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Attribution should include the statement: "This has been adapted from a resource originally created by Margaret Meijers at http://www.mindtools.tased.edu.au"