You may choose to lead the students in a short discussion about the different aspects of a concept map. After I give my students notes on any topic we create a concept map to review and show how everything is interconnected.
These concept maps are conveniently created with squares (stocks), fat arrows (flows), circles (converters), and small arrows (connectors). We don’t call the pieces by their STELLA names we call them by the shape names and by what each shape can do. By doing this the students can create STELLA models much easier because they are already focused on what each shape means.
In our module we are using the alcohol model to show the students an example of a STELLA model. We plan to first run the model and let them see the animation while watching a graph and then begin to show them the underlying mathematics, how the program works and how the model is similar to the concept map we have already created.
Next we have written a tutorial for the students to complete to practice using STELLA. This tutorial should be completed with little teacher assistance.
We then plan to have them create a disease transmittance model. The disease transmittance model will be completed with teacher assistance.
Following the completion on the disease transmittance model the students will have a choice of several topics to complete as independantly as possible.