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Modding the Sim to Fit the Standard
OBJECTIVE:Learn how to custom create levels, or “mods,” of the Lifeboat to Mars games that can be used to reinforce concepts you are teaching in regards to cells or ecology.
GETTING STARTED:Before you can customize the levels, you need to get familiar with the basic format of the games and the simulation you wish to adapt.
We have created a standard user and password that any teacher can use to create mods of the two main simulations in the Lifeboat to Mars game.
User ID: LBoatTeachPassword: biologygames
When you register with this ID in the PBS registration system, all of the game levels and functions will be available to you. Go to the main site and click the “Sign In” button to begin:
http://pbskids.org/lifeboat/lifeboat/lifeboatcontainer.html
After you have signed in, you will go to the main menu of the game:
Microworld is based on a fairly detailed simulation of microbe physiology. Ecoland is a simulation used to illustrate ecosystem dynamics. The modding tools allow you to
customize each of the simulations (or ‘sims’) to create games that focus on particular aspects of cells and ecosystems.
Play at least two levels of Microworld and two levels of Ecoland so you can get familiar with how the games work and to see if you need to mod them for a specific purpose.
Once you are familiar with the basics of each game you can now click on that
Modding button for either Microworld or for Ecoland (see below) and begin adjusting the sim to fit your needs.
MODDING THE MICROBES:Before you customize this simulation, be sure of what standard you would like to be your focus.
The modding button for Microworld displays the Microbe Modding Zone menu (below):
Click on the blue button to get started building your own mod.
BASIC STEPS:Select the size of your courseSelect the light pattern on your course (for use with cholorplasts)Place your start and finish flagsSelect your obstacles for your courseAdd predators (optional)
Add food (optional)Customize the Micromart (the store where students buy parts for their microbes)Name your course
STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE:
(there are pictures to guide you) First thing you will do is select the size of your course and click next. When you go to select the obstacles for your game, you will see the size differences. Note: Large courses will be able to fit more objects, food, and predators.
Select the light pattern you would like to have on your course, using the arrow buttons to see all of your options. This can affect whether students will be able to make food using chloroplasts to complete the level. Click next to continue.
Click and drag the start and finish flags where you want them. Typically, you want to place these far apart on the course. Once these are placed, the next button will appear and you can continue.
Now you can select all types of obstacles for your level: Walls, Oases (some contain food) Deserts, and Specials (some of these also contain food). You can use these obstacles to create a challenging path through the course that will require the microbe to ingest a lot of food. You can then limit the amount of food in the course to encourage students to either add mitochondria to their microbes (to extract more energy from the limited food) or add chloroplasts to their microbe so they can make their own food. A simple path will allow you to concentrate on other aspects instead of challenging the students to spend their time running around the course. It is entirely up to you! It’s your special game level.
When you have finished adding all of the objects you want, click next to continue.
You have the option of adding predators to your course. These will provide an advantage to students who have selected methods of locomotion (i.e. cilia) that enable the microbe to move more quickly. Simply click on the blue vertical bar and slide it left or right. The number on the bottom shows you how many you have added. Click next to continue.
The next step allows you to add food to the course. Some of the objects you have selected may already include food. If you want to add more food, you simply slide the blue vertical bars, left or right, for the type of food you want to add. The ‘standard’ microbe can eat orange methanobugs. Students need to add special red or blue “food processors” to their microbes in order to devour the red and blue bugs and get energy from them. Click next to continue.
Finally you can customize the “Micromart” where students buy extra components for their microbe. Each of the packages has different prices for the key components such as
mitochondria, cilia, and chloroplasts. After you have selected one of the options, click next to continue.
You must ‘win’ the game level you just created before it will be uploaded to PBSKids and be saved. Click the ‘Test Mod” button and navigate your microbe to the Finish line. If you want to change your mod before testing it, click the Back button.
Once you have successfully completed your mod, you get to name it by scrolling down
each of the buttons. We recommend that you use the “Teacher” option at the bottom of the first drop-down menu to identify the mod as a ‘teacher-created’ mod. Once you have picked your course name, click save course.
Once your course is saved you will see the official course name with a three-digit number attached to the end, i.e. Cobalt Bouncy Road 012. The number is used to distinguish between the different games created with the same three names. Be sure to remember what number your mod was designated by writing it down.
Click on the button titled “My Mods” to see the mod you just created. We recommend that you click on your mod to try it out and confirm that it works the way you planned.
If you plan on creating many mods, you will want to create your own personal PBS id. You will need to go through the starter games to unlock everything. Once you do, only mods you create will appear when you click on “My Mods” enabling you to find your own mods faster and easier.
Many of the other mods created by parent, students, and other teachers, have educational merit and are worth checking out. Also, if any of your students finish your mod before class is over, have them try any of other mods that were created. They can even take a spin at creating a mod themselves.
PRE-MADE MODS TO CONSIDER:
These mods can both give you ideas for your mod and they can be used to address different aspects of the national standard used in the Teacher’s guide to Microworld.
NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARD:
Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustain life. They grow and divide, thereby producing more cells. This requires that they take in nutrients, which they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the materials that a cell or an organism needs.
Great Sunny Road 001: This game can show the functions needed to sustain life. Though the microbe will not grow and divide, they will need to take in nutrients and process that into energy. Use this game in an inquiry fashion having students play first and then explain what can be learned about microorganisms using this simulation.
Cold Chrome Steppes 001: This game is a great platform to test modes of locomotion in order to understand how microbes take in nutrients that they use to provide energy for the work that cells do and to make the materials that a cell or an organism needs. Have students try to get around, avoiding all of the predators, by trying the cilia versus the flagella. ** Students will need to get chloroplasts or they will not survive the course. **
MODDING ECOLAND:Before you customize this simulation, be sure of what standard you would like to be your focus. There are a lot more options with this simulation.
1. Click on the Modding button in the Ecoland section to get to the modding zone page (below).
Click on the blue button to get started.
There are 8 different games with basic goals. Click on each game to see each description. Select the game that most closely aligns with the standard you are focusing on. Each description contains tips to make the levels hard or easy. Pick the goal you want to focus on and then click next to continue.
**If you don’t see a game objective that matches your content goal, use the “Playground” option. This option doesn’t have a specific game goal – so
you’ll need to guide your students on how to rate their game playing. If you would like to recommend a new game goal, please email us (the designers) at [email protected] and we’ll review your request. If we get enough teachers asking for the same kind of new game goal, we’ll add it to the list.
BASIC STEPS:Game board size and time limitNumber of ponds and rainfall amount
Starting organisms (how many plants, herbivores, and carnivores that start the game)
Organism cost (how much will each organism cost to add during the game)
Start by select the size of your game board and the time limit (how long you want the game to last). Click next to continue.
You will then select the number of ponds the plants and animals to have. You also need to select what type of ecosystem (dry, moderate, or wet) you want to have. The type of ecosystem will change which plants will grow well in that climate. Move the vertical slider to set the amount of precipitation and click next to continue.
Now you will need to select the number of organisms that will start out the game. Choose how many plants, herbivores, and carnivores you want by moving the vertical slider left or right.
You can use these sliders to create custom challenges for your students. For example, you could start with equal numbers of plants and herbivores, which will quickly lead to overgrazing by the herbivores. The students can still add organisms when the game is playing but the initial state of the simulation can reinforce particular ecological concepts.
You need to click “Apply” first before you click “Next” or your choices will not save.
You then can set the cost of the plants, herbivores, and carnivores while the game is in session. Decreasing the cost tends to encourage students to add more of that particular item. Conversely, increasing the cost will discourage players from adding that item. Once you have made your choices, click next to continue.
You must ‘win’ the game level you just created before it will be uploaded to PBSKids and saved. Click the ‘Test Mod” button and complete your objective. If you want to change your mod before testing it, click the Back button.
* If the mod is not going the way you want it to, hit the menu button at the bottom of the page and you can hit back button to get to the part you want to change.
STARTER ECOSYSTEM:
A COMPLETED MOD:
Once you have successfully completed your mod, you get to name it by scrolling down each of the buttons. We recommend that you use the “Teacher” option at the bottom of the first drop-down menu to identify the mod as a ‘teacher-created’ mod. Once you have picked your course name, click save course.
Once your course is saved you will see the official course name with a three-digit number attached to the end, i.e. Red Sunny Jungle 001. The number is used to distinguish
between the different games created with the same three names. Be sure to remember what number your mod was designated by writing it down.
Click on the button titled “My Mods” to see the mod you just created. We recommend that you click on your mod to try it out and confirm that it works the way you planned.
If you plan on creating many mods, you will want to create your own personal PBS id. You will need to go through the starter games to unlock everything. Once you do, only mods you create will appear when you click on “My Mods” enabling you to find your own mods faster and easier.
Many of the other mods created by parent, students, and other teachers, have educational merit and are worth checking out. Also, if any of your students finish your mod before class is over, have them try any of other mods that were created. They can even take a spin at creating a mod themselves.
PRE-MADE MODS TO CONSIDER:
These mods can both give you ideas for your mod and they can be used to address different aspects of the national standard used in the Teacher’s guide to Ecoland.
NSS: The number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and abiotic factors, such as quantity of light and water, range of temperatures, and soil composition. Given adequate biotic and abiotic resources and no disease or predators, populations (including humans) increase at rapid rates. Lack of resources and other factors, such as predation and climate, limit the growth of populations in specific niches in the ecosystem.
Populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. Plants and some microorganisms are producers—they make their own food. All animals, including humans, are consumers, which obtain food by eating other organisms.
GAMES TO CONSIDER:Chrome Sunny Forest 001: The goal is to grow 20 sage plants. This game can be used to demonstrate how the number of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available, biotic and abiotic factors. This game can be in an inquiry fashion by having students try to identify which factors are abiotic and which are biotic.
Gold Hot Galaxy 001: The goal is to grow the population of carnivores. This game addresses the second standard listed: populations of organisms can be categorized by the function they serve in an ecosystem. This game can be in an inquiry fashion by having students play first, and then try to identify the relationships and roles of each organism in the ecosystem.
