Predictability, intervention and inheritance

Audience: Upper-secondary education, Biology and Physics. Suggested time: 45–50 min. Status: technical draft; Biology and Physics teacher review pending. Starting lesson: Same seed, one intervention (mesma-seed). Resources: WebGL browser, paper or spreadsheet, and laboratory access. Follow the common preparation.

Objective

Separate computational reproduction, intervention effects and trait inheritance. Distinguish observed divergence from proof of mathematical chaos.

BNCC

Proposed association: EM13CNT202, EM13CNT203, EM13CNT205, EM13CNT301 and EM13CNT302. See the mapping and official source in the general guide. Teacher review is needed.

Steps and records

1. In 5 min, predict two futures from the same condition with an extra food portion in only one. Open Same seed, one intervention.
2. Record initial A/B states: B receives five extra units at one local position. Advance to day 3; record food, population and apparent trail positions.
3. Use Replay scenario and interventions, stop again at day 3 and compare the record. If you overshoot, repeat with a paused three-day advance. Equality requires identical time and interventions; rounding hides details.
4. Save a checkpoint and open Inheritance and movement. Father and other loci remain identical; the maternal locomotion locus changes from 0.2 to 0.8.
5. Select a worker with the same ID in A/B; record parentage, generation, mutations and distance. Advance one model day and compare distance increments.
6. In 10 min, conclude each part separately, distinguishing inheritance from environmental effects. Do not treat different seed numbers as identical replicates. Preserve records and restore the first lesson’s original backup.

Discussion questions

• Does the same seed compensate for different interventions or times?
• Does divergence after extra food prove deterministic chaos?
• Does changing an allele guarantee more movement, success or adaptation?

Annotated answer guidance

Reproduction requires identical inputs and schedule; extra food can change future interactions without proving chaos. Distance includes pauses, tasks and detours: it does not isolate intrinsic speed. Daughters combine maternal and paternal inheritance and possible mutations. A numerical effect does not certify adaptive advantage. A small or zero distance difference is compatible with the question; discuss further controls or measurements needed.

What the model does not represent

Genes are numerical vectors without real DNA; effects are uncalibrated. The recipe controls only one maternal locus, not an entire life history. The simulator’s forecast interval is exploratory, without statistically validated coverage for a real terrarium.

Learning evidence

Submit a hypothesis, comparable records with days/units, a data-supported conclusion and one limitation. Use the general guide’s rubric; there is no required outcome.

Teacher review

Pending. No teacher or class was consulted to approve this guide. Record review and adjustments in the appropriate form before treating it as validated.