Curriculum Standards Alignment: Predator–Prey Simulation

This simulation aligns with major life science curriculum standards and helps illustrate ecological systems and feedback mechanisms.

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

HS-LS2-1: Ecosystems – Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems.

• Students use dynamic graphs to observe how resource limitations and predator-prey interactions affect populations.

HS-LS2-2: Use Mathematical Models

Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity.

• The simulation serves as a computational model to test hypotheses and analyze stability.

HS-LS2-6: Evaluate claims for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services

• Encourages discussion of feedback loops and long-term viability of populations under stress or parameter change.

AP Biology

Unit 8: Ecology

• Topic 8.4: Population Dynamics
  • Students examine how births, deaths, immigration/emigration affect population size.
• Topic 8.5: Community Ecology
  • Simulates interspecies interactions using predator-prey dynamics.

Science Practice 6: Argumentation and explanation using simulation data and graph interpretation.

IB Biology

Topic 4.1: Species, Communities, and Ecosystems

• Relationships between populations in ecological systems modeled explicitly.

Topic 5.1: Evidence for Evolution

• Demonstrates natural selection outcomes (e.g. predator/prey survival based on reproductive advantage).

Cross-Curricular Skills

• Graph reading and data interpretation
• Modeling and simulation design
• Hypothesis generation and experimental reasoning