Simulation Insight

Building scientific knowledge and understanding

Simulation Insight makes it easy for students to investigate KS3 – 4 science by examining the pre-built models provided with the software or by designing and building their own on-screen simulations of the world around them.

Using the simulations and models they can explore “What if…?” scenarios to build on their scientific knowledge & understanding and to make connections between different areas of science.

Simulation Insight makes modelling accessible to KS3 – 4 science students who can now use models to explain phenomena and events. This easy-to-use package also has a wider application in subjects like geography and history, as it allows a wide range of simulations to be created and investigated.

Simulation Insight is supported by a wealth of curriculum resources so that you can start using it in the classroom immediately. Subjects covered include:

Included as part of the software is an extensive gallery and a range of `Fix-its’. The galleries provide images, objects and backgrounds so that teachers and students can create their own simulations. The Fix-its are partially completed simulations which offer shorter, more focussed tasks to complete a partially constructed model.

For Science

• An interactive whiteboard allows teachers to use Simulation Insight to deliver whole class teaching. Using the models in this way, classes can investigate basic scientific principles together to develop their scientific knowledge and understanding.

• Students can see how Simulation Insight models have been built and even adapt them, so they are quickly able to develop the knowledge and skills to explain and interpret observations and measurements.

• Users of Simulation Insight do not need to learn a specialist programming language; all the instructions can be written in plain English so students will quickly be able to use the software to turn their own ideas into a form that can be investigated.

• The 'scene window’ makes it possible to display a visual representation of a model enabling users to draw conclusions from their observations and measurements even in esoteric subject areas.

For Geography and History

• The software allows users to create their own model in order to better understand the patterns and processes in the world around them; thus providing students with the perfect tool to explain how and why changes happen and the issues that arise from these changes.

• Simulation Insight has full graphing and charting capability, so that students can investigate the behaviour of any model thoroughly. This ensures that they are confident in being able to draw and justify conclusions from their projects.

Download a demo version of the software, which contains four example files:

• Braking Distance in a Car
• Series and Parallel Circuits
• Thermal Insulation of a House
• The Relationship between Predator and Prey: Foxes and Rabbits

The example files can be used to collect data and to look at the way in which each simulation model has been built. But you will not be able to save out your data or print from the demo.