Study Guide

Grid-World Survival teacher and learner guide

Use this guide to frame the tool with a clear question, expected observations, and model-limits discussion rather than treating it as a standalone demo.

Open application Curriculum alignment

Teaching Focus

Teacher notes

Use the app to discuss fitness as context-dependent rather than fixed.
Treat this as a conceptual model rather than a literal ecology simulator.
Pair it with written comparison to another artificial-life tool.

Learner tasks

Run a baseline case and note how average fitness changes.
Increase mutation rate and compare the resulting best genomes.
Describe how environment shapes which genomes persist.

Core Question

How do different genomes fare when survival depends on the structure of the environment?

Scientific Virtues

Habits to practice

State clearly what the model demonstrates and what it does not claim about real biological systems.
Use repeated runs and comparisons as evidence instead of relying on a single striking outcome.
Treat model limitations as part of the explanation, not as an afterthought.

Continue the thread

Use the Scientific Virtues page to connect model use with evidence, skepticism, and revision.