In last week\u2019s video, Lynn described planning and carrying out <\/strong>her investigation as she set out to collect data in the field. In our final video of this expedition, Lynn discusses how she will use those data to help tell the story of the Ross Ice Shelf and its behavior by developing and using models<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Models give us simpler ways to represent complicated situations or phenomena from the real world that we might\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 not actually be able to see. Scientists use models as tools for \u201cthinking with, making predictions<\/strong>, and making sense <\/strong>of experience.\u201d Models also help scientists develop questions and explanations<\/strong>, and communicate their ideas and understanding to others <\/strong>(NRC, 2011, pp. 56-57). As you can see, models are involved with lots of scientific practices!<\/p>\n Let\u2019s keep in mind that models simply represent and explain \u201cthe real thing.\u201d While we might think of a model as a physical replica like a globe used to model the earth, models exist in many different forms.<\/p>\n Some examples are:<\/p>\n It is important to remember that since no model is exactly like the thing that it describes, all models have their merits (things they are good at describing), as well as their limitations (things they aren\u2019t so good at describing).<\/p>\nFirst, let\u2019s talk about what we mean by \u201cmodels\u201d<\/h3>\n
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