On explaining modeling principles with modeling examples: a classification catalog

Examples are of central concern in teaching modeling. Typically, the general principles and concepts that have to be communicated are explained in terms of smaller or larger modeling examples with the hope that the examples cover the central issues of the principles and concepts well. The paper discusses a classification catalogue for examples along various criteria like syntax, semantics, pragmatics, complexity or evolution. The aim of the paper is to encourage the teaching with examples exhausting the possible spectrum of example use.