diff --git a/lessons/bmi/bmi-run-model-from-bmi.ipynb b/lessons/bmi/bmi-run-model-from-bmi.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ddd3639
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lessons/bmi/bmi-run-model-from-bmi.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,429 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "<a href=\"https://bmi.readthedocs.io\"><img src=\"../../media/bmi-logo-header-text.png\"></a>"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "# Run the `Heat` model through its BMI"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "`Heat` models the diffusion of temperature on a uniform rectangular plate with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This is the canonical example used in the [bmi-example-python](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-example-python) repository. View the source code for the [model](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-example-python/blob/master/heat/heat.py) and its [BMI](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-example-python/blob/master/heat/bmi_heat.py) on GitHub."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Start by importing `os`, `numpy` and the `Heat` BMI:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 1,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "import os\n",
+    "import numpy as np\n",
+    "\n",
+    "from heat import BmiHeat"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Create an instance of the model's BMI."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 2,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "x = BmiHeat()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "What's the name of this model?"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 3,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "The 2D Heat Equation\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "print(x.get_component_name())"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Start the `Heat` model through its BMI using a configuration file:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 4,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "# Heat model configuration\r\n",
+      "shape:\r\n",
+      "  - 6\r\n",
+      "  - 8\r\n",
+      "spacing:\r\n",
+      "  - 1.0\r\n",
+      "  - 1.0\r\n",
+      "origin:\r\n",
+      "  - 0.0\r\n",
+      "  - 0.0\r\n",
+      "alpha: 1.0\r\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "cat heat.yaml"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 5,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "x.initialize('heat.yaml')"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Check the time information for the model."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 6,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "Start time: 0.0\n",
+      "End time: 1.7976931348623157e+308\n",
+      "Current time: 0.0\n",
+      "Time step: 0.25\n",
+      "Time units: s\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "print('Start time:', x.get_start_time())\n",
+    "print('End time:', x.get_end_time())\n",
+    "print('Current time:', x.get_current_time())\n",
+    "print('Time step:', x.get_time_step())\n",
+    "print('Time units:', x.get_time_units())"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Show the input and output variables for the component (aside on [Standard Names](https://csdms.colorado.edu/wiki/CSDMS_Standard_Names)):"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 7,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "('plate_surface__temperature',)\n",
+      "('plate_surface__temperature',)\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "print(x.get_input_var_names())\n",
+    "print(x.get_output_var_names())"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Next, get attributes of the grid on which the temperature variable is defined:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 8,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "Grid id: 0\n",
+      "Grid rank: 2\n",
+      "Grid shape: (6, 8)\n",
+      "Grid spacing: [1.0, 1.0]\n",
+      "Grid type: uniform_rectilinear_grid\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "grid_id = x.get_var_grid('plate_surface__temperature')\n",
+    "print('Grid id:', grid_id)\n",
+    "print('Grid rank:', x.get_grid_rank(grid_id))\n",
+    "print('Grid shape:', x.get_grid_shape(grid_id))\n",
+    "print('Grid spacing:', x.get_grid_spacing(grid_id))\n",
+    "print('Grid type:', x.get_grid_type(grid_id))"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Through the model's BMI, zero out the initial temperature field, except for an impulse:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 9,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "temperature = np.zeros(x.get_grid_shape(grid_id))\n",
+    "temperature[3, 4] = 100.0\n",
+    "x.set_value('plate_surface__temperature', temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Check that the temperature field has been updated:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 10,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0. 100.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "initial_temperature = x.get_value('plate_surface__temperature')\n",
+    "print(initial_temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Now advance the model by a single time step:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 11,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "x.update()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "View the new state of the temperature field:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 12,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[ 0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.  12.5  0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.  12.5 50.  12.5  0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.  12.5  0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0. ]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "updated_temperature = x.get_value('plate_surface__temperature')\n",
+    "print(updated_temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "There's diffusion!"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Advance the model to some distant time:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 13,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "distant_time = 2.0\n",
+    "while x.get_current_time() < distant_time:\n",
+    "    x.update()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "View the final state of the temperature field:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 14,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[  0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.2   0.9   2.1   2.8   2.1   0.9   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.7   2.2   4.7   6.2   4.7   2.1   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.9   3.0   6.1   7.9   6.1   2.8   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.6   2.0   4.1   5.3   4.1   1.8   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "final_temperature = x.get_value('plate_surface__temperature')\n",
+    "np.set_printoptions(formatter={'float': '{: 5.1f}'.format})\n",
+    "print(final_temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Note that temperature isn't conserved on the plate:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 15,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "74.10263419151306\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "print(final_temperature.sum())"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "End the model:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 16,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "x.finalize()"
+   ]
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "Python 3",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  },
+  "language_info": {
+   "codemirror_mode": {
+    "name": "ipython",
+    "version": 3
+   },
+   "file_extension": ".py",
+   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
+   "name": "python",
+   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
+   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
+   "version": "3.8.2"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 1
+}
diff --git a/lessons/bmi/bmi-run-model.ipynb b/lessons/bmi/bmi-run-model.ipynb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ef4114
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lessons/bmi/bmi-run-model.ipynb
@@ -0,0 +1,295 @@
+{
+ "cells": [
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "<a href=\"https://bmi.readthedocs.io\"><img src=\"../../media/bmi-logo-header-text.png\"></a>"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "# Run the `Heat` model"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "`Heat` models the diffusion of temperature on a uniform rectangular plate with Dirichlet boundary conditions. This is the canonical example used in the [bmi-example-python](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-example-python) repository. View the [source code](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-example-python/blob/master/heat/heat.py) for the model on GitHub."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Start by importing `numpy` and `Heat`:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 1,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "import numpy as np\n",
+    "from heat.heat import Heat"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Create an instance of the model, setting `shape` and `alpha` parameters:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 2,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "n_rows = 6\n",
+    "n_cols = 8\n",
+    "conductivity = 1.0\n",
+    "m = Heat(shape=(n_rows,n_cols), alpha=conductivity)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Show derived parameters from the model:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 3,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "Grid spacing: (1.0, 1.0)\n",
+      "Time step: 0.25\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "print('Grid spacing:', m.spacing)\n",
+    "print('Time step:', m.time_step)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "What does the initial temperature field look like?"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 4,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.]\n",
+      " [0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.]\n",
+      " [0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.]\n",
+      " [0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.]\n",
+      " [0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.]\n",
+      " [0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0. 0.]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "m.temperature = np.zeros_like(m.temperature)\n",
+    "print(m.temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Add an impulse to the temperature field: "
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 5,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0. 100.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]\n",
+      " [  0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "m.temperature[3, 4] = 100.0\n",
+    "print(m.temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Advance the model by a single time step:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 6,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "m.advance_in_time()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "View the new state of the temperature field:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 7,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[ 0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.  12.5  0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.  12.5 50.  12.5  0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.  12.5  0.   0.   0. ]\n",
+      " [ 0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0.   0. ]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "print(m.temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "There's diffusion!"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Advance the model to some distant time:"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 8,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [],
+   "source": [
+    "distant_time = 2.0\n",
+    "while m.time < distant_time:\n",
+    "    m.advance_in_time()"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "View the new state of the temperature field (with help from `np.set_printoptions`):"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 9,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "name": "stdout",
+     "output_type": "stream",
+     "text": [
+      "[[  0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.2   0.9   2.1   2.8   2.1   0.9   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.7   2.2   4.7   6.2   4.7   2.1   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.9   3.0   6.1   7.9   6.1   2.8   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.6   2.0   4.1   5.3   4.1   1.8   0.0]\n",
+      " [  0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0   0.0]]\n"
+     ]
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "np.set_printoptions(formatter={'float': '{: 5.1f}'.format})\n",
+    "print(m.temperature)"
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "markdown",
+   "metadata": {},
+   "source": [
+    "Note that temperature is set to zero at the boundaries."
+   ]
+  },
+  {
+   "cell_type": "code",
+   "execution_count": 10,
+   "metadata": {},
+   "outputs": [
+    {
+     "data": {
+      "text/plain": [
+       "74.10263419151306"
+      ]
+     },
+     "execution_count": 10,
+     "metadata": {},
+     "output_type": "execute_result"
+    }
+   ],
+   "source": [
+    "m.temperature.sum()"
+   ]
+  }
+ ],
+ "metadata": {
+  "kernelspec": {
+   "display_name": "Python 3",
+   "language": "python",
+   "name": "python3"
+  },
+  "language_info": {
+   "codemirror_mode": {
+    "name": "ipython",
+    "version": 3
+   },
+   "file_extension": ".py",
+   "mimetype": "text/x-python",
+   "name": "python",
+   "nbconvert_exporter": "python",
+   "pygments_lexer": "ipython3",
+   "version": "3.8.2"
+  }
+ },
+ "nbformat": 4,
+ "nbformat_minor": 1
+}
diff --git a/lessons/bmi/heat.yaml b/lessons/bmi/heat.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a5bd435
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lessons/bmi/heat.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+# Heat model configuration
+shape:
+  - 6
+  - 8
+spacing:
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+    "# Exploring Surface Processes using CSDMS Tools: How to Build Coupled Models\n",
+    "\n",
+    "## Day 2: The Basic Model Interface (BMI)\n",
+    "\n",
+    "Today we'll explore through a pair of Jupyter Notebooks what the Basic Model Interface is, and how to use it.\n",
+    "\n",
+    "*  [Run the *Heat* model](bmi-run-model.ipynb)\n",
+    "   * View model source code\n",
+    "   * Set up the model\n",
+    "   * Run the model\n",
+    "   * View output\n",
+    "\n",
+    "*  [Run the *Heat* model through its BMI](bmi-run-model-from-bmi.ipynb)\n",
+    "   * View model BMI source code\n",
+    "   * Set up the model through its BMI\n",
+    "   * Run the model\n",
+    "   * View output\n",
+    "\n",
+    "Additional information:\n",
+    "  * [BMI documentation](https://bmi.readthedocs.io)   \n",
+    "  * [Python BMI spec](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-python)\n",
+    "  * [Python BMI example](https://github.com/csdms/bmi-example-python)\n"
+   ]
+  }
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