| Population Dynamics, Part B: Connecting Past, Present and Future, Part B:Push and Pull Forces in U.S. Colonial History |
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Author(s):
Jeffrey Potash, & Jennifer Andersen |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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The Population Dynamics series are designed to supplement existing high school history curricula and be largely self-directed by students outside of class time. The lessons are intended to introduce students to a variety of systems tools (behavior-over-time graphs, stock/flow maps, models/simulations) alongside primary and secondary historical resources. Part B focuses on population change in New England in Colonial times and how it contributed to the growth of America.
Complex Systems Connection: Separate Cause and Effect. Population dynamics and changes in the environment and social systems of a nation play out over time. Generations of Americans, together with streams of immigrants, had children and grandchildren, all needing space to lives. Our nation's population grew (and is still growing today due to the same forces). The settlement of America is a story about population growth and migration.
Cause within System. This systems view is organized around three sectors:population dynamics, environmental factors and changing social systems. Their interactions in New England during colonial times contributed to the settlement of America. |
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Link to the file: http://clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/populationdynamics/popdynB.asp
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| Population Dynamics, Part C: Connecting Past, Present and Future, Part C: U.S. Urbanization from 1820 to 1920 |
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Author(s):
Jeffrey Potash, & Jennifer Andersen |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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The Population Dynamics series are designed to supplement existing high school history curricula and be largely self-directed by students outside of class time. The lessons are intended to introduce students to a variety of systems tools (behavior-over-time graphs, stock/flow maps, models/simulations) alongside primary and secondary historical resources. Part C focuses on U.S. urbanization between 1820 to 1920.
Complex Systems Connection: Separate Cause and Effect. The process of urbanization unfolds over decades, sometimes centuries. Small changes in society (inventions of labor-saving devices for farming) accumulate over time and cause other changes (people move to cities to find jobs). The trend can be imperceptible over a few years but becomes apparent when looking at a long timescale. Urbanization features push and pull forces that transform entire nations. Changing population dynamics, environments and social systems push some people to seek opportunities elsewhere. The result can be explosive urban growth that creates a pull for others.
Short and Long Term Conflicts. Achieving an immediate goal (welcoming new labor, improving labor productivity) can come at long-term costs (lower wages for all, fewer jobs). Complex systems often feature such tradeoffs - seemingly rational decisions and actions in the present can have unintended consequences in the future. |
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Link to the file: http://clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/populationdynamics/popdynC.asp
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| Population Dynamics, Part D: Connecting Past, Present and Future, Part D:America's Baby Boom and Global Youth Bulges |
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Author(s):
Jeffrey Potash, & Jennifer Andersen |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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The Population Dynamics series are designed to supplement existing high school history curricula and be largely self-directed by students outside of class time. The lessons are intended to introduce students to a variety of systems tools (behavior-over-time graphs, stock/flow maps, models/simulations) alongside primary and secondary historical resources. Part D focuses on America's baby boom and global youth bulges.
Complex Systems Connection: Separate Cause and Effect. Baby booms and youth bulges play out over time. The impacts of population dynamics may cause changes to the environment and social systems that will be felt over several generations. It is difficult to predict the effects of issues that are decades away, and even harder to implement policies that will correct for them. Baby booms and youth bulges can create push factors that cause particular age groups to migrate to new countries. Young or old, people respond to shrinking opportunities by looking outside national borders. One country's youth bulge may become another region's immigration influx.
Cause within System. The decision to have a child is very personal, but common factors are often present (age, finances). These factors also affect the rate at which people die, leave (emigrate) or come to a new area (immigrate). This demographic system generates its own behavior. The particular trajectory of population growth or decline is a consequence of these various flows of people.
Shifting Burden. Humanitarian aid is widely provided to nations in need. When aid creates a dependence between the giver and receiver, the ability of the receiving country to meet its own needs may be compromised. Over time the "burden" of providing for a country's citizens may be transferred to the intervener - the country or countries providing the aid. |
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Link to the file: http://clexchange.org/curriculum/complexsystems/populationdynamics/popdynD.asp
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| Simulating Hamlet in the Classroom D-4540-1 |
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Author(s):
Pamela Lee Hopkins |
Subject:
English |
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An example of a STELLA model's direct use in a high school English classroom environment. |
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 PDF
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| Stress on the First Day of Middle School |
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Author(s):
Jane Macon Middle School Teachers |
Subject:
Personal Growth and Development |
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From the Gist Project. Students use a Behavior-over-Time graph to demonstrate their stress/anxiety on the first day of Middle School, and write about it. Two weeks later they repeat the activity and write about their changed feelings. |
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PDF
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| Studying The Lorax with Feedback Loops |
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Author(s):
Rob Quaden, & Alan Ticotsky |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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Students read "The Lorax," by Dr. Suess, and then develop a connection circle and causal loops to understand and illustrate the themes of the story.
Complex Systems Connection: Separate Cause and Effect, Short and Long Term Conflicts. Short-term focus on making money results in depletion of resource and environmental degradation over time and the collapse of the business. Actions and their detrimental consequences are separated by time. |
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PDF
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| Systems Thinking Applications in the English Classroom: Developing Character Analysis Using the Ladder of Connectedness and Causal Loops |
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Author(s):
Stephanie DiCarlo |
Subject:
Implementation |
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Stephanie DiCarlo, an experienced high school English teacher from Innovation Academy Charter School, utilizes systems thinking tools to help her students conceptualize and connect life to literature. She found the ladder of connectedness from Peter Senge and causal loop diagrams effective in exploring the hardships of foster care, juvenile court and other familial and social systems found in the novel-in-verse, Keesha’s House. In this paper she outlines step by step how she teaches using systems tools to enhance her students ability to analyze literature and build critical thinking capacity. |
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PDF
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| Systems Tools in High School: Interdisciplinary Learning in a Science Classroom |
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Author(s):
Alan Ticotsky |
Subject:
Implementation |
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A summary of how one teacher teaches across the curriculum. Chris DiCarlo teaches high school classes in several different disciplines at Innovation Academy Charter School (IACS). While technically in the science and math departments, he has taught physics, pre-calculus, robotics, environmental systems, financial literacy... and that's just in the past two years! The threads that tie together all of Chris's classes are a tightly woven combination of his own dynamic teaching style and the learning environment at IACS.
Chris worked with IACS high school principal, Greg Orpen, to design a one-semester elective systems course for Fall 2012. "Environmental Systems and Computer Modeling" was designed to provide students with an overview of the Earth's physical systems and how human activity affects those systems.
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| Systems Tools to Enhance Literacy |
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Author(s):
Lees Stuntz |
Subject:
English |
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Examples of readily availablle curricula using systems tools in literacy are highlighted in this short article. These, among many, are available for free download on the CLE website. |
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| Teenagers with Global Control |
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Author(s):
Teresa F. Hazel, & Timothy Joy |
Subject:
Cross-Curricular |
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From CC-STADUS. After reading "Fahrenheit 451", students inherit a nation out of control with respect to its population and resources and have a cyber-century to salvage it. This model hails from "The Rulers" packet, with a few changes in the model and presentation. It begins with a basic population model, and so it works well for inexperienced STELLA users, teachers as well as students. It then expands through three permutations, and so do the curricular possibilities. |
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 Zipped (Models & PDF)
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