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Developing Systems Thinking Mini-Workshop

Developing Systems Thinking Mini-Workshop. Hannah Scherer Agricultural , Leadership, and Community E ducation Rachel Seman-Varner Horticulture. Workshop goals. By the end of this workshop, you will: be able to explain the ways in which scientists approach complex systems

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Developing Systems Thinking Mini-Workshop

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  1. Developing Systems Thinking Mini-Workshop Hannah Scherer Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education Rachel Seman-Varner Horticulture

  2. Workshop goals By the end of this workshop, you will: be able to explain the ways in which scientists approach complex systems have a collection of resources and strategies for teaching systems thinking

  3. Overview of Workshop Part 1: Guided exploration of a complex system Student Hat – interactive lesson Teacher Hat – debrief of lesson Part 2: Exploration of resources Part 3: Flex time or Q & A

  4. Part 1: Exploring complex systems http://www.shiftn.com/obesity/Full-Map.html

  5. Put on your “Student Hat”

  6. In your group, answer the following questions: What is a system?What do you think makes a system different from a bunch of stuff?

  7. What do you see in this photo? Photo by Dawn Ellner (CC BY 2.0)

  8. What do you see in this photo? Photo by Genthar (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) Photo by djmapleferryman (CC BY 2.0) Photo by Jason Morrison (CC BY NC-2.0)

  9. In your group (10 minutes) • Pick an element from the list • Research your element • www.monolake.org is a good place to start • Prepare to explain your element to others (highlights)

  10. In your new group (10 minutes) Write the name of each element on a post-it Connect elements that you think are related Label your connections with processes you think may relate the two elements You have just created a diagram of a part of the Mono Lake system. What do you think is its function? Tufa towers Water

  11. What is a system? Elements (e.g. water, brine shrimp)Interconnections(e.g. salinity)Function(e.g. healthy bird population)

  12. On your own, answer the following question: What is the biggest question you have about this system right now?

  13. Put on your “Teacher Hat”

  14. In your group, discuss What expertise or prior knowledge did you bring to the activity?Did this play a role in your thinking? What do you think would be confusing for your students? What could you do to alleviate that confusion? If you were teaching this lesson, what would you do next?

  15. Key considerations in planning

  16. “Basic” systems thinking components Boundaries (open vs. closed systems) Multiple interacting parts/ spheres Perturbations can impact other parts of system Multiple causal factors can influence one outcome http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/systems_what.html

  17. “Trickier” systems thinking components Positive and negative feedback loops Exchange of matter or energy (flux) Reservoir Residence time Lag (delay) Tipping point/ limit (threshold) http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/systems_what.html

  18. “Advanced” systems thinking components Emergent properties Non-linear change Resilience Static vs. dynamic systems http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/systems_what.html

  19. Check in with yourself(5 minute quick write) What is your biggest “a-ha” so far? What ideas have you had about teaching systems in your own classes? What are your biggest questions at this point?

  20. Part 2: Resource Exploration • Break included • Choose your own adventure • Partner with a colleague with a similar interest • Look for new ideas for teaching a concept using systems thinking • Research a specific systems topic in more depth • Look at examples of systems-based teaching approaches • Explore resources and see where you land • Others? • Post to the Teaching Systems workspace

  21. Part 3: Flex time – what do you need now?

  22. Assignment Critique • Please answer the following questions for each assignment (assignments 1 and 2) • What do you like about the assignment? • What don’t you like about the assignment? • What would you change about the assignment to improve students’ understanding of systems?

  23. Unit 5: Predicting the effects of climate change on soil loss http://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/teaching_materials/sustain_agriculture/activity5.html

  24. The relationship between precipitation and soil erosion is a complex system. Estimated average soil loss = R*K*LS*C*P

  25. The relationship between precipitation and soil erosion is a complex system. ? Erosion Precipitation

  26. Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation - - This diagram illustrates relationships between factors that influence erosion in agricultural systems. + Crop Yield Modified from: Pruski, F. F., and M. A. Nearing, 2002, Climate-induced changes in erosion during the 21st century for eight U.S. locations, Water Resour. Res., 38(12), 1298, doi:10.1029/2001WR000493.

  27. Runoff Erosion Precipitation The direction of the arrows indicates cause and effect relationships. Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  28. Runoff Precipitation For example, this arrow tells us that changes in precipitation cause changes in runoff. (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  29. Runoff X Precipitation If it were pointing the other way, that would mean that changes in runoff cause changes in precipitation. This doesn’t make much sense! (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  30. Runoff Erosion Precipitation But, the direction of the arrows doesn’t tell us how a factor impacts other factors. Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  31. + = positive relationship - = negative relationship Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation - - The + and – signs indicate what type of relationship exists between the factors. + Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  32. Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation A positive relationship means that a change in one factor causes an effect on another factor in the same direction. + Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  33. Runoff + Precipitation For example, this arrow indicates that… an increase in precipitation causes an increase in runoff ANDa decrease in precipitation causes a decrease in runoff (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  34. A negative relationship means that a change in one factor causes an effect on another factor in the opposite direction. Runoff Erosion - - Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  35. Erosion - For example, this arrow indicates that… an increase in crop yield causes a decrease in erosionANDa decrease in crop yield causes an increase in erosion Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  36. Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation - - So, we can use this diagram to describe relationships between factors that influence erosion in agricultural systems and predict how changes in one factor will influence other factors. + Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002)

  37. Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation - Models for Syracuse, Nebraska, predict thatprecipitation will decrease overall for the region. Erosion is also expected to decreasefor wheat.Which pathway is most likely to be dominant for wheat? - (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002) + Crop Yield

  38. Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation - The same models predict that, while precipitation decreases overall for the region, erosion is expected to increasefor cornfields.Which pathway is most likely to be dominant for corn? - (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002) + Crop Yield

  39. Wheat Runoff + + Erosion Precipitation - - Based on these pathways, which crop do you think is more severely impacted by the decrease in precipitation? + Crop Yield (diagram modified from Pruski and Nearing, 2002) Corn

  40. In agricultural systems, humans also make decisions that can have big impacts. What are some ways in which humans influence agriculture?

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