Behind the Game: Uncovering the Systems Underlying the Topic

Abstract

This chapter draws heavily upon systems thinking (Thinking in systems: a primer. Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, 2008; When a butterfly sneezes: a guide for helping kids explore interconnections in our world through favorite stories, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, 2001) in order to help the reader explore the underlying system behind his or her chosen topic. The chapter gives an overview of systems thinking while an appendix goes into further details about systems thinking. Once the reader is introduced to systems thinking and practices diagramming systems with children’s books and his or her overall subject area and the system of his or her chosen topic, the reader is then instructed to both simplify and complexify the system in order to provide three different levels. These levels may eventually correspond to the different levels of the curricular game.