๐ Unit Overview
Systems thinking is a way of seeing the world that focuses on relationships, patterns, and connections rather than isolated parts. In this unit, students will learn to:
- Identify systems in the world around them (ecological, social, economic)
- Understand key systems concepts (feedback loops, emergence, boundaries)
- Analyse how changes in one part affect the whole system
- Apply systems thinking to real-world problems
- Design their own society as a complex system
Essential Questions
- How do the parts of a system work together?
- What happens when one part of a system changes?
- How can understanding systems help us solve problems?
- What can Indigenous knowledge teach us about systems?
๐ง Key Concepts
๐ Feedback Loops
When the output of a system influences its input. Can be reinforcing (amplifying change) or balancing (stabilising).
๐ Emergence
When a system exhibits properties that its individual parts do not have. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
๐ Interconnection
How different parts of a system influence one another. Nothing exists in isolation.
๐ Patterns
Recurring behaviours or events in systems. Recognising patterns helps predict outcomes.
โ๏ธ Balance & Limits
Systems have carrying capacities and tend toward equilibrium. Exceeding limits can cause collapse.
๐ฏ Purpose
Systems exist to achieve something. Understanding purpose helps explain system behaviour.
๐บ๏ธ Learning Journey
Week 1โ2: Introduction to Systems
What is a system? Identifying systems in everyday life. Components, connections, and purpose.
Week 3โ4: Indigenous Systems Knowledge
Mฤtauranga Mฤori as systems thinking: mauri, whakapapa, kaitiakitanga, and interdependence.
Week 5โ6: Systems in Society
Economic, political, and social systems. How societies function as complex systems.
Week 7โ8: Design Challenge
Design Your Society project. Students create a functioning society applying systems thinking.
Week 9โ10: Present & Reflect
Present society designs, gather feedback, and reflect on systems thinking applications.
๐ Unit Resources
๐ Curriculum Alignment
NZ Curriculum Level 4 โ Social Studies
- Understand how people make decisions about access to and use of resources
- Understand how the ways in which leadership of groups is acquired and exercised have consequences for communities and societies
- Understand how people participate individually and collectively in response to community challenges
Key Competencies: Thinking, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing
Values: Community, Equity, Ecological Sustainability
๐ Unit Resources
Downloadable handouts, worksheets, and materials for this unit.