Systems

Pre-K-2
Students recognize that parts work together, and make up whole man-made and natural objects.

a. Explain that most man-made and natural objects are made of parts. b. Explain that when put together, parts can do things they could not do separately.

=3-5=

Students explain interactions between parts that make up whole man-made and natural things.

a. Give examples that show how individual parts of organisms, ecosystems, or man-made structures can influence one another. b. Explain ways that things including organisms, ecosystems, or man-made structures may not work as well (or at all) if a part is missing, broken, worn out, mismatched, or misconnected.

6-8
Students describe and apply principles of systems in man-made things, natural things, and processes.

a. Explain how individual parts working together in a system (including organisms, Earth systems, solar systems, or man-made structures) can do more than each part individually. b. Explain how the output of one part of a system, including waste products from manufacturing or organisms, can become the input of another part of a system. c. Describe how systems are nested and that systems may be thought of as containing subsystems (as well as being a subsystem of a larger system) and apply the understanding to analyze systems.

9-Diploma
Students apply an understanding of systems to explain and analyze man-made and natural phenomena.

a. Analyze a system using the principles of boundaries, subsystems, inputs, outputs, feedback, or the system’s relation to other systems and design solutions to a system problem. b. Explain and provide examples that illustrate how it may not always be possible to predict the impact of changing some part of a man-made or natural system.

[|The Dynamical Systems and Technology Project at Boston University]