Earth Systems
Introductory
Title: Systems Ball Toss
Description: Students will work in groups to develop a “system” to pass a ball around. The teacher will alter the system and groups will adapt and change. Students will learn about interconnectedness of systems and what happens when they are disrupted.
Materials- 3-4 colorful bean bags or stuffed animals per student group (6-8 members)
Time Needed: 30 minutes
Procedures:
1. Identify student groups and a place where the activity can take place. Outdoors is great.
2. Have each group identify a leader who comes up and take the first ball. Explain to the class that the leader will help them establish a pattern or system to throw the ball that is consistent and repeatable.
3. Make sure that the leaders know that when you whistle or call that they are to come over to you and receive the next instructions which they will go back to their groups to share. The groups should be instructed to “adapt” when changes are presented.
4. The instructions you give the leaders may be:
a. take another ball (or two) and design a new pattern that includes throwing all the balls.
b. ask one team member to become “extinct” and stay in the game but not throw the balls back.
c. ask one team member to quit throwing the balls correctly in the pattern.
d. give a 4th ball and instructions that it must be thrown randomly.
5. You may wish to add a competition at the end to help them realize
how they use the scientific method. The only rules are 1) Everyone in the
group has to touch it once. 2)It has to start and end with the same person.
Give them a minute to decide what they want to do. Time each group 2
times. Whoever is the fastest wins.
6. When the game is over, have student come back to the classroom and discuss the following questions as a class or in student groups. You may wish students to write answers as an assignment.
a. When does a system work best?
b. What happens when sudden change affects a system?
c. Can systems recover from change? How?
d. If this activity was based on the water cycle (a system) what might the people throwing the bean bags stand for?
7. The students can also discuss this activity from the standpoint of scientific method. What was the problem? (How to get the beanbag to everyone the fastest?) How did you conduct research? (Figure out rules, look at other groups.) What was the hypothesis: (If we pass it in this pattern then we will win). Procedures for the experiment- (Describe the pattern) Date: (Time). Data Analysis- Analyze their time against other teams. Conclusion- My hypothesis was right/wrong. I learned......