Systems Thinking Resources
Explore a variety of systems thinking resources including Templates, Lesson Plans, Facilitation Guides, and Webinars. Use the filter bar on the right side of the screen to filter resources by type, topic, or audience.
Abitudini di un Pensatore Sistemico: Versione a pagina singola, Tradotto in italiano
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Italian.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Drifting Goals
Template and summary for the Drifting Goals Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Leverage, successive approximation, impact of time delays, considers an issue fully, causal loops
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Escalation
Template and summary for the Escalation Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs, change over time, successive approximation, short-term, long-term, unintended consequences, changes perspectives to increase understanding, causal loops
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Fixes that Backfire
Template and summary for the Fixes that Backfire Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Causal loops, long-term, short-term and unintended consequences, changes perspectives
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Limits to Growth/Success
Template and summary for the Limits to Success/Growth Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Causal loops, successive approximation
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Repression and Revolution
Template and summary for the Repression and Revolution Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Causal loops; short-term, long-term and unintended consequences; changes perspectives; mental models
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Shifting the Burden
Template and summary for the Shifting the Burden Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Causal loops, changes perspectives to increase understanding, considers an issue fully
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Success to the Successful
Template and summary for the Success to the Successful Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Causal loops, structure generates behavior, mental models
Audience: All learners
Archetype: Tragedy of the Commons
Template and summary for the Tragedy of the Commons Archetype
ST Habits & Tools: Big picture, changes perspectives to increase understanding, accumulations, circular nature, causal loops
Audience: All learners
Bean Game — A Role-play Simulation
“The Bean Game” traces the effects of multi-generational families over time as each generation decides what resources they will need to live healthy, prosperous lives.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker: Observes how elements within systems change over time, generating patterns and trends, considers short-term, long-term and unintended consequences of actions; Systems Thinking Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs, Iceberg; Archetypes: Tragedy of the Commons
Audience: Secondary students - adults
Behavior-Over-Time Graphs: BOTGs with Questions
The worksheet provides 4 blank BOTGs and questions to consider before and after creating a BOTG.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs
Audience: All learners
Behavior-Over-Time Graphs: Connection Circle with BOTGs
Depict key changing elements of a system on BOTG templates and then draw arrows showing how the elements cause changes in each other throughout the circle.
ST Habits & Tools: Connection Cicle, Behavior-over-time graphs
Audience: All learners
Beyond Virtual: A Community of Learners Devoted to the Health System
Read a summary of the Health System Forum, presented by the Waters Center for Systems Thinking on Feb. 11, 2021.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Books with Systems Thinking Connections
A list of children's literature and their connections to systems thinking concepts.
ST Habits & Tools: Most Habits of a Systems Thinker and most systems thinking tools
Audience: Educators to use with students PreK-Elementary
Borton Boys Video
Watch as three first grade students share how a causal loop helped them understand and find solutions to a problem they were having on the playground.
ST Habits & Tools: Causal loops
Audience: All learners
Building Pathways for Systems Thinkers: Reimagining School Leadership Forum, Guest Speaker Videos
The Reimagining School Leadership Forum, held on June 24, 2021, featured several guest speakers from the field. Hear their stories of using systems thinking with students and staff.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Caring Classroom
Students will listen to several books read aloud (i.e. read alouds) that they will use to create behavior-over-time graphs. The behavior-over-time graphs will reinforce caring classroom behavior. While creating these graphs, students will increase vocabulary knowledge and usage and will be able to plot a range of specific feelings/behaviors of focus on each graph. After creating several behavior-over-time graphs, the class will create a correlating stock-flow map. The unit ends with fun extension activities: authoring a book entitled “What is a Good Friend?” and making Friendship Mix.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graph, Stock-flow map, and 8 of the Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Kindergarten class of 5 and 6-year-olds (This lesson could be used in any primary grade with content and time modifications.)
Celebrating the Life and Lessons of James L. Waters
James “Jim” Waters, founder of Waters Center for Systems Thinking, passed away peacefully on May 17, 2021 at the age of 95. Read about Jim and his legacy.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Character Comparison Using the Ladder of Inference
After reading two different versions of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” students will create two ladders of inference to analyze the characters’ actions.
ST Habits & Tools: Ladder of Inference, Big Picture, Makes meaningful connections within and between systems, Changes perspectives to increase understanding
Audience: Educators to use with students PreK-Elementary
Characteristics of a System: An Open Door to Integrating Systems Thinking
How are the characteristics of a system like a math problem? In this video, learn the characteristics of a system and how this understanding can be used to integrate systems thinking into your work with groups of learners in a variety of settings.
ST Habits & Tools: System structure, Meaningful connections
Audience: All learners, specifically PreK-Secondary educators
Creative Tension
This guide will help students explore the importance of gaps and small-step strategies to address gaps.
ST Habits & Tools: Seeks to understand the big picture, Changes perspectives to increase understanding, Surfaces and tests assumptions, Successive approximation, Patterns and trends, Leverage, Behavior-over-time graphs, Causal loops
Audience: Intermediate students and groups/teams from organizations (systems) of any kind.
Denkgewoonten van een Systeemdenker: Versie met één pagina, Nederlandse vertaling
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Dutch.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Developing Systems Thinking Capacity
This piece makes the case for why building a systems thinking capacity in learners of all ages is a worthy investment.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Developing a Sense of Belonging
The purpose of this guide is to facilitate the examination of a system and how we can increase students’ sense of belonging in order to increase effectiveness as an institution.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker: Seeks to understand the big picture, Observes how elements within systems change over time, Recognizes that a system’s structure generates its behavior, Identifies the circular nature of complex cause and effect relationships, Makes meaningful connections within and between systems, Considers an issue fully and resists the urge to come to a quick conclusion, Uses understanding of system structure to identify possible leverage actions; Tools: Stock-flow maps, Behavior-over-time graphs
Audience: School staff members (This was done at a middle school, but it could work at any level.)
Did Curiosity Kill the Cat?
The purpose of this lesson plan is to analyze curiosity as part of an interacting system using connection circles and causal loops (could also be done using a stock-flow map).
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker: Seeks to understand the big picture, Identifies the circular nature of complex cause and effect relationships, Makes meaningful connections within and between systems, Uses understanding of system structure to identify possible leverage actions; Tools: Connection circles, Causal loop diagrams
Audience: Middle school students through adults
Ecosystem Connection Circle
In this activity, students will explore the interrelationships and interdependencies among the various elements of a desert ecosystem.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker: Seeks to understand the big picture, Identifies the circular nature of complex cause and effect relationships, Considers short-term, long-term, and unintended consequences of actions, Recognizes the impact of time delays when exploring cause and effect relationships; Systems Thinking Tools: Feedback Loops, Connection Circles
Audience: Students grades 3-5
Exploring the Habits with Analogies
Learners will use everyday objects to make connections to the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Groups and teams from any organization/system and secondary students
Foldable BOTG Template
The foldable behavior-over-time graph is a great way to record the highlights, experiences, or explanations that influence the changes or steady state of a BOTG underneath each section of the graph.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior Over Time Graphs
Audience: All learners
Gewohnheiten für Systemdenkende: Einzelseitenversion, Deutsche Übersetzung
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into German.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Habits Sort
Test your knowledge of the Habits of a Systems Thinker with this interactive activity. Cut out the images from the Habits cards and try to match each one with the text of the Habit. This activity is available in both English and Spanish.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: All learners
Habits of Leaders We Know and Admire
This resource will help those looking to make connections between the Habits of a Systems Thinker and desired leadership qualities for their students/colleagues.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Primarily adults, but secondary students will also benefit from this thought exercise.
Habits of a Systems Thinker Self-Assessment for Individuals and Groups
This resource will introduce the Habits of a Systems Thinker to individuals and groups through personal/group reflection and exploration.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Adult learners from any organization/system
Habits of a Systems Thinker Team Reflection Matrix
These exercises are intended to help facilitate reflection and evaluation for team members/colleagues using the Habits of a Systems thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: Adults in any type of system
Habits of a Systems Thinker: Reflection Sheet
An assessment using the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Habits of a Systems Thinker: Single Page Version
A single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Hey, Little Ant
Students will compare characters using the Ladder of Inference through the reading of "Hey, Little Ant" by Phillip and Hannah Hoose.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker: Seeks to understand the big picture, Changes perspectives to increase understanding, Considers short-term, long-term, and unintended consequences of actions; Tools: Ladder of Inference
Audience: Kindergarten - Grade 3
Hábitos de um Pensador Sistêmico: Versão de página única, Tradução para Português
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Portuguese.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Hábitos de un Pensador Sistemático: Versión de una sola página, Traducción al español
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Spanish.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Iceberg: 3D Model Template
Use this template to cut and fold the iceberg visual into a standing three-dimensional, tactile representation of an iceberg, with the mental models level “hidden” inside the structure, as mental models often are hidden.
ST Habits & Tools: Iceberg
Audience: All learners
Iceberg: Current Reality and Desired Results
Iceberg template that helps users get closer to desired outcomes by assessing the current reality they are experiencing versus desired results.
ST Habits & Tools: Iceberg
Audience: All learners
Iceberg: Identifying Leverage and Learning
Iceberg template with bubbles for learners to fill in at each level.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs, ladder of inference
Audience: All learners
Iceberg: Scientific Phenomenon
Iceberg template for science teachers to guide students through sensemaking using systems thinking tools and science practices.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs, ladder of inference, Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: All learners
Iceberg: Template with Graphics and Questions
The graphics and questions included throughout the iceberg visual promote deeper understanding as one searches for leverage in a system.
ST Habits & Tools: Iceberg
Audience: All learners
Ladder of Inference: Double Ladder Templates
Double Ladder of Inference template, and a version with data-centered questions.
ST Habits & Tools: Ladder of Inference
Audience: All lerners
Ladder of Inference: Three Rung Ladder with Habits Graphics
Visual version of the ladder helps users make connections between the Ladder of Inference and the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: Ladder of Inference
Audience: Young learners
Ladder of Inference: Three Rung Ladder with Notice, Believe, Act
This version of the ladder is great for thinkers of any age to debrief a common experience by focusing on what they notice, what they believe and how those beliefs lead to action.
ST Habits & Tools: Ladder of Inference
Audience: Young learners
Ladder of Inference: Three Rung Ladder with Simplified Questions
Questions guide younger thinkers to focus on what they notice through all of their senses, what they think and ultimately what they do.
ST Habits & Tools: Ladder of Inference
Audience: All learners
Ladder of Inference: Worksheet
This worksheet is designed with 6 spaces for the user’s thoughts while considering implications of the Ladder of Inference and the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: Ladder of Inference
Audience: All learners
Ladybugs and Aphids Game
This game gives students an opportunity to explore predator-prey relationships and see how a balance between the two may or may not be achieved.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time-graphs and connection circles
Audience: Grades 1-3
Leading Change for 21st Century Schools
Learn how the growing complexity and challenges facing today’s leaders make a systems thinking approach to creating change more important now than ever.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Legacy Graphing
This resource will show educators how students can tell a story using a behavior-over-time graph (BOTG).
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs, change over time
Audience: Students of all ages
Les habitudes d’un Penseur en Systèmes: Version d'une page, Traduction française
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into French.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Levels of Commitment
Use this template to ask, “As a staff, team or department, how committed are we to our vision?” and “Where am I as I consider my level of commitment to the vision?“ Consider printing this template on large paper and providing people with two colors of sticky dots to indicate responses to each question: One colored dot for their indication of staff or large group commitment level and another color for their level as an individual. After all have made level selections, ask, “What does this colored dot data tell us?”
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Maze Craze
In this lesson, participants will work through the engineering design process focusing on the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that deal with solving problems through testing possible solutions.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker, Causal loops
Audience: Upper Elementary – Secondary students and teams from Organizations (with modifications for time)
Middle School Students Interview
Middle school students describe their favorite Habit of a Systems Thinker and explain why they chose it.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: All learners
Mirror, Mirror and the Star
The purpose of this activity is to help others understand the complexity and oftentimes difficulty that occurs when attempting to change perspectives while completing an action.
ST Habits & Tools: Changes Perspectives, Successive Approximation, Leverage, Mental Models
Audience: Secondary students – Adults in any type of system
No Better Time: Systems Thinking for All
In this article, written by Waters Center President, Tracy Benson and published in the Winter 2021 edition of Kansas Child Magazine, learn why there is no better time to learn and implement systems thinking for our youngest learners and beyond.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: "An Imperfect Leader: Human-Centered Leadership in (After) Action" with Peter Stiepleman
This Open Studio Webinar, which occurred September 7, 2023, was facilitated by Peter Stiepleman, author of "An Imperfect Leader: Human-Centered Leadership in (After) Action" and host of a weekly podcast with the same name. Peter shares a leadership model that anchors itself in Peter Senge’s words, "What do we want to create together?" and engage participants in some systems thinking scenarios.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: "Starting the Ripple: Peacebuilding Habits for Systems Change
In this Open Studio Webinar, which occurred February 1, 2024, get to know the complementary habits of peacebuilding and systems thinking with peace practitioners and WCST Advanced Facilitators Laura Hermanns, MSP, and Alexandria Sedar, MSP. Through reflection, application of systems thinking tools, and insights on developing a personal practice, we will explore together how even small actions can ripple outward and create positive change in the world.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: A Conversation with David Stroh & Michael Goodman: Applied Systems Thinking
This Open Studio Webinar, which occurred January 6, 2022, was facilitated by David Stroh and Michael Goodman, whose global experiences using systems thinking span more than five decades. Their work includes teaching, facilitating, and consulting in the social, public, and private sectors.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: Building a More Equitable World Using Systems Thinking
In Waters Center's October 2024 Open Studio Webinar, we collectively consider how systems thinking can be used to strengthen our efforts to advance equity. Melanie Houston, Waters Center Systems Thinking Specialist, will share her experience and reflections from real-world applications of systems thinking in equity-promoting efforts. Participants will have an opportunity to apply systems thinking as they co-develop strategies for incorporating systems thinking into their professional and personal worlds.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker, Behavior Over Time Graphs
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: Developing the Leaders Our Systems Deserve
This Open Studio Webinar, which occurred June 1, 2023, was facilitated by Lihi Rosenthal.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: Now What? A Call to Action with Alan Ticotsky
This Open Studio Webinar, which occurred June 2, 2022, was facilitated by Alan Ticotsky, who shared some of his work and facilitated dialogue as we considered what action we could take going forward.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: Planting the Seeds and Growing Systems Thinking in Your Organization
This Open Studio Webinar, which occurred May 4, 2023, was facilitated by Kelly Nichols, Jackie White, and Victor Yagi.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: Taking Action: Using Systems Thinking to Tackle Complex Community Challenges
This Open Studio was recorded on Nov. 5, 2020 and facilitated by Mackenzie Pish, Program Manager for the University of Arizona Law School’s Innovation for Justice Program, and Alexandria Sedar, a Peacebuilder specializing in systems thinking, international development and public health.
ST Habits & Tools: All
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: Using the Ladder of Inference to Navigate Hard Conversations
What can you do when you find yourself in a hard conversation? In Waters Center's November 2024 Open Studio Webinar, join Systems Thinking Specialists Melanie Houston and Alexandria Sedar in exploring this question using dialogue, conflict transformation, and systems thinking principles. Through examples, reflection, and opportunities for application, we will experience how the ladder of inference can be used to increase understanding and introduce intentionality into our communication practices.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker, Ladder of Inference
Audience: All learners
Open Studio Webinar Recording: We Don’t Need Another Hero: A Case Study of the Archetype “Fixes that Fail”
In this September 5, 2024 Open Studio Webinar, Kristina and Ken Tyler, who provide business consulting and services through Flow Fiero LLP, will walk you through their experience of using the archetype “Fixes that Fail” to uncover blind spots and entanglements in leadership. They will share how they have utilized systems thinking tools and habits to help businesses grow beyond the vicious cycles holding them back.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Putting Good into the World Through Systems Thinking: An Interview with Taylor Davidson
Taylor Davidson, Owner and Broker of Neil Benton Arts & Entertainment, wasintroduced to systems thinking as a middle schooler. Read about how he uses principles of systems thinking in his company’s operations and mission to put good into the world.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Questions for Coaching and Collaboration
This resource reinforces the importance of thought-provoking questions when in coaching and collaborative settings.
ST Habits & Tools: All of the Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Anyone in a coaching or collaborative setting
Shifting Mindsets Through Cultural Barriers: The Story of Rebuild
Learn about the remarkable systems thinking work being done in Afghanistan by Barbie and Peter Reynolds of Rebuild Consultants.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Sistem Düşünürünün Alışkanlıkları: Tek Sayfa Versiyonu, Türkçe Tercüme
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Turkish.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Structuring Schools for Success
This resource offers the steps, methods, and strategies a team of professional educators successfully used in one school to develop Total Quality Education (TQE). The key strategies for accomplishing this success are spelled out in detail.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners, particularly educators
Systeemiajattelijan tavat: Yksisivuinen versio, suomi käännös
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Finnish.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Systems Thinking Rubrics
Rubrics designed by the Catalina Foothills School District to assess and support the integration of systems thinking into units and lessons.
ST Habits & Tools: Change Over Time, Interdependencies, Consequences, System as Cause, Leverage Actions, Big Picture, Self-Regulation and Reflection
Audience: Grades K-12
Systems Thinking and Math Discourse Webinar
In this webinar, hosted by Danielle Robinson, Math Interventionist at Milwaukee Public Schools, learn how to use systems thinking Habits and tools to help students build and use discourse in mathematics to develop a shared understanding of mathematical concepts and ideas. Webinar recorded in 2018.
ST Habits & Tools: BOTG, Stock-Flow, Causal loops, all Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Educators with a focus in mathematics
Systems Thinking in School Communities: Chris Holiday
Hear from Chris Holiday, Disability, Mental Health & Nutrition Manager, Head Start, Middle Kentucky Community Action, who was a part of the Waters Center “Systems Thinking in School Communities” project, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
ST Habits & Tools: All
Audience: Administrators and educators, specifically early childhood
Systems Thinking in School Communities: Peggy Gingerich
Hear from Peggy Gingerich, early childhood teacher, 3 to 5 years, Head Start, Wolfe County, Middle Kentucky, who was a part of the Waters Center “Systems Thinking in School Communities” project, funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
ST Habits & Tools: All
Audience: Administrators and educators, specifically early childhood
Teacher Studio Webinar Recording: Seasons, Salmon and Storms: Integrating Systems Thinking with Science Standards
This Teacher Studio was recorded on Nov. 7, 2020 with special guest Maria Simpson, science specialist, from Winston Salem Forsythe County School District in North Carolina, who shares some of her best systems thinking integrated lessons.
ST Habits & Tools: All
Audience: Educators
The Big Picture of Classroom Management
In this piece, written by Mary Quinnan of the Waters Center, explore effective classroom management as it relates to the Habits of a Systems Thinker.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Educators
The Impact of the Systems Thinking in Schools Project: 20 years of Research, Development and Dissemination
This paper describes the impact of the Systems Thinking in Schools project on 21st century student learning and achievement.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: All learners
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Study of Culture, Perspective, Stereotypes and Systems (Unit Plan Template)
This unit plan template will guide secondary teachers in creating a meaningful learning experience for students using many elements of systems thinking to analyze important themes of the book, To Kill a Mockingbird.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and tools, specifically the ladder of inference, iceberg, connection circle and causal loops
Audience: Secondary students (primarily in an English Literature setting)
Using Behavior-over-time Graphs to Teach Retelling
This guide will show educators how to use BOTGs as a valuable tool in literacy.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs, Patterns and Trends
Audience: Students in early childhood settings
Using Monthly Newsletters to Explore the Habits
These one-page sheets provide questions and activities that teachers, school leaders, and others can use to put the Habits of a Systems Thinker into practice with students and adults.
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker
Audience: Adults working in schools, as well as in other workplaces
Walking the Talk: Honoring Mary Scheetz, a Systems Thinking Leader
For twenty four years, Mary Scheetz was the Director of the Waters Foundation, Systems Thinking in Schools (now Waters Center for Systems Thinking). Read about Mary’s legacy in this article commemorating her retirement.
ST Habits & Tools: All Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
Water Activity
This activity will help participants better understand accumulations and their rates of change.
ST Habits & Tools: Stock-flow maps
Audience: Grade 3 – Adult (in any type of system)
Water Hole
This lesson will help students explore accumulations and their rates of change.
ST Habits & Tools: Change over time, accumulation, behavior-over-time graph, Stock-flow map
Audience: Elementary Students
Water Manager Game
This lesson is designed to follow up a study of Arizona’s water resources, including the Central Arizona Project, Salt River Project, and the systems of dams on Arizona’s rivers. (Lesson could be adjusted to work with water resources in other geographic regions.)
ST Habits & Tools: Habits of a Systems Thinker: Seeks to understand the big picture, Observes how elements within systems change over time, Pays attention to accumulations and their rates of change , Checks results and changes actions if needed: “Successive Approximation”; Tools: Behavior-over-time graph, Stock-flow map
Audience: Grades 3 - 4
What Do You See?
This guide will provide a visual introduction to mental models and dual ladders of inference.
ST Habits & Tools: Mental models and ladder of inference
Audience: This guide can be applied to a variety of audiences of all ages: in the classroom, with teams at work, during professional development sessions and more.
Word Up
This lesson can be used to introduce vocabulary words and/or enrich students’ vocabulary to show appropriate situations to use vocabulary. Extensions include writing prompts to have students utilize the words.
ST Habits & Tools: Behavior-over-time graphs (BOTG)
Audience: Grades 3-5, but could be adapted to younger or older grades
عادات یک متفکر سیستمی:ترجمه فارسی،نسخه تک صفحه ای
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Persian.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
システム思考家の習慣: 単一ページ版, 日本語訳
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Japanese.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners
系统思考者的习惯: 单页版本, 普通话翻译
Our single-page version of the Habits of a Systems Thinker, translated into Mandarin.
ST Habits & Tools: All the Habits of a Systems Thinker and all systems thinking tools
Audience: All learners