1. Emily Wise emily.wise@bremertonschools.org
Using NASA missions to teach systems thinking
Google Class code: h4hwcby
Emily Wise

2. Welcome! Introductions Who am I? Who is in the room?
Name, school + grade(s), subjects taught
One more great thing you are doing before the school year gets going
5 mins

3. What am I going to learn in this session?
Gain a better understanding of the need and rationale for explicitly teaching systems thinking in your classroom.
Experience systems thinking through a high-interest, partner/small group project, focused on NASA missions.
1 min

4. Thinking in systems...
Welcome to Earth! What are all the systems on Earth?
Vocabulary to consider:
Parts components
Working together
Interactions scale
Conditions input/output
Process matter
Predict assumptions
8 mins

5. Why systems thinking? NGSS Appendix G - Cross Cutting Concepts
Focus: Systems and System Models
Reading: excerpt from NGSS Release (April 2013)
While you read:
Why should we have a focus on systems thinking in our science classes?
What do you do that already addresses the CCC of systems and system models?
1 min overview
15 mins to read and reflect

6. Deep Dive into systems thinking
NASA missions project details:
9th grade science
Between space and Earth science units
4-5 days
Materials needed
NASA mission readings or access to the web
Driving questions (for scaffolding, if needed)
Chart paper/poster paper
Markers
2 mins

7. Which do you prefer to investigate?
Designed systems?
Natural systems?
3 mins

8. Choose a mission/natural system...
Missions/natural systems are set out on the tables.
No more than two people per topic - designed/natural
This ensures everyone is WORKING during the project
Requirements:
Do some research and reading to help you answer the driving questions.
Create a poster that showcases your topic - what are all the systems involved? What makes your system function?
1 min

9. DO NOT JUST ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON YOUR POSTER
1 min

10. Back to what I DO look for...
Requirements:
Do some research and reading to help you answer the driving questions.
Create a poster that showcases your topic - what are all the systems involved? What makes your system function?
Be creative! Draw! Label! Color is awesome!
Be ready to present - you will present as a whole group (natural + designed systems) together.
This lets kids see the connection between the two big systems
35 mins research and poster build
10 mins present

11. Gallery Walk...
Walk around for 5 minutes and look at the examples from my kids this year!
5 mins

12. To make your life easier...
CCCs are not designed to be taught/assessed as stand-alone standards.
They are always bundled with other SEP/DCI/CCC/EDSTs
NASA Missions projects hits all of these...
SEP - developing and using models, scale, proportion, obtaining/evaluating/communicating information
DCI - ESS1.B - Earth and the Solar System (HS)
EDST - Interdependence of Science, Engineering, and Technology
4 mins

13. Resources Kim Weaver - OESD STEM coordinator/NASA guru
Jeff Ryan - OESD Regional Science Coordinator
NASA Mission Overview/questions/links sheet - share through Google Drive (just add to your own drive to edit)
Hub - all things standards, resources, planning tools, and professional development
NASA Educational Resources - go down the rabbit hole...
1 min

14. An amazing video to leave with...
7 mins

15. Thank you!
Emily Wise