1. System Thinking

2. Big Idea
Systems thinking enhances the technological design process by emphasizing the relationship among a system’s parts.

3. Lesson Purpose
Students will understand the relationship between systems and resources and the technological design process.

4. Write Down Your Thoughts
Working in Pairs……Write down what you think is meant by the term “Systems thinking.”
You will share your definition

5. Quote Think about the meaning of this quote for one minute.
“….systems thinking is based on the fundamental shift of perceptions from the world as a machine to the world as living system.”
Share your thoughts

6. System Thinking Impact
speculate on how systems thinking might impact the technological design process.
Define the problem.
Brainstorm.
Research and generate ideas.
Identify criteria and specify constraints.
Explore possibilities.
Select an approach.
Develop a design proposal, including drawings.
Communicate processes and results.

7. System Thinking Involves Shifting attention
from the parts to the whole.
from objects to relationships.
from structures to processes.
from the rational to the intuitive.
from analysis to synthesis.
from linear to non-linear thinking.

8. Analyze the problem
Analyze and discuss the possibility of replacing ground level railroad tracks with a suspended monorail system for a congested urban area.
Working in pairs, use systems-thinking concepts to develop an analyses. Handout