The Shape of Change

The Shape of Change presents eleven lessons to engage students in grades 3-8. Lessons incorporate games and other hands-on activities to help students observe and understand patterns of behavior and how things change over time. Students draw simple graphs and connection circles as they build their Systems Thinking skills.

Read Overview of Lessons 

This book now includes The Shape of Change: Stocks & Flows which builds upon the lessons by creating stock and flow maps to deepen student understanding of why changes occurred.
For example:

• Why did doubling cause the number of friends to grow exponentially?
• Why did the mammoths go extinct?
• Why did the boiling water cool to room temperature?

Product Price Qty   Shape of Change including Shape of Change: Stocks & Flows   $27.00 Add to Cart

About the Authors

Rob Quaden and Alan Ticotsky are teachers and Waters Foundation systems mentors in the Carlisle Public Schools in Carlisle, MA. Quaden is an eighth grade algebra teacher and Carlisle’s math curriculum coordinator. Ticotsky is Carlisle’s science curriculum coordinator and a former elementary classroom teacher.  As mentors, Quaden and Ticotsky work with their colleagues to develop and implement system dynamics lessons throughout Carlisle’s K-8 curriculum. They also conduct system dynamics training programs for teachers in Carlisle and beyond.

Debra Lyneis works at the Creative Learning Exchange helping teachers publish their system dynamics curriculum materials for other teachers to use.  She served on the Carlisle school board.