Lesson 1.2: Systems Are Everywhere
Learning to See the World Through a Systems Lens
Students learn to identify systems in their everyday lives, from natural ecosystems to social structures, understanding that a system is a set of connected parts forming a complex whole.
Whakatūwhera - Cultural Opening
In Te Ao Māori, nothing exists in isolation. The forest, the rivers, the community—they are all interconnected systems. The principle of whanaungatanga teaches us that our relationships with people and with the environment are what give us strength. Today, we will learn to see these connections everywhere, to recognise the hidden patterns and relationships that make up our world. This is the heart of systems thinking.
Ngā Whāinga Ako - Learning Intentions
Students Will Learn
- To define a system (parts, purpose, connections).
- To identify systems in the natural world.
- To identify systems in the social world.
Students Will Demonstrate
- By finding examples of systems in the classroom.
- By drawing and labelling a system they are part of.
- By explaining how one part of a system can affect the whole.
🎥 Media Anchor (5 mins)
Video: A Systems Story
- What system boundary is easiest to miss when analysing everyday systems?
- Which feedback loop from the video can you apply to your systems map today?
Ngā Mahi - Lesson Activities (75 minutes)
1. What is a System? (15 mins)
Teacher-led discussion: Introduce the three key parts of any system:
- Parts: The individual components or elements.
- Connections: The relationships between the parts.
- Purpose: What the system does or achieves.
Example: A Bicycle. Parts (wheels, frame, pedals), Connections (chain connects pedals to wheel), Purpose (transportation).
Activity: "Systems Spotting Game." In 1 minute, how many systems can students spot in the classroom? (e.g., the lighting system, the desk system, the human body system).
2. Draw Your System (30 mins)
Creative Task: Students choose one system they are a part of and draw it. They must label the parts, the connections, and the overall purpose.
System Ideas:
- My family system
- My sports team system
- The school bus system
- A video game system (e.g., Fortnite)
- A local park ecosystem
Differentiation:
- Support: Provide a template with boxes for "Parts," "Connections," and "Purpose." Download Template
- Extension: Ask students to add a "What if?" scenario to their drawing (e.g., "What if one part was removed?").
3. Gallery Walk & Sharing (20 mins)
Students place their drawings around the room. In small groups, they do a "gallery walk" to see each other's work. Each student shares their drawing with their small group, explaining the parts, connections, and purpose.
Aromatawai - Assessment & Next Steps
Formative Assessment
- Can students define "system" in their own words?
- Do their drawings correctly identify parts, connections, and purpose?
- Can they explain how a change in one part affects the whole system?
Homework & Extension
- Find a news story about a system that is broken (e.g., a healthcare system, a transportation system).
- Explain a system to a family member.
Whakaaro - Reflection
Seeing the world as a series of systems is like gaining a superpower. Instead of seeing separate, unrelated things, you start to see the hidden connections and patterns all around you. This is the first step to understanding how our world works, and how we can work to change it for the better.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will engage with this resource to apply systems thinking to real-world civic and community challenges — analysing feedback loops, leverage points, and emergent properties within social, environmental, and governance systems in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can identify system components and their interactions within a real-world context.
- ✅ Students can apply indigenous systems thinking principles to analyse and propose community action.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide systems mapping templates and sentence starters for entry-level access. Offer extension tasks asking students to identify a second-order effect or design an intervention at a leverage point within their chosen system.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach systems thinking vocabulary (feedback loop, leverage point, emergence, interdependence) using visual diagrams. Allow students to annotate systems maps in their home language first.
Inclusion: Use visual, spatial, and collaborative formats wherever possible — systems maps are inherently accessible for diverse learners. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured inquiry steps and chunked analysis tasks. Ensure group roles are clearly defined.
Mātauranga Māori lens: Systems thinking has deep resonance with Te Ao Māori. Whakapapa is a relational map of systems — tracing connections between people, place, and time. Kaitiakitanga frames our responsibility within systems. Mauri provides a measure of system health. These indigenous concepts enrich Western systems thinking frameworks.
Prior knowledge: Students should have completed foundational systems thinking lessons (phases 1–2) before engaging with phase 3 inquiry tasks. No specialist prior knowledge required for standalone resources.
Curriculum alignment
- Te Mātaiaho (2025) · Social Sciences · Phase 3 (Years 7–8) · Civics and Society (Knowledge): “A constitution sets out the rules for how a country is governed.”
- NZC (2007) · Social Studies · Level 4: “Understand how formal and informal groups make decisions that impact on communities.”