1 of 27

Teaching Social Studies with Systems Thinking

International Pre-College Systems Thinking Symposium 2025

​

March 22, 2025

​

Brett Goble, City High School

​

Tucson, Arizona

2 of 27

ST Tools:�encourage collaboration�support critical thinking�make complex topics accessible to all students

3 of 27

What’s changing?

4 of 27

Analysis of a narrative written by Charles Ball, 1836

5 of 27

6 of 27

7 of 27

Connection Circles & Iceberg Diagram

8 of 27

What’s below the surface of this story told by Charles Ball?

​

E V E N T S

​

Narrator’s observations and experiences:

  • High price for cotton
  • Use of land almost exclusively for cotton
  • Slaves in high demand
  • Reaction of whites toward blacks

9 of 27

P A T T E R N S O F B E H A V I O R�With your table group, create and post some behavior-over-time graphs (BOTGs) that explain how parts of the story fit into patterns of behavior.

TIME

cotton production

10 of 27

���U N D E R L Y I N G S T R U C T U R E S�Now, on your own, make a connection circle that reveals the relationships between the patterns of behavior. Use the connection circle template or blank paper to experiment. Find feedback loops where you can. As a group, choose two circles or loops to post on your Iceberg Diagram.����

11 of 27

12 of 27

13 of 27

14 of 27

15 of 27

Youth perspectives on downtown revitalization in Tucson Arizona

16 of 27

17 of 27

18 of 27

19 of 27

20 of 27

21 of 27

22 of 27

23 of 27

24 of 27

25 of 27

26 of 27

27 of 27