Category Archives: Systems and processes for elementary school

posted on March 22, 2015

Modern children so seldom see the process of how something is made. They do not interact with authors as they delve into the writing process, nor do they do not see barns being constructed or crops being grown. They therefore miss out on the often-tedious tasks undertaken from idea to completed product. All interactions, production, thought processes, and output of any nature goes through a system and process. It is important for students to be able to think through what systems and processes are, how they are best defined, and how they might best be illustrated. This assists young learners in being observant of the world around them, questioning of how their environment operates, and being able to illustrate a written observation. The student handout is shown hereunder:

SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES

Systems and processes refer to the way the world around us operates. You may not have considered this before, but there are many such systems and processes all around us every day. Consider how the human brain controls our body motions, and vital functions. This is a system and a process. The system is the human body, and the process is the way the brain does this management. Other systems and processes, many of them man-made, include transportation systems, presidential debates, and how people get educated. A very simply system and process is how to make a cup of coffee. The system is the coffee beans are grown, prepared, and shipped to shops. The process is how you actually make a cup of coffee, or buy it.

Each of these follows a set of guidelines or procedures which usually occur in a sequence if they are to be successful. For example, consider the NYC subway system. It is a very complicated underground train system that allows millions of people to move around New York City quickly and efficiently. The system is the tracks and trains. The process is how people use it, including using a diagrammatic representation allowing people to see how to get from one place to another. You can Google it. Different colored lines represent different subway lines. So, it is a system, and process with a diagram.

Your task: 10 systems and processes. Write what they are (system), how they work (process), and try to draw a diagram of them. Please investigate 3 by yourself in class, 2 with a partner in class, 3 by yourself for homework, and 2 with an adult at home.