TOOLKIT for educators
The THINKWATER TOOLKIT is a resource hub, developed to serve a wide range of constituents, and to provide the necessary tools in the best practices of systems thinking.
This page features resources for educators.
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1. Learn the basics of DSRP Systems Thinking
Systems Thinking 101 - An introductory course in systems thinking visit
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A Little Film About a Big Idea watch on the ThinkWater homepage
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Systems Thing Made Simple - An introduction to systems thinking Kindle or book
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Infographics, posters, etc. downloadable resources
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2. Systems Thinking & Water
Rethinking Water watch on the ThinkWater homepage
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3. Apply Systems Thinking to Education
Familiarize yourself with systems mapping software Plectica videos
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Map Library - View the library of Plectica maps created by The ThinkWater fellows, The
Wisconsin Water Thinkers Network, Wisconsin ThinkWater School, and others visit
CASE STUDIES
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Cats, Rats, and Roofs: The Perils of Ignoring Relationships download
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Words Matter: Mental Models and Mass Killings download
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No Word is an Island: Distinguishing "Nerd" & "Geek" download
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Milwaukee Water Commons download
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Lakes Team - Applying systems thinking to community capacity development download
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Pepin County - A systems thinking approach to solving water quality issues download
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WATER LESSONS
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Click on the WATER LESSONS below to download .pdf files.
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4. Evaluate your Work
Workbook - Program Development & Evaluation download
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Evaluation: Systems Thinking download
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Evaluation: Method Matching Matrix download
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ANIMATIONS
These animated sequences are designed to help explain some of the basic, fundamental aspects of systems thinking.
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Mental Models
Although it feels to our conscious self that we interact directly with the real world, in fact we interact indirectly with the real world through our mental models of it. Think of a mental model as a lens between you and reality, coloring what you see. As systems thinkers, we must acknowledge that our mental models are (often poor) approximations of reality. They provide us with only a partial picture; a frame through which we see what we believe to be real, skewed by our biases and beliefs.
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