“Everybody thinking differently”: K–12 is a leverage point

As a global community we are faced with many systemic problems. An analytical approach that has proven successful in the study of dynamic feedback systems is systems thinking and system dynamics modeling. If systems thinking and system dynamics have been successfully applied to many systemic problems, why are we not teaching this analytical method to our children? It might be suggested that system dynamics is too sophisticated—much too difficult for children to learn. This suggestion would be wrong. Systems thinking and system dynamics modeling concepts that have been successfully taught for 20 years to students in the U.S.A., ages 5–18 years, are presented, with highlights describing some of the lessons/activities used.