Discussion topic for Lec 12 (chpt 9b)

This exercise asks you to think about the relationships that exist between the parts of a system. Identifying, understanding, and specifying mathematically (ie, putting into equations, which we won’t do) these parts and relationships is the heart of Systems Modeling (also known as systems dynamics). The next step would be to collect the data that results from the operation of these relationships.

Problem: Create a system model of a simple farm (the system) that is 25 miles from San Bernardino. The individual processes (parts) in this system are the following:

1. growing hay and barely

2. raising cattle

3. farm house for family of four

4. river and well (ground water)

5. others??

An adequate job can be done if you spend at least one hour thinking about and diagramming the relationships between these processes. A good or excellent job would require additional time.

Format: I will call on 6 - 8 students to show and explain their system model to the class via the overhead projector. I will pass out transparencies on Wed. I suggest you work on paper until your model is the way you want it to be. Then copy this to the transparency on a copier in the library. You can do your model freehand if you print carefully and neatly. The time you would spend trying to create it on a computer would be better spent thinking. Everyone will turn in the final paper copy of his or her one page annotated model.