Two exercises are provided which give students a chance to experience systems, to discover some of the qualities of a system, and some of the implications of interdependence. In the exercises, students assemble a flashlight that does not have all the necessary parts and role play a mechanical system. (Author/DE)

This simulation helps students in grades four to eight see their planet as one environment with limited resources shared by all. Students learn that the earth is a large system comprised of small systems, that systems are interdependent and often have irreplaceable parts, and that resources are not equally divided among countries. (RM)