In this mathematical modeling task, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 students determine the most impactful radioactive substance(s) released at the Chernobyl disaster of 1986.

This study examined middle school students' development of systems thinking as they explored the rock cycle in an interactive diagram. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of a design experiment with two students to discuss the teacher orchestrations that supported their reorganizations of meanings about the rock cycle's chain of materials and processes.

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Students use multiplicative and ratio reasoning with fraction and degree values as they explore a simulation of the lunar phases.

In this paper, we discuss the development of students’ systems thinking about the rock cycle as they interact with an instructional module that includes three interactive simulations and accompanying questioning. We present the reasoning of six students from a whole-class design experiment in a sixth-grade classroom to describe how students’ systems thinking may be constructed and reorganized through activity with our design. Our findings highlight a framework of students’ systems thinking about the rock cycle that builds and expands prior work to specific sub-components. We also discuss an emerging framework for supporting students’ systems thinking through careful design of simulation and questioning orchestrations. These two frameworks can be used to create other instructional modules that have the potential to develop students’ systems thinking in the context of earth science.