I agree with previous posts regarding ecosystems being an example of complex adaptive systems.
Teaching first grade I am not exposed to a lot of Science but I would have to think that water molecules would be a great example of this and for this age group!
I teach 8th grade science. I think that the molecules in a liquid would be a complex adaptive system. They don’t have a leader, they follow a simple set of rules, and they react to changes in temperature.
I teach 8th graders but I think water molecules (and molecules in other liquids) would be a good example for them too.
Great example!
The organization of the living things (cell-tissue-organ-organ system-organism) comes to mind as a complex adaptive system as well.
A developing embryo is a complex adaptive system. Cell differentiation occurs, but the developing organ systems are interdependent.
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In physical science phases of matter is a great example of cas. Each agent moves independently and difficult to predict their motion.
I have scanned most of the replies so far as to what constitutes a Complex Adaptive System, and I agree… I believe most of the Life Science CAS have already been mentioned but the one I enjoy due to my own training is that of viruses- from the structural to the functional!! They definitely have their own set of rules and yet there is a pattern that scientists can follow in order to decipher their mysterious ways.
I agree with everyone else. Interactions within ecosystems is a great example.
One of my favorite projects is creating Rube Goldberg devices. In the device, students are required to incorporate the 6 simple machines in order to make something happen. The students need a basic understanding of the topic of systems and subsystems in order to really understand the nature of the project. The best part is when students actually construct their devices and get them to work the way in which they intend.
With our Biodiversity module, the peppered moth is studied as an example of balancing feedback with natural selection.
Hi Kris, invasive species have become a big problem in some of our lakes in Maryland. It would be interesting for students to use simulations from code.org to predict future populations of species.
It would be very interesting for students to understand that this problem/issue exists for other people and compare how the species in different areas impact the environment differently. One thing in the Great Lakes that is really interesting is that one of our invasives makes the water clearer. This allows sunlight to go deeper into the lakes and allows algaes to grow deeper. This causes algae to get into the water intake. Often for students you get unintended consequences.
I am really excited to use the weather modeling unit!
The human body unit would be great to demonstate connections. All the separate body systems work together to maintain a delicate balance.
I also noticed that my unit on the human body unit parallels the complex adaptive system. It especially works because of the feedback loop; the body gets feedback constantly to adapt and maintain homeostasis.
In physical science while observing thermal equilibrium, we find that the particles movements are part of a complex adaptive system. We find during our investigations that altering one variable(speed of particles, pressure, etc.) within the system effects the system as a whole.
This would be a great topic to explore with students using modeling. It would be powerful to analyze the affects of an invasive species on a system over time.
An ecosystem is a complex adaptive system. Populations of different plants and animals shift depending on the food supply.
Perhaps a less obvious example may be the movement of Earth’s tectonic plates.