Connection+circles

Description
> [Description is from Waters Foundation training, see resource 1.] > Connection circles are thinking tools designed to help students understand complexity. Use connection circles as graphic organizers to analyze relationships among elements in a system. Students read a book or selection, listen to a story or participate in a discussion. They then select and analyze the elements that they think are most important.
 * 1) Identify the elements in the story that have changed or could cause a change in another element.
 * 2) Draw a circle with the elements on the perimeter. If you choose to add behavior over time graphs to the elements, limit the number of elements to the most important 5-10.
 * 3) Identify causality: the elements that cause change in other elements. Draw an arrow from the cause to the effect, and label the arrow with a + or - to indicate direct or inverse relationships. The circles may become very complex at this point.
 * 4) Follow up: use the diagram to retell the story or draw causal loop diagrams.

Example
> This is from the 7/11//2008 [|NPR podcast] on coral reefs. For simplicity, the connection lines are not labeled with arrows or signs. >

Resources

 * 1) [|Waters Foundation] (description and several other examples; you can search for "connection circles" to find more examples)