Watery Systems Map
Project by Enid Baxter Ryce
Written By Dan Fernandez, Professor, School of Natural Sciences California State University, Monterey Bay
Systems thinking provides us a means to create a "mental model" of some process. A process (really known as a 'system') is something that consists of parts that are interconnected in some fashion such that it performs a function or exhibits a property that would not be possible without all of the parts interacting in the way that they do.
By identifying parts that we think are a part of a certain system, e.g. a watershed, we can draw arrows from one part to another to illustrate how each part affects (and is affected by) the other parts. These arrows represent the interconnections. This provides a picture (that is, a means to communicate) what we think is happening.
In this artistic rendering, a marker-colored map of a watershed was smeared by brushing it with water. This caused the paper to change shape (crinkle) and the colors to run together. The resulting depiction is both artistic and relevant in that it illustrates that actual systems have boundaries that are typically fuzzy and unclear. They also have parts whose interconnections are more intricate than can be represented by simple arrows. In this fashion, the artistic adjustment enhances the visualization and results in an alternative representation of an individual's mental model of a system.
Materials needed:
Tracing paper
Water soluable markers (Most markers other than sharpies)
A jar of water
A paint brush
A pencil (optional)
Process:
Invite students to trace a watershed map with their markers on tracing paper . My favorite are by geographer Szűcs Róber.
Students can color in topographical features like deserts, oceans and mountains, assigning them colors.
Labels should be made in pencil, if needed.
Students can then dip their paintbrush in clear water and apply it as a wash to the map, following the path of each waterway.
The paper will buckle and give a relief texture to the map. Colors will melt into each other.
Students can be asked to think about the permeability and interconnectedness of what they’ve mapped because of water.
