How we organize ourselves

How we organize ourselves

An inquiry into the interconnectedness of human-made systems and communities; the structure and function of organizations; societal decision-making; economic activities and their impact on humankind and the environment.

Lines of Inquiry & Key Concepts

Systems and protocols (Function)

The roles of individuals within communities (Perspective)

The impact of our actions (Responsibility)

Volleyball by Brittney and Maggie

Bumping, setting, and spiking make volleyball even more fun. Brittney and Maggie explore communication between team members during the game. Is talking helpful or distracting during the game? They compare no talking, captain talking, and team talking to see which helps their game. During the first serve, it didn't seem to matter much if they talked or not. Their performance was pretty much the same. Talking did have a small positive effect on the number of volleys.

Topic: Volleyball, Cooperation Lexile: 790L URL: http://pbskids.org

Fair Play

Do you ever fight with your friends about whose turn it is on the playground or who gets the last cookie? Through play, kids learn the social rules of fairness and cooperation. Scientists once thought animals were driven by competition but now they are discovering how much animals cooperate. Like humans, animals don't want to play with another who doesn't play fair. Learn how animals apologize to one another and balance their behavior to play with a weaker opponent. Analyze how cooperation benefits coyotes and how monkeys seem to know if they are being cheated.

Topic: Fairness, Cooperation Lexile: 1000L URL: https://student.societyforscience.org