Is there a stepwise process or worksheet for creating a MAC?

We advise that you read Systems Thinking at Every Desk and Systems Thinking Made Simple or take our online or certificate course to get some help with creating your DSRP, but if you want to DIY, this worksheet can help

Step-wise Practice in Map, Activate, and Check (MAC) Systems Education

Systems Thinking Made Simple
Thinking at Every Desk
Step-wise Practice in Map, Activate, and Check (MAC) Systems Education in Google Docs format
Systems Thinking 101 (ST101) Online Course
Systems Mapping 201 (SM201) Online Course
Solin, J. A Systems Thinking-based Approach to Curriculum and Program Design: Map-Activate-Check. In: Derek Cabrera, Laura Cabrera, and Gerald Midgley, editor. Routledge Handbook of Systems Thinking. Routledge; 2021.
Cabrera, Derek & Cabrera, Laura. (2019). Complexity and Systems Thinking Models in Education: Applications for Leaders.
CRL, (2016). CRL. Three Steps For Designing Better Learning Experiences: Map, Activate, Check and Activation Continuum., Cabrera Research Lab. [Poster.]10.1007/978-3-319-17727-4_101-1.
Glossary: Map, Activate Check (MAC)
FAQ: What is meant by "Building" and "grounding"?
A Comprehensive List of Educational Resources

Background resources 2

Step 1. Map IT 3

Step 1.1 Map the M=I⨂T? 3

Step 1.2 Connect to Standards 4

Step 2 Activate IT 5

Step 2.1: Select where on the Activation Continuum you need to focus 5

Step 2.2: Design Activity 6

Step 2.1: Activity? Or, Activities? 8

Step 3: Check IT 9

Step 1. Map IT

When we say “Map IT” we mean map the mental model (M), which includes information content (I) and thinking/structure (T). Thus we are mapping the I and T or ‘IT’ because M=I⨂T. The mental model we map is what we can call the “learning target” because it is the target we want students to be able to hit.

Step 1.1 Map the M=I⨂T?

What is the M=I⨂T?
What is the Thinking (T)? (i.e., structure)	What is the Information (I)? (i.e., content, vocab)
Check all that apply DISTINCTIONS (thing-other) SYSTEMS (part-whole) RELATIONSHIPS (action-reaction) PERSPECTIVES (point-view)	Add your content here
Do I plan to make the map explicit to students? Yes No	If so, put your map here:

Example:

What is the M=I⨂T?
What is the Thinking (T)? (i.e., structure)	What is the Information (I)? (i.e., content, vocab)
DISTINCTIONS (thing-other) SYSTEMS (part-whole) RELATIONSHIPS (action-reaction) PERSPECTIVES (point-view)	Water; Guyot; Trench; Abyssal plain; Continental shelf ; Coral reef; Shallow sea; Ridge; Volcano
Do I plan to make the map explicit to students? Yes No	If so, put your map here: https://www.plectica.com/maps/HZ2JT31NS/edit/R0T4XS26P

Now that you know what you want to teach—or more importantly, what you want students to learn—you can go to the next step where you think about how to activate that learning by having learners ground it for themselves.

Step 1.2 Connect to Standards

Is the target of your learning based on an educational standard? If so, we have already mapped the nearly 1200 US K-12 standards. Contact us for the standard and we can share them.

Step 2 Activate IT

Step 2.1: Select where on the Activation Continuum you need to focus

What is the best place on the activation Continuum for this learning? Is it extremely deep, needing a great deal of repeated grounding and experiential learning and reflection? Or, is it relatively straight-forward? Take a look at the continuum of activations below or click here to see the pdf.

Where on the activation Continuum will you focus? (select all that apply)

GROUNDING TO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE and COGNITION

Grounding to Prior knowledge (Past experience, current mental model, semantic webs, etc.)
Metaphors, Analogies, or Storytelling
Grounding to Explicit DSRP (Grounding to DSRP or to Jigs (common structures (metaphors, etc))

GROUNDING WITH NONLINGUISTIC REPRESENTATIONS (NLR)

Visualization (stories, metaphors, graphic organizers, metacognitive mapping or “DSRP Maps,” nonlinguistic representations (NLR)
Tactile or Human Manipulatives (everyday items, 3D models, reifications, tactile manipulatives, games & models, etc.)

GROUNDING WITH EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES

Spontaneous, on the fly activities, initiative games, concretization, etc.
Structured activities, initiative games, lab work, field trips, etc. planned reifications
Formal immersion experiences (Outward Bound, etc.)

Step 2.2: Design Activity

Activity 1 Name:	Add your name here
Description:	Add your description here
Materials Needed:	Add materials needed here
Activity Types Used for this Activity: Check all that apply	GROUNDING TO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE and COGNITION Grounding to Prior knowledge (Past experience, current mental model, semantic webs, etc.) Metaphors, Analogies, or Storytelling Grounding to Explicit DSRP (Grounding to DSRP or to Jigs (common structures (metaphors, etc)) GROUNDING WITH NONLINGUISTIC REPRESENTATIONS (NLR) Visualization (stories, metaphors, graphic organizers, metacognitive mapping or “DSRP Maps,” nonlinguistic representations (NLR) Tactile or Human Manipulatives (everyday items, 3D models, reifications, tactile manipulatives, games & models, etc.) GROUNDING WITH EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES Spontaneous, on the fly activities, initiative games, concretization, etc. Structured activities, initiative games, lab work, field trips, etc. planned reifications Formal immersion experiences (Outward Bound, etc.)

Example:

Activity 1 Name:	Build DSRP Map and clay geological model
Description:	Brief discussion of what you know about oceans and geology. Then Build a 3D model inside tupperware of the parts of geology and their relationships using the DSRP Map; Then Draw 2D version of model when completed and add elements to drawing; Cut out and glue DSRP Map and 2D drawing to side of model; Use the blue dye to add water once the model is finished;
Materials Needed:	tupperware, blue dye, 5 packets white model magic, paper, gluestick, scissors
Activity Types Used:	GROUNDING TO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE and COGNITION Grounding to Prior knowledge (Past experience, current mental model, semantic webs, etc.) Metaphors, Analogies, or Storytelling Grounding to Explicit DSRP (Grounding to DSRP or to Jigs (common structures (metaphors, etc)) GROUNDING WITH NONLINGUISTIC REPRESENTATIONS (NLR) Visualization (stories, metaphors, graphic organizers, metacognitive mapping or “DSRP Maps,” nonlinguistic representations (NLR) Tactile or Human Manipulatives (everyday items, 3D models, reifications, tactile manipulatives, games & models, etc.) GROUNDING WITH EXPERIENTIAL ACTIVITIES Spontaneous, on the fly activities, initiative games, concretization, etc. Structured activities, initiative games, lab work, field trips, etc. planned reifications Formal immersion experiences (Outward Bound, etc.)

Step 2.1: Activity? Or, Activities?

You may want to design several activities for any given lesson or you may be Mapping an entire segment or semester which will include dozens of activities or more. Feel free to make copies of the Activity table above to add additional activities.

Step 3: Check IT

Check 1 Name:	Add your check here
Description:	Add description here
Materials Needed:	Add materials needed here
Look fors:	Look for 1 Look for 2 Look for 3
Options: (select all that apply)	check information (I) check thinking (T= dsrp) student checks self students check each other teacher checks student
Linked to Activity/Activities:	List the Activities this Check is linked to
Attachments:	Links to relevant material

Example:

Check 1 Name:	Model Competition
Description:	Ask pairs to write down five point rating on all Look fors for their model. Students co-present geological models they built to whole class. Class gives five point finger rating on each look for. Have one student be counter for totals. Compare self-check vs class-check numbers in private with student pairs.
Materials Needed:	Paper/pencil to record ratings
Look fors:	Look for match between elements of clay geological model and elements of IdeaMap Look for high quality work/pride Look for mastery of content information Look for metacognitive awareness of thinking skills in IdeaMap
Options:	check information (I) check thinking (T= dsrp) student checks self students check each other teacher checks student
Linked to Activity:	Build DSRP Map and clay geological model
Attachments:	Video: Ocean Geology Demonstration of Student Understanding of Relationships between parts Video: Ocean Geology Demonstration of Student Self-Other Assessment Ocean Geology Plectica DSRP Map Ocean Geology 3D Activity.pdf