Introducing Young Children to Complex Systems through Modelling

In recent years, educators have been calling for an increased focus on complex systems across the school years. One approach to achieving this is through modelling, where children think mathematically about relevant relationships, patterns, and regularities in dealing with authentic problems. This paper reports on the different mathematical models created by three classes of fourth-grade children (9-year-olds) in working a problem that addressed the complex system of team sports. Consideration is given to the problem elements and interactions the children explored, together with the ways in which they operated on and transformed the given data. We are surrounded by complex systems. Governments, financial corporations, school and university systems, ecosystems, the World Wide Web, the human body, and our own families are all examples of complex systems. In the 21st century, such systems are becoming increasingly important in the everyday lives of both children and adults. For all citizens, an appreciation and understanding of the world as interlocked complex systems is critical for making effective decisions about our lives as both individuals and as communit