The world can be thought of as a set of inter-related systems, or collections of parts that interact with one another to create a larger pattern of behavior. A farm is a system, as are the cars in a parking lot, a nation's energy grid, or the factors that influence global climate. Being able to describe how systems work is the first step to identifying how to influence their behavior, either to improve their performance (such as increase food production) or minimize their failures (such as decrease water pollution). In this practicum, students will learn the fundamentals of systems thinking and apply their skills in analyzing specific problems, and both proposing and promoting solutions. Credit: 1 Unit (3 semester-hours).