The Six-Step Approach to The Six-Step Approach to Looking at a ProblemLooking at a Problem

Or, Or,

How to Provide Students with a How to Provide Students with a Method for CompositionMethod for Composition

The Six-Step MethodThe Six-Step Method

Let’s call it “The Six-Step Method.” It Let’s call it “The Six-Step Method.” It involves taking any kind of object, task or involves taking any kind of object, task or experience within your discipline and asking a experience within your discipline and asking a series of questions about it that look at it series of questions about it that look at it through three different angles:through three different angles: what it iswhat it is what it’s made of what it’s made of what its place iswhat its place is

Let’s take a look at a model of howthis would work using a familiarobject, or unit, like the planet Earth.

Unit in Contrast – StaticUnit in Contrast – Static

View the unit holistically View the unit holistically as an undifferentiated as an undifferentiated isolated entity.isolated entity.

What feature(s) serve to What feature(s) serve to differentiate the unit from differentiate the unit from other similar things?other similar things?

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020806ngst.html

http://www4.ncsu.edu:8030/~pdbaylie/micros~1.htm

Unit in Contrast – DynamicUnit in Contrast – Dynamic

View the unit as a dynamic View the unit as a dynamic process, object, or event.process, object, or event.

What process of change occurred What process of change occurred to create the unit?to create the unit?

How is it changing currently?How is it changing currently? What will happen to it in the What will happen to it in the

future?future? What feature(s) serve to What feature(s) serve to

differentiate the unit from similar differentiate the unit from similar processes, objects or events?processes, objects or events?

http://www.theforce.net/timetales/tt1-1/sect1-1.shtml

http://www.levity.com/eschaton/eschaton.html

Unit as a System – StaticUnit as a System – Static

View the unit as composed View the unit as composed of separable component of separable component parts.parts.

What are the components of What are the components of the unit?the unit?

How are the components How are the components organized in relation to each organized in relation to each other?other?

What is the structure of the What is the structure of the system?system?

Copyright Sebastian Mahfood

Copyright Sebastian Mahfood

Unit as a System – DynamicUnit as a System – Dynamic

View the unit as composed of View the unit as composed of dynamic separable dynamic separable component parts.component parts.

How were the parts formed?How were the parts formed? What will happen to each in the What will happen to each in the

future?future? Do different parts change at Do different parts change at

different rates?different rates? What does change in a particular What does change in a particular

part do to the overall system?part do to the overall system? How is the structure of the system How is the structure of the system

changing?changing?

http://www.usgs.gov/aboutusgs.html

Copyright Sebastian Mahfood

Unit in a System – StaticUnit in a System – Static

View the unit as part in a View the unit as part in a larger system.larger system.

What are the other What are the other components in the larger components in the larger system?system?

How are these components How are these components organized in relation to each organized in relation to each other?other?

What is the structure of the What is the structure of the system?system?

http://nmp.jpl.nasa.gov/ds1/sci/solarsys.html

http://planetquest.jpl.nasa.gov/SIM/sim_measuring.html

Unit in a System – DynamicUnit in a System – Dynamic

View the unit as dynamic part View the unit as dynamic part of a larger dynamic system.of a larger dynamic system.

How was the larger system How was the larger system created?created?

How is it currently changing?How is it currently changing? What will happen to it in the What will happen to it in the

future?future? How does change in the larger How does change in the larger

system affect the unit?system affect the unit? How does change in the unit How does change in the unit

affect the larger system?affect the larger system? How is the structure changing?How is the structure changing?

http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/universe/b_bang.html

http://www.funprox.com/art/dore.asp

Now, Let’s SubstituteNow, Let’s Substitute

The “unit” of planet Earth can be substituted The “unit” of planet Earth can be substituted for any object, event, experience or idea you for any object, event, experience or idea you have in your own discipline.have in your own discipline.