Digital, AI & Creative Skills
Break Problems Into Parts
This lesson helps students break large problems into smaller parts. They keep breaking parts down until each is doable, choose which part to tackle first, and create a Problem Breakdown.
What you will learn
- Break a large problem into smaller parts.
- Use a simple method to keep breaking down parts that are still too large.
- Choose which part of a problem to work on first.
- Create a one-page Problem Breakdown for a real problem.
What happens in this lesson
Chapter 1: The Ice Water Demonstration
Understand that breaking a big problem into smaller specific parts is often the difference between being stuck and making progress, and that decomposition is a learnable habit, not a natural talent.
What you make: A saved decomposition mindset note describing one big problem the student felt stuck on and how breaking it into parts could have helped.
Chapter 2: How To Break A Problem Down
Learn a specific method for breaking any problem into smaller pieces: ask what the pieces are, check whether each piece is small enough to attack, and keep breaking the too-big pieces further.
What you make: A saved breakdown note showing one real problem broken into at least four specific smaller pieces, with each piece labelled as attackable or needs further breakdown.
Chapter 3: Pick The Right First Piece
Learn to choose which piece of a decomposed problem to attack first, using three specific criteria: most doable, most informative, and most time-critical.
What you make: A saved first-piece note picking one specific piece to attack first in a decomposed problem, with reasoning based on the three criteria.
Chapter 4: Problem Breakdown
Combine the decomposition mindset, the two-step loop, and the first-piece criteria into a one page Problem Breakdown for a real problem the student is working on.
What you make: A saved Problem Breakdown for one real problem, listing the sub-pieces, marking each as attackable, picking the first piece to attack, and explaining the reasoning.
Chapter 5: Decompose A Real Startup Problem
Break down a business problem and choose the best first part to work on.
What you make: A saved Startup Problem Breakdown showing a real business problem, its subproblems, the likely cause chain, and the first piece to attack with reasoning.
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