Define the Problem

Meet the Problem

You have read the problem. You have also read the supporting materials. In this case, those are: Matthew 2:1-12 in Greek (focal text .rtf worksheet here), NIV, NRSV, NET and The Message.

As you meet the problem, ask and answer the GRaSPs questions:

GRaSPS	Questions	Help
Goal	What is the GOAL of the assignment? What will you be learning as you work on it?	You can find the learning goals for the Comparing Translations unit here. See if you can say how this problem may help reach those goals.
Role	What is your ROLE in the problem? Who are you? What are you to do?	The problem tells you both a day job and something you do that is "moonlighting."
Situation	What is the SITUATION in which you find yourself? Describe as much as you know.	You will need to suspend disbelief at points. Do not worry, for instance, that a first century Roman would not know English. We're trying to have some fun here and learn at the same time.
Product or Performance	What is the PRODUCT of your work to be?	Some things are answered about the product, and some things are not. For instance, no word count for a report is given. You will have to use your own judgment about things unspecified by the problem.
Standards	What are the STANDARDS by which your work will be judged?	If you are in one of my classes, I will judge your work by the standards outlined in this rubric. As you meet the problem, try to relate these general standards to the specific Goal, Role, Situation and Product of this problem.

What Do You Know? What Do You Need to Know?

You know the problem will lead you to practice Comparing Translations. You also know that in the problem, your primary role is to determine what the Emperor might need to know about the events detailed in Matthew 2:1-12.

Start by making a list of significant differences in the translations you have been given.
What do you need to know about these? You do not have to do the research right away. Think of this know/need to know list as a way of organizing work you will do as you get further involved with the problem.

State the Problem

To state the problem in your own words, try getting help from the newpaper reporter's Five W's and questions like these:

Who
Who came "from the East?" With what group(s) did Herod consult? Who was visited in Bethlehem

What
What is happening? Is it a threat to Rome? To solve the problem, you need to make a statement about this.

When
Timing may be important here.

Where
Can we be specific about where the visitors came from? Is there any significance to Bethlehem?

Why
What was the visitors' motivation? What was Herod's?

In this step, state the problem in your own words. You might say something like this: "Simply put, the problem is to represent to the Roman authorities what happened with respect to the search for a new king of the Jews in and around Jerusalem and to offer a theory on the meaning of these happenings for Roman rule."

Next: Go on to Address the Problem.