Influential Patterns
4-Phase Model
Phase 0: No Interest
Below is a comic strip of Calvin at school with no motivation to participate and pay attention. He isn't interested in the class, the content, and overall he gets very distracted at school. In the first frame Calvin is looking forward uninterested with both of his hands on his face. The second frame has Calvin with the same uninterested look on his face with his head and arms resting on his desk. The third frame has Calvin looking behind him at what we can assume to be the clock to see what time it is to know how much longer he has to be in class for. In the fourth and final frame his head and arms are back resting on his desk while he thinks about how no time passes in the classroom.
Phase 1: Triggered Situational Interest
Below is a comic strip of Calvin talking to his dad while he is being tucked into bed. In the first frame Calvin's dad mentions how Calvin has learned a lot from reading so many books about dinosaurs. His dad tries to direct their conversation by asking him if reading and learning is fun with Calvin agreeing. The second frame starts with Calvin's dad then asking him why he doesn't like school and with Calvin responding that it is because they don't read about dinosaurs. His dad tries to figure out why Calvin doesn't enjoy school because he likes to read and learn from books. The topic of dinosaurs is something Calvin is interested in which is why he enjoys learning about that rather than what he learns at school. Something that is prevalent in many other comic strips is how uninterested Calvin is inside the environment of school which plays a huge factor in his triggered situational interest.
Phase 2: Maintained Situational Interest
Below is a comic strip with Hobbes walking up to Calvin while he is doing something outside. In the first frame Hobbes asks Calvin what he is doing with a carton of eggs on the sidewalk. The second frame shows Calvin cracking an egg on the sidewalk and responds to Hobbes by saying he wants to see if it is hot enough to fry an egg. The third frame has Calvin and Hobbes realizing that it won't get hot enough to fry an egg and that they have made a mess. The fourth and final frame has Calvin and Hobbes rushing over to see if they will have more success frying an egg by putting it on the car dash. Calvin is interested in cooking an egg in a different way than usual leading to him staying engaged in the activity.
Phase 3: Emerging Individual Interest
Below is a comic strip of Calvin and his dad having a conversation outside. The first frame has Calvin asking his dad why the sun sets as they watch the sun go down. The second frame has Calvin's dad tells him that it is because hot air rises and that the sun is hot in the middle of the day so it rises. The third frame has Calvin's dad finish his explanation by saying that the sun cools down and sets in the evening. The fourth and final frame has Calvin ask his dad another question being why does the sun go from east to west. This time around Calvin's dad gives a shorter and more direct answer by saying solar wind. Calvin is interested in learning more about this because he is curious and wants to find out more. He is receiving external support from his dad while he asks questions in a safe and positive space.
Phase 4: Well-Developed Individual Interest
Below is a comic strip of Calvin having a conversation with his dad outside. The first frame has Calvin asking his dad why clouds are white when the rest of the sky is blue. His dad responds with he doesn't quite know the answer and that they can look it up. The second and final frame has Calvin announcing that there must not be a qualifying exam to be a dad. This can be similar to the previous phase where individual interest has external support from seeking out questions and answers from his dad. It is a learning opportunity for Calvin to have discussions about things he wants to learn about to connect and build knowledge.
