Hierarchies work from the top down. That is, there is always some idea or person who is considered to be of central importance. For example, in a monarchy, the hierarchy starts with the king or queen and works its way down. When teaching hierarchical thinking, encourage your students to first identify the top, or most important idea or person that is of central importance, and from which all “lower” ideas and people gather their significance. For example, when teaching about ethics, you might have them identify the most important concept or principle from which all ethical questions derive meaning. For example, they might identify “justice” as the central or “top” concept in an ethical system.
Hierarchies are not static; they move or build toward a goal. In business, the hierarchy moves toward profit as the end goal. The hierarchy of the executive branch of the U.S. government moves toward upholding the laws as its end goal. When teaching hierarchical thinking, encourage your students to identify the goal toward which the hierarchy moves after they’ve identified the top of the hierarchy. For example, students might identify the end goal of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs as “human survival.” Similarly, they might identify the end goal of a hierarchical essay with the thesis at the top as “convincing the reader of the central argument or thesis.”
In a hierarchy, all the parts below the top relate back to the top in some way. For example, the vice president is a backup to the president, just as a prince is a back-up to a king. Upon identifying the top of a hierarchy, students should question how each “lower” part relates to this top. Encourage students to start with a question that follows the format, “How does this part relate to the top?” For example: in ethics, how does the act of stealing relate to the top concept of justice? Or, how does self-esteem relate to physiological needs such as eating and breathing? Or, how does the point of this paragraph relate to the thesis?
In addition to relating to the top of the hierarchy, all of the parts of a hierarchy also relate back to the goal of that hierarchy. Just as you should have students question the relationship between the component parts of a hierarchy and its top part -- How do subjects relate to the queen? Citizens to the president? -- so too should you have students question the relationship between the component parts of a hierarchy and the hierarchy’s end goal. For example, how does the act of stealing relate to the end goal of everything being ethically just? How does self-esteem relate to human survival? How does this point of this paragraph relate to the overall goal of persuading a reader?