Construct a root cause tree or fishbone diagram
for analyzing the sources or causes of an event or issue
Purpose:
Once a prevalent local or global issue has been identified, it is necessary to explore what fundamental causes exist to design sustainable actions and solutions.
Student Impact Profile:
Critically examine community needs to design ethical solutions
Enduring Understandings
I can use needs analysis tools to identify, inquire, and better understand root causes issues in diverse communities.
I can use my needs analysis tool to launch and design impactful, sustainable actions.
Essential Questions
Identify: How do the symptoms of this issue present themselves in my community?
Interpret / Find Relationships: What are the underlying social, structural, cultural, or habitual factors that influence why the symptoms of this issue are being seen?
Propose: How does identifying pertinent root causes allow me to identify impactful projects to propose action for sustainable development?
Core Activities:
Introduce a needs analysis tool as a mentor example
Students identify an issue that you care about
Students interpret symptoms in the community - things they can observe
Students discuss and explore the root causes of the symptoms
Propose various action projects to be undertaken, sustainably addressing the issue
Flexible Steps:
Apply these ideas for context while scaffolding and differentiating for age, language proficiency, readiness, independence, learning needs, content connections, and so on.
Introduce the concept of a root cause. Use a completed root cause tree to perform a thinking routine to have students analyze the purpose of the tool for deeper understanding of an issue.
By completing or referring back to any of the CARE activities which launched a deeper understanding of community needs (i.e. SDGs, Compass, Wellbeing Wheel), students then select a specific community issue that they are passionate about positively impacting. Have participants recreate a root cause tree diagram like the models shared. Place this pinpointed target of a community issue on the trunk of the tree.
Have students brainstorm the symptoms (statistics, experiences, sensory observations, etc) in the foliage of the tree.
Have students look at the symptoms and then brainstorm, or conduct further research on the root causes of such symptoms
After identifying the root causes have participants select the most pertinent of root causes to ideate potential solutions, spark thoughtful research, and eventually design relevant actions around.
Now differentiate for context. Localize brainstorming by providing assistive resources or scaffolded activities for further research by creating peer groups or bringing in experts to help with ideation. This activity may also be done in conjunction with other “aware” activities like interviews, observations, surveys and exploring media resources.
Allow for embedded quality time to reflect on learning, understanding, or the essential questions through speaking, writing, or other creative reflection and formative assessment opportunities.
Extension:
Cause and effect fishbone diagram
The six main factors in the fishbone diagram are often used for cause and effect diagrams. However, you may pick any factors you want to be the main factors. The steps in constructing a cause and effect diagram are given below.
Pinpoint the problem you want to solve or the goal you want to reach.
Write the problem or the goal (effect) on the right-hand side and draw a horizontal line to the left.
Select the categories for the causes of the problem or what has to be done to achieve the goal. Most often, these categories will be the 4Ms, a P and an E. These categories will be the main factors of the cause and effect diagram. Each main factor forms a branch off the horizontal line as shown above.
Brainstorm detailed causes for each main factor. These detailed causes are written on branches off those of the main factors.
Always try to branch further by continuously asking, "What causes variation in this branch?" In this way, you can add to the cause and effect diagram until it fully shows all the possible causes of variation.