Fish Bone (FB)

Description

The Fish Bone is a graphic organizer designed to help students identify separate causes and effects. The Fish Bone is a thinking tool commonly used in business by problem-solving teams to identify possible causes of a problem. The Fish Bone can be used when looking at possible options when planning a course of action or in analyzing the cause of a particular consequence, result, or effect.

Procedure

Step One: In the head of the fish, write the Effect/Problem.

Step Two: At the end of each major bone, ask students for categories of possible causes. Some possible categories are machine, method, materials, manpower.

Step Three: Off the major bones, write the possible causes suggested by students. As students volunteer ideas of possible causes, ask them to identify the category into which their idea falls. Record their ideas on the organizer. Do not judge student responses.

Following a full class discussion, allow students to argue placement of the ideas and to make changes. If placement of an idea is difficult, students may list an item in as many categories as needed.

Step Four: After the class discussion, have each student select three items from the total list that he or she believes are the most likely causes of the problem. Have each student rank their selections. Students form groups to compile a list of causes. Allow groups to discuss which items from the list are most important. After the discussion, each group selects the three causes they thought were the most likely. Each student is allowed to vote three times. The votes are tallied to determine the top three choices. Each group prepares an argument to support the selection of the three causes and then presents its argument to the class. A whole class discussion follows the presentations to discuss the differences in the conclusions. Have each group decide how it would gather factual data to support its cause-effect selection. The plan should describe what data they would collect and how they would collect it.

Link to Outcomes

Students visualise consequences, think laterally, recognise opportunity and potential and are prepared to test options.

Dynamic Strategies

Conduct/Organisation

Thinking Skills

Helps students organize their thoughts as they analyze causes and effects.

Provides opportunities for students to use evaluative thinking skills.

Requires students to listen to other ideas, synthesize information, and take a position on an issue.

Tips

As students become more comfortable using the Fish Bone, elicit discussions that encourage students to talk about why they made certain decisions, how they organized their thinking, and which parts of their thinking were more precise.

The use of charts or other visual aids allow teachers to demonstrate relationships between ideas and concepts. Teachers should use visual displays in the lessons and assignments to support the oral or written message. The provision of additional contextual information in the form of a visual should make the comprehension task easier.

Fish Bone (FB)