These charts will help you teach your students how to trace cause and effect.

It's said that a butterfly flapping its wings can change the course of a hurricane halfway across the globe. The idea behind that is that lots of small causes can add up to big effects. On the other hand, one great big cause-such as that same hurricane-can have many different effects, depending on what you are measuring. Weather, economics, politics, even traffic, these are complicated systems, and your students should have a foundation for thinking about them. The following charts offer many options for charting causes and effects, whether single into multiple, multiple into single, parallel, or other configurations.



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Cause and Effect Graphic Organizers

Click the buttons to print each organizer.

1 Cause and 3 Effects Diagram

1 Cs - 3 Es Diagram

This chart allows you to list three results from a single problem.

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1 Cause and 4 Effects Diagram

1 C - 4 Es Diagram

This chart allows you to list four outcomes resulting from a single starting point.

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1 Cause and 5 Effects Diagram

1 C - 5 Es Diagram

This chart allows you to list five outcomes resulting from a single breaking point.

1 Cause and 6 Effects Diagram

1 C - 6 Es Diagram

This chart allows you to list six outcomes resulting from a single event.

1 Cause and 7 Effects Diagram

1 C - 7 Es Diagram

This chart allows you to list seven outcomes resulting from a single starting point.

Flow Diagram

2 Row Diagram

A one to one: A cause for an effect chart for tracking two parallel events.

3 Causes and 1 Effect Diagram

3 Cs - 1 Effect Diagram

This chart allows you to list three causes that add up to a single effect.

3 Instances Diagram

3 Row Diagram

A one to one: cause/effect chart for tracking three parallel events.

4 Causes and 1 Effect Diagram

4 Cs 1 Effect Diagram

This chart allows you to list four causes that add up to a single effect.

4 Instances Diagram

4 Row Cs Into 1 E Diagram

Track four parallel events at one time with this bad boy.

5 Causes and 1 Effect Diagram

5 Cs - 1 E Diagram

This chart allows you to list five causes that add up to a single effect.

5 Instances Diagram

5 Row Cs - 1 E Diagram

Got a lot of events to keep tabs on? This one is for tracking five parallel events.

6 Causes and 1 Effect Diagram

6 Cs - 1 E Diagram

This chart allows you to list six causes that add up to a single effect.

7 Causes and 1 Effect Diagram

7 Cs - 1 Diagram

This chart allows you to list seven causes that add up to a single effect.

What is the Concept of Cause and Effect?

You've probably heard about both of these words quite a lot of times. If we were to explain the relationship these words have with each other, it would with a lot of examples. Think about you woke up early in the morning with the sound of your alarm clock, yelling in your ear. You waking up with the loud sound is the cause.

Without the alarm buzzing, you might have overslept. This means that the alarm had an effect on you when it woke you up. This is known as the cause and effect relationship when one thing/event makes (cause) the other event follows it as a result of it, or makes it happen (effect).

In such kind of a relationship, it is important that both the events must occur at the same time. This means that whenever the cause happens, the effect must also occur at the same time. The strength of both events also depends on each other.

Identifying Cause-and-Effect Relationships

Cause-and-effect relationships are a part of every day. We are all familiar with the concept of action and reaction. Following the same idea, we can identify the cause and its effect in our routine tasks. Whether you wake up early in the morning or choose to continue sleeping, have breakfast or skip it, go to work or take a leave, all these actions can be referred to as causes. Each decision that we make has a consequence of bearing.

For example, if you wake up early, you may be able to do more in a day. Similarly, by skipping your breakfast, you may suffer health-wise. If you miss a day at work, it may affect your progress and lead to a reduction in wages. While cause and effect are easy to understand, you may need to take care of a few things in listing them down.

Listing Down the Problem

The first step to identifying a cause-and-effect relationship is listing down a problem. The problem is the subject of the relationship (in discussion). You can determine the problem's nature, impact, and timing to account for key indicators.

Listing Down the Root

The root of the problem is the primary cause. You may list all the acting factors that escalated the cause to occur at a particular time. The factors can include procedures, people, equipment, and many other elements depending on the nature of the problem.

Identifying Underlying Causes

Listing down the underlying causes is a crucial step in the process. Apart from the primary cause and effect, sub-causes can play an influential role. For example, the poor quality of a newly constructed building can be because of low-quality building materials. In the same way, an employee's poor performance can be due to poor resource management in the workplace.

Analyzing the Issue

Once you list down all the key factors, you can create a graphical presentation. By reviewing the primary and underlying causes of a problem, you can identify the factors that induced the effect. For example, if an employee did not perform well (cause), the company suffered a loss (effect). However, the underlying cause that played an influential role in the process can be employees' poor wages.

Resolving the Problem

By carefully identifying the causes, you can develop a strategy to resolve the problem. Cause and effect models help analyze and resolve the issues occurring at a particular place under specific conditions. For example, the employer can increase the employee's wages to ensure better performance. In return, the improved performance of the employee can result in the recovery of losses.

The Significance of These Models

The cause-and-effect models can be used in any field of work. It may seem easy to identify a problem and its cause verbally. However, you may need to list every factor to develop a practical solution. Most enterprises use such models to devise new working strategies. By carefully analyzing the causes of a persisting problem, you can determine which factors you need to work on. In the absence of a cause-and-effect model, you may be able to identify the issue. However, it can be challenging to determine the exact areas that need improvement.

You can also find the application of cause-and-effect models at your home. Many parents find it difficult to identify why their kids are not performing well in their studies. If you find yourself in a similar situation, you may list the key factors affecting your kid's academic performance. After identification, you can work on the possible solutions.