Section 1b — Get to the Bottom of Opportunities
Using 5W1H: Putting It Into Practice
Now let's see how the 5W1H method works with a real example.
Imagine a student named Aisha who noticed that many Somali-Canadian children in her community don't speak their heritage language fluently. Let's apply 5W1H:
- What — Many Somali-Canadian children are losing connection to their heritage language
- Who — Children ages 6–14 in Somali-Canadian families in Ottawa
- Why — There are very few Somali language programs available outside of home, and parents are busy working
- Where — In Ottawa's Somali-Canadian community, particularly in Herongate and South Keys
- When — Most critically during school age years when language acquisition is easiest
- How — Children grow up disconnected from their cultural identity and cannot communicate fully with grandparents or relatives
By answering all six questions, Aisha has a much clearer picture of the problem — and can now start thinking about what kind of solution might actually help.
The Power of "Why"
One of the most powerful questions in 5W1H is Why. When you answer "why," don't stop at the first answer. Ask "why" again. And again.
This technique — sometimes called the "5 Whys" — helps you find the root cause of a problem rather than just treating the symptoms.
Example:
- Why don't students eat healthy after school? → Because healthy food is expensive.
- Why is healthy food expensive? → Because supermarkets in this area charge more.
- Why do supermarkets charge more? → Because there are fewer of them in this neighbourhood.
- Why are there fewer supermarkets? → Because of lower average incomes in the area.
Now you've reached the root cause — and can think about solutions at that deeper level.
Your Turn
In the next assignment, you'll apply the 5W1H method to the problem you identified in Module 2. Get ready to dig deep!