Root Cause Tree

• About this resource

  A resource to break a problem down into its cause: the Root Cause Tree assists students in identifying the main cause of a problem and giving them a comprehensive understanding of the related causes and consequences. The tree provides a visual structure for analysis of the problem. 

  Various organisations have developed resources for students to work with the Root Cause Tree on a problem of their choice. We have included two of these resource sheets here, which can be adapted as lesson plans.

  This activity can of course be adapted for use with younger students. 

  You can learn more about this tool by the Future Anything resource and how its creators describe it here.

• Testimonies from educators

  “When I'm teaching issues around [justice], we always use a framework. So, we look at, you know, what are the three biggest problems in the world, and we do the ‘why, why, why’ activity or the root cause tree.” Dublin-based primary educator.