how to use a problem tree analysis a problem tree analysis is a visual approach to understanding a problem and Gathering data from the community about the problem its causes and its effects the first step in using a problem tree is to identify a problem that the group agrees on and that could be the focus for a project for this step you may want to have students go out into the community to do a needs analysis what are the problems that community members see in their Community or you may want to have a classroom or small group discussion to identify problems that the students have an interest in once you have a problem to focus on you can Envision the problem as the trunk of the problem tree diagram the second step is to research the problem to understand it better it is important to understand the underlying problem and gather multiple perspectives from members of the community Gathering the community's thoughts you'll want to find ways to understand what's causing the problem each of the causes that lead to the problem can be envisioned as the roots of the tree what are the effects of the problem each of the effects can be envisioned as the branches of the tree with the answers to these questions you will have built a clear map of the problem its causes and its effects let's try it with a real problem let's imagine that in your community your students identify plastic litter as an issue and decide that the lack of recycling is a problem they want to solve invite students to brainstorm why they might be a lack of recycling encourage everyone to participate and capture each idea as a root of the tree for example little or no garbage collection no recycling bins people don't know which products can be recycled people don't know about the advantages of recycling and people are too lazy next ask students to share what they think the effects of the lack of recycling are on the community again capture all the ideas that students share marking them on the branches of the tree for example Rising problems of litter or trash in the environment loss of recyclable materials and thrown away plastic in the streams now you have a problem tree that captures the problem the causes and the effects that was a local problem now now let's try it with a global topic child labor is a recognized problem in the world what are the causes of child labor as a problem parents can't pay costs of school parents didn't go to school and don't see benefits employers prefer children because they can pay less farming families need help on the farm one or both parents have died and children have to work to survive now let's look at the effects of child labor health problems and injuries little chance of getting a better job when the child grows up their own children will also be likely to do child labor okay let's go through a complicated topic that might require students to do some research teens not finishing school to explore this problem the class may need to seek out input about the causes of this problem from other students and other stakeholders like teachers parents and others in the community in particular you may want to brainstorm who in the community could contribute relevant Technical and local knowledge in this case finding teens who didn't complete school might be an important reason resource after doing this research students might return to report a number of possible causes such as school isn't interesting School causes anxiety possibly bullying or other Social Challenges student has learning difficulties need to work to support family low family income parents don't encourage the student parents don't think school is important in addition to asking community members about the causes of the problem we also ask about the effects of the problem in this case several effects came to light teens who don't finish school could have difficulty finding a job have lower future income have higher drug or alcohol use or become involved in crime once you've established a problem and clarified likely causes and effects it's time to begin thinking about what the students can do to address the problem it is good to brainstorm a variety of possible responses before selecting one the information in the tree gives the students a place to start from for brainstorming ways to influence the problem different causes can suggest possible solutions so for example if anxiety and bullying are a cause then one possible action could be developing an anti-bullying program this might be something older students do for younger students for example or if lack of parent support and encouragement is a cause then providing Afterschool support and encouragement for students who are struggling could be helpful or if parents don't think school is important one possible action could be developing a brochure describing positive outcomes for students who finish school versus those who don't finish and this is how to use a problem tree with your students to review a problem tree analysis involves one finding a community problem that is agreed upon this could be the result of classroom discussion or a community survey two two gathering information from stakeholders regarding causes and effects of the problem and three developing a list of possible actions as you can see a problem tree is a teaching tool that ask students to engage with a problem and think for themselves to determine possible causes of this problem and what the effects are of the problem it invites students to engage in inquiry and and encourages complex thinking about multiple causes and effects that are often associated with a problem the problem tree asks students to identify the multiple links between cause and effect with an emphasis on understanding the problem broadly and with some complexity in this approach the teacher's job is to support the students in developing their own critical thinking skills