Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disasters
- Resources & Preparation
- Instructional Plan
- Related Resources
Expository texts are a key component of literacy but often do not get introduced to students until the later grades. This lesson helps third- through fifth-grade students explore the nature and structure of expository texts that focus on cause and effect. Students begin by activating prior knowledge about cause and effect; the teacher then models discovering these relationships in a text and recording in a graphic organizer what the relationships that the class finds. Students work in small groups to apply what they learned using related books and then write paragraphs outlining the cause-and-effect relationships they have found.
Featured Resources
- ReadWriteThink Webbing Tool : This online interactive tool will help students understand the importance of organizing ideas and concepts from informational text.
- Essay Map : This online interactive tool will help students map out and write clear paragraphs that include information about cause-and-effect relationships from their expository text.
From Theory to Practice
- Students need more exposure to expository text along with explicit instruction that helps them understand the features and structure of this type of writing.
- There is a wide range of informational books written for children; many of these books are appropriate for teaching expository text structure.
- Among the text structures these texts can teach are description, sequence, comparison and contrast, problem and solution, and cause and effect.
- Teachers should model how to find these text structures before asking students to discover them independently or in small groups.
Common Core Standards
This resource has been aligned to the Common Core State Standards for states in which they have been adopted. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, CCSS alignments are forthcoming.
State Standards
This lesson has been aligned to standards in the following states. If a state does not appear in the drop-down, standard alignments are not currently available for that state.
NCTE/IRA National Standards for the English Language Arts
- 1. Students read a wide range of print and nonprint texts to build an understanding of texts, of themselves, and of the cultures of the United States and the world; to acquire new information; to respond to the needs and demands of society and the workplace; and for personal fulfillment. Among these texts are fiction and nonfiction, classic and contemporary works.
- 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
- 5. Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes.
- 6. Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.
- 11. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities.
- 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish their own purposes (e.g., for learning, enjoyment, persuasion, and the exchange of information).
Materials and Technology
- Danger! Volcanoes by Seymour Simon (SeaStar Books; 2002)
- Computer with Internet access
- LCD projector
- Blank Graphic Organizer
- Natural Disaster Booklist
- Cause-and-Effect Graphic Organizer Rubric
- Cause-and-Effect Paragraph Rubric
- Sample Paragraph
- Sample Graphic Organizer for Danger! Volcanoes
Preparation
Student objectives.
Students will
- Access prior knowledge by identifying what they know about cause-and-effect relationships
- Gain knowledge by defining cause and effect, learning key words that indicate cause-and-effect relationships in expository text, and reviewing a text containing these relationships during a whole-class exercise
- Apply what they have learned about cause and effect and demonstrate comprehension of it by locating cause-and-effect relationships within expository text, recording these findings on two graphic organizers, and then using the organizers to write a paragraph
Note: If you do not have classroom computers with Internet access, this session will take place in the computer lab. You should display the graphic organizer and list of key words you completed with students during Session 1. You will also need to bring the texts you have assembled for students to read (see Preparation, Step 3).
Student Assessment / Reflections
- Informally assess students' comprehension of cause and effect by observing the discussion during Session 1. If it seems that students do not fully understand cause and effect, are unable to find it in the text, or do not know what the keywords associated with this text structure are, you may want to work with them on another text before asking them to work in small groups.
- Observe students while they work in small groups. Are they able to locate the cause-and-effect relationships in the texts they are reading? Collect the webs students create during Session 2 and use the Cause-and-Effect Graphic Organizer Rubric to assess them.
- Assess students' paragraphs using the Cause-and-Effect Paragraph Rubric .
- Calendar Activities
- Student Interactives
- Lesson Plans
The Webbing Tool provides a free-form graphic organizer for activities that ask students to pursue hypertextual thinking and writing.
The Essay Map is an interactive graphic organizer that enables students to organize and outline their ideas for an informational, definitional, or descriptive essay.
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- Kindergarten K
Cause and Effect Lesson Plan
Table of Contents
Introduction.
Understanding the relationship between cause and effect is a fundamental skill that helps students improve their reading comprehension, writing, and communication abilities. This lesson plan is designed to teach students how to identify cause-and-effect relationships in texts, use appropriate expressions, and apply these concepts in their writing and speaking activities.
Before diving into the lesson activities, let’s first review the details of the lesson plan.
Cause and Effect Lesson Plan: Lesson Details
- Level: Intermediate
- Duration: 60 minutes
- Materials: Short story (provided by teacher), chart paper, matching worksheet, gap-fill worksheet, survey sheet
- Recognize cause and effect relationships in a text.
- Identify and use expressions of cause and effect.
- Practice creating cause-and-effect sentences.
The Procedures of the Cause and Effect Lesson Plan
1. Awareness Stage – Short Story & Comprehension:
- Introduction to Cause and Effect: Start by introducing the concept of cause and effect. Explain that causes are reasons why things happen, and effects are the results of those causes.
- Read the Short Story: To contextualize the target structures, students read the following short story and answer the comprehension questions below:
On Saturday, Emma went to the park. She forgot to bring her umbrella, and as a result, she got soaked when it started raining. Her friend John was also there, but he remembered to bring his umbrella, so he stayed dry. They both went home afterward. Emma caught a cold because she was wet, but John was fine.
- Why did Emma get soaked?
- What happened to Emma after getting wet?
- Why did John stay dry?
- Identifying Cause and Effect: Ask students to underline expressions in the story that show cause and effect (e.g., “because,” “as a result,” etc.).
- Completing a Chart: Students complete the following chart with causes and effects from the text:
- Identifying Cause and Effect Expressions: Students work in small groups to identify cause and effect expressions:
- Adding More Expressions: Students work in groups to add more expressions
2. Practice Stage – Chart and Exercises:
- Emma forgot her umbrella.
- It rained suddenly.
- John brought his umbrella.
- Emma got soaked.
- John stayed dry.
- Emma caught a cold.
- Emma got soaked ____ she forgot her umbrella.
- John stayed dry ____ he brought his umbrella.
- He exercises regularly ____ he wants to keep fit.
- She didn’t prepare enough for the test, ____ she failed.
- We were late, ____ we missed the train.
3. Production Stage – Survey:
- Pair Activity – Cause and Effect Survey: In pairs, students ask each other questions related to cause and effect in their personal lives.
For example
- Why do you exercise?
- Why do you study English?
- Why did you choose your favorite hobby?
- Why do you wake up early?
- Why do you spend time with your friends?
- Each student completes a survey sheet based on their partner’s answers, using cause-and-effect structures
Teaching cause-and-effect relationships not only enhances students’ understanding of how events are interconnected but also sharpens their critical thinking and communication skills.
Through this lesson, students will gain confidence in identifying, analyzing, and applying cause-and-effect expressions in both spoken and written contexts. By the end, they will have a deeper understanding of how cause and effect function in language and everyday life.
Related Pages
- Cause and Effect
- Cause and Effect Paragraph
- Lesson Plans and Worksheets
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