HOT Skills Challenge #2: CAUSE / EFFECT

The understanding of CAUSE and EFFECT is a basic reasoning skill needed in much of Higher Order Thinking.  It's so important to begin the discussion of these two words in Kindergarten and continue throughout the elementary school years.

The sequence of teaching these two concepts fits in well, as an extension, when teaching/emphasizing ELABORATION. 

Although there may not be specific standards in K-2, ongoing discussion of these terms in the primary grades will lead to great benefits in thinking and reasoning.  


In Grades 3-5, use these terms to reach for greater understanding, throughout the school year, as you teach, re-teach, review, repeat, and test these standards. 


GRADE 3:  

• Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

• Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).

GRADE 4:  

• Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.

GRADE 5:   

• Determine cause and effect and draw conclusions.   

• Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts

• Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase 

So, what are some things you can do in K-2 to prepare your learners minds for thinking about cause and effect?  Here are a few links that you might be able to get you started:   
  
VIDEO CLIP

• Click here for: IF YOU GIVE A MOUSE A COOKIE:  
• Click here for:  PETE THE CAT
• CAUSE and EFFECT song
• CAUSE and EFFECT - How to state it... 

ACTIVITIES / PARTNER WORK:

   Click here for graphic organizer - primary

Click here for graphic organizer - 3-5 

     Click here for posters/cards   

 Click here for matching cause/effect cards for Pirate Island

 Cards that can individually be either "cause" or "effect"  

There's much more available, on this topic, for Grades 3-5.  Let me know if you need help in searching for something specific.

HOT Skills Challenge #2:  

• Increase thinking, by using the following Words Of the Week, over the next month:  
•  cause
•  effect
•  because
•  compare 
• Use all of the above words, in your questioning, when asking your learners to elaborate about something that they've read.
• Extend thinking with the word "compare":
•  Compare two different "causes" that might have the same effect.  Ask  "Why?"
• Compare two different "effects" that have the same cause.  Ask "Why?" 
• Use one of the links or graphic organizers to show "cause and effect" in any subject discussion.