Lessons & Units

Cause and Effect 2nd Grade Unit

Lessons

Lesson 1 Effects Identify and describe explicit effects in fiction.
Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum
Lesson 2 Causes Identify and describe explicit causes in fiction.
Why Do You Cry?: Not a Sob Story
Why Do You Cry?: Not a Sob Story
Lesson 3 Cause and Effect Relationships Identify explicit cause-and-effect relationships in fiction.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Unit Extension Ideas

  • During read alouds, discuss how one cause can lead to several effects, several causes can result in one effect, or multiple causes can lead to multiple effects in a story (chain of events). Record causes and effects in a Chain of Events graphic organizer. (See Additional Activity A Worksheet in Teacher and Student Materials below.)
  • If Predicting has been introduced, students can make predictions about causes and effects in read alouds. As a class, make a list of possible causes and effects, and check them as you read. The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins is suitable for this activity. (See More Books for Teaching Cause and Effect below.)
  • Provide students with examples of cause-and-effect relationships. Have students discuss whether they correspond with each other or not. For example, “I tripped over a toy, so I didn’t get any dessert.” or “I yelled at my brother, so I was sent to my room.” You can also write several examples of cause-and-effect relationships on sentence strips. Write one cause or effect on each sentence strip. Have students work in pairs to match the causes to their effects.
  • Students can write about everyday cause-and-effect relationships (you skip in line, you call your friend a name, you help a friend clean up a mess). Have students use a Cause-and-Effect graphic organizer to plan their writing. (See Additional Activity B Worksheet below.)
  • Students can write responses to cause-and-effect prompts such as, “If you don’t brush your teeth, ______,” or “________, so I need an umbrella.”
  • Students can write several effects for one cause, such as “If you don’t go to bed on time (you will be tired, you will oversleep, you will get in trouble.)”

Teacher and Student Materials

More Books for Teaching Cause and Effect

The Three Little Pigs

The Three Little Pigs

Fountas and Pinnell
I
Lexile
200L
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Fountas and Pinnell
Q
Lexile
570L
Chicken Little

Chicken Little

Lexile
690L

Chicken Little says that the sky is falling which causes all the animals to see what is happening.

Discuss how one event caused many effects. Have students complete the Chain of Events graphic organizer provided for use with the Additional Activities section of the lesson.

The Runaway Bunny

The Runaway Bunny

A bunny keeps trying to get away from his mother by imagining he is something different.

This is a simple story can be used by having students draw pictures and write short sentences about each cause and effect in the story.

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout!

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Trout!

Lexile
NP
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly

Lexile
NP
There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow

There Was a Cold Lady Who Swallowed Some Snow

Fountas and Pinnell
I
Lexile
NP
Henny Penny

Henny Penny

Abiyoyo

Abiyoyo

Lexile
610L

A little boy who plays a ukulele and his father who plays magic tricks are forced to leave town because they are annoying everyone. A giant then comes to town and scares people. The boy and his father are the only ones who can tame the giant.

List the effects of in the story. Have students write sentences about the corresponding causes.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Fountas and Pinnell
M
Lexile
730L

User Comments

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