Cause and Effect.... Just tell me what happened? Why did it happen? It sounds so simple right? Unfortunately, young children often have a hard time connecting a cause to a plausible effect. If you teach children of any age, I am positive you have heard a whole array of answers to the question, “Why do you think that happened?” (Everything from a violent friend to alien abduction and a hungry dog.) It’s important for our students to begin to identify why something happens. You need this skill every single day of your life. But you especially need this skill when reflecting on what went wrong and how to fix those everyday problems. Here are some books I love and some activities to go with them. A Bad Case of Stripes- Students will have fun identifying what happened to Camilla Cream and why it happened. A Game to Play: Doctor, Doctor Give your students a scenario. “You forgot sunscreen and now have a sunburn.”, “You ate to much chocolate and now your stomach hurts.” Etc. They stand in front of the rest of the class who are the doctors. The doctors ask yes or no questions until they figure out the cause of the “illness”. Just A Dream- In this book by Chris Van Allsburg, a little boy dreams of the future. Van Allsburg writes in such a way that the reader sees the effects of not taking of the EartH. After each illustrated page, Vall Allusburg reveals the cause. Class Discussion and Posters: What would happen if… Ask students what happen to your classroom trash can were never emptied? Could you imagine if we never recycled paper? Could you imagine if we all littered? After the discussion, have students create “Could You Imagine If We…” posters to raise awareness about taking care of the Earth. Alexander and the No Good, Very Bad Day Journaling- We’ve all had bad days. Have your kids journal about their bad day. Afterwards, let them partner up and try to identify why “bad things” happened. If the cause isn’t in their writing, have the pairs try to generate a cause. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie Have the student give an animal of their choice their favorite snack. Using an organizer first, let them come up with 5 cause and effect relationships. If there is time, let them illustrate. Do you have books you use to teach Cause and Effect? |
Click on the picture to check out my Cause and Effect Lesson on teacherpayteachers or click below: http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Cause-Effect-Mini-Lesson-and-Mini-Assessment-1445523 |