[iteach4]

I will be reviewing cause and effect this week with my fourth graders. I am looking for ideas to use or any read alouds to help them with this skill. What have you done that has worked?
Thanks for sharing!
iteach4

[nuhusker98]

I love using 'If You Give A Mouse A Cookie' by Laura Joffe Numeroff to teach cause and effect. The whole story is based on a series of causes and effects. Mandy Gregory's website has a great week-long lesson plan based off of this book. I think she teaches fourth grade as well.
In my fifth grade classroom, I use a Thinking Map to teach cause and effect. I have students brainstorm events that might happen on a school day, like dropping a tray in the cafeteria, getting a good grade on a test, being late for school, etc...Then on the left of the event, they list three things that might cause this event. For example, if the event was dropping their tray in the cafeteria, a cause might be that the floor was wet. Then on the right of the event, the students list three effects of the event. Again, for example, an effect of dropping their tray might be getting their pants dirty. We also do a lot of role play with cause and effect. Hope this gives you some ideas!

[Phyllis]

You got a really good response from the first reply. I love those books!

When you are looking at an event, the thing that happened first is the cause. It may not be stated first, but it seems to me that it is always the cause. Knowing this helps students look at a sentence or paragraph and have success in finding the cause.

[Oldie]

I usually introdue cause and effect with the symbolism of a cloud as the cause, rain as the effect. We analyse a few statements and choose which is the cloud and which the rain. Then I add a puddle and show that a cause can also be an effect (as the rain is the effect of the cloud, but the cause of the puddle) I post the symbols on the wall of the classroom, and even make the first few worksheets so that they are filling in a cloud, a raindrop, and a puddle. The visual seems to help clarify for those who have trouble with this nontangible concept.

[Oldie]

I usually introdue cause and effect with the symbolism of a cloud as the cause, rain as the effect. We analyse a few statements and choose which is the cloud and which the rain. Then I add a puddle and show that a cause can also be an effect (as the rain is the effect of the cloud, but the cause of the puddle) I post the symbols on the wall of the classroom, and even make the first few worksheets so that they are filling in a cloud, a raindrop, and a puddle. The visual seems to help clarify for those who have trouble with this intangible concept.

[Miller]

Just like nuhusker98, I was going to say use "If you give a mouse a cookie". I have also used "If you give a moose a muffin". Take parts of the story on sentence strips after you have read it to the class and they need to decide what is a cause and what is an effect.

I was observed doing this lesson and it went well with beginning 3rd graders