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Exploring Cause and Effect Using Expository Texts About Natural Disasters

This lesson helps third- through fifth-grade students explore the nature and structure of informational texts that focus on cause and effect. This is a series of three lessons that include modeling, graphic organizers, and writing. It could be adapted to fit digital or print texts, and the class may work with printed graphic organizers or using the interactive web tools at Read Write Think. The lesson includes links to rubrics for both the graphic organizer and writing assignment, and a writing sample is provided.

Weblink address (URL):

Standards & Objectives

Learning 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

Lesson Variations

Blooms taxonomy level:

Applying

Helpful Hints

Materials and Technology:

Danger! Volcanoes by Seymour Simon (SeaStar Books; 2002)
Computer with Internet access
LCD projector

References

Contributors:

Kristin Keatts

Originator:

Ayers Institute for Learning & Innovation