Design Topic Cause & Effect Subject(s) English Grade(s) 4th Designer(s) Tiffani Cosendine

Unit Cover Page

Unit Title: Cause & Effect Grade Level: 4th

Topic/Subject Areas: English (Reading)

Key Words: Cause, Effect

Designed By: Tiffani Cosendine Time Frame: 1 week

Cooperating Teacher: Ms. Mawhinney

Brief Summary of Unit (including curricular context and unit goals):

Students will read and analyze fiction and nonfiction texts in order to identify and
distinguish between cause and effect. Students will also generate their own cause and
effect statements after reading short stories. At the end of the unit, they will complete
a formative assessment.

Unit design status: X Completed template pages – stages 1, 2, 3

Completed blueprint for each performance task X Completed rubrics

Directions to students and teacher Materials and resources listed

x Suggested accommodations x Suggested extensions

Status: Initial draft (date: ___________) Revised draft (date: ____________)

Peer Reviewed Content Reviewed Field Tested Validated Anchored

Design Topic Cause & Effect Subject(s) English Grade(s) 4th Designer(s) Tiffani Cosendine

STAGE 1 – DESIRED RESULTS

Unit Title: Cause & Effect

Established Goals:
(VA SOL Reading 4.5) The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary
nonfiction texts, and poetry. j) Identify cause and effect relationships.

(VA SOL Reading 4.6) The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts. f)
Distinguish between cause and effect.

Essential Questions:

 What is the difference between cause and effect?

 Where can we see cause and effect occur in the real world?

Students will be able to:

 Identify and distinguish between cause and effect in fiction and nonfiction texts
 Generate their own cause and effect statements after reading a text

STAGE 2 – ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Tasks: Other Evidence:

 Read & analyze “The Chicken-  Formative Assessment: “What’s the

Chasing Queen of Lamar County” for Green Stuff?”
cause and effect relationships
 Read & analyze “Twisters” for cause
and effect relationships
 Read & analyze “The Orange Shoes”
for cause and effect relationships
 Read & analyze “The Talking Otters”
for cause and effect relationships
 Read & analyze short fiction and
nonfiction stories and come up with 5
cause and effect statements

STAGE 3 – LEARNING PLAN

Summary of Learning Activities:
(list by number here and then complete the week-by-week planning calendar below using the same information)

1. The teacher will introduce cause and effect using a body sort. Students will receive cards that
have a statement on them that is either a cause (yellow cards) or an effect (orange cards).
Without being told what the topic is beforehand (and without speaking to one another),
students will walk around the room and try and find their match. Once everyone has a partner,
each pair will read aloud their statements and determine if they go together. After everyone
has read their cards, the teacher will ask what they all have in common. The students should
answer that they are causes and effects.
2. Students will read and analyze the fiction text “The Chicken Chasing Queen of Lamar County”
and fill out a cause and effect organizer. The teacher will first read the story to the class and
guide students through the first two boxes of the organizer. Students will fill out the rest of the
organizer with a partner and then go over it as a class when everyone is finished. Students are
encouraged to highlight the causes and effects in the text to make them easier to find.
Design Topic Cause & Effect Subject(s) English Grade(s) 4th Designer(s) Tiffani Cosendine

3. Students will read and analyze the nonfiction text “Twisters” and fill out a cause and effect
organizer. The teacher will first read the text to the class and guide students through the first
box of the organizer. Students will fill out the rest of the organizer with a partner and then go
over it as a class when everyone is finished. Students are encouraged to highlight the causes
and effects in the text to make them easier to find.
4. Students will read and analyze the fiction text “The Orange Shoes” and fill out a cause and
effect organizer. The teacher will first read the story to the class and guide students through
the first box of the organizer. Students will fill out the rest of the organizer with a partner and
then go over it as a class when everyone is finished. Students are encouraged to highlight the
causes and effects in the text to make them easier to find.
5. Students will independently read a short fiction or nonfiction story and use it to generate 5 of
their own cause and effect statements. Students will type up the statements in a table provided
by the teacher. Students will receive different books to read depending on their reading level.
Books include: Lobstering, Kenny’s Day Off, Animals in the City, and Matt’s Garden.
6. During small group reading, students who read the same book will meet together with the
teacher to share and discuss the cause and effect statements they created (for #5 above).
7. In pairs, students will read a nonfiction article called “The Talking Otters” and fill out a cause
and effect organizer. The teacher will go over it with the class once everyone is finished. Pairs
will be called on to share their answers with the class.
8. Formative Assessment: Students will independently read and analyze the nonfiction text
“What’s the Green Stuff?” and complete a cause and effect organizer.

Stage 3 – Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

1. 2. 3.

1. Introduce cause 2. Read and 3. Read and

& effect with a body analyze “The analyze
sort Chicken-Chasing “Twisters” and
Queen of Lamar complete
County” and organizer
complete organizer

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

4. Start reading 4. Finish reading 6. Students meet in 6. Formative

and analyzing and analyzing small group w/ Assessment:
“The Orange “The Orange teacher to discuss “What’s the Green
Shoes” and begin Shoes” and what 5 cause and Stuff?”
organizer complete effect statements
organizer they created the
5. Students previous day (for
independently #5)
read Lobstering, 7. Students read
Kenny’s Day Off, “The Talking Otters”
or Matt’s Garden and complete
and create 5 of organizer in pairs
their own cause
and effect
statements