1. Karen S. Wright

3. Why does a kite
fly?
Why a does zebra look
like a horse?
Cause and Effect Can Be as Complex as
Questioning. . . .

4. Or Cause and Effect Can Seem . . . .
As Natural As a Mother’s Love
B
E
C
A
U
S
E
W
H
Y

5. • Unemployment
•Upside down
mortgages
•Loss of property
value for a sale
•Unsafe lending

6. Cause Produces Effect
Jobs Produce Money

7. Cause 1
Cause 2
Cause 3
Effect
Be sure to give examples for each cause and effect--
explain the reasonsand the results by drawing a
picture with words. Explain why something
happens.

8. Car exhaust
Factory releases = Air Pollution
Energy from coal

9. Sometimes there are several
effects for one cause.
Cause
Effect 1
Effect 3
Effect 2
Effect 4

10. If a person is a couch potato (the
cause),what are the Effects (results)?
eye strain
Inactivity
Obesity
lack of motivation
(Being a Couch potato
produces. . .)

12. Find a topic with a clear
relationship between the cause
and effect.
Determine whether the events
can be repeated Every
time A is present, B occurred.
Brainstorm and put your information into
a graph or web so you can clearly see your
thinking.

13. •Ask yourself— “Why
did this event
happen?”
Event=effect
Why=causes
To make your essay
clear. . .

14. •What causes lung
cancer?
OR
•What effects can
happen from cigarette
smoking?

15. Check You Logic
Make sure you don’t
confuse an effect for a cause.
Consider all causes and
effects and choose the best
for your essay.

16. Use a Logical Order When You Write
Use chronological order: What
happened first, then second, etc.
OR
Use least obvious to most
obvious.
OR
Use the least important to the
most important.

17. Special Transitional Words to Help
Words that show cause and effect:
as a result consequentlytherefore
since because
because of
due to . . . so. . .
Other words to show certainty:
unquestionably perhaps possibly
inevitably certainly probably
Words of importance:
above all primarily first
initially last finally

18. What Topic Do Want to Sink YOURTeeth Into?
Effects of air pollution
Causes of air pollution
Effects of being an athlete
Effects of smoking
Effects of alcoholism
Causes of anorexia
Effects of too much TV