Cause and Effect

Overview

In this 60-minute writing lesson, students orally rehearse and draft explanation sentences that show clear cause-and-effect relationships. They build on prior learning about explanation texts by using causal connectives, rereading for meaning, applying spelling knowledge, punctuating complex sentences, and maintaining a comfortable handwriting posture.

Learning intentions

• WALT orally rehearse and draft explanation sentences.
• WALT use because, so, therefore, as a result and when to connect causes and effects.
• WALT reread and improve sentences for meaning, punctuation and spelling.
• WALT apply knowledge of -ing endings and homonyms when writing.
• WALT write neatly while maintaining a comfortable posture.

Success criteria

• I can explain what happened and why it happened.
• I can choose a causal connective that makes sense.
• I can use a comma correctly when a dependent clause comes first.
• I can check my spelling, punctuation and handwriting when I reread my work.

Curriculum links

• Oral Language — Communicating and Presenting: using words and phrases such as because, so and this means that to explain reasons, results and linked ideas.
• Writing — Writing to inform: developing a topic with facts, related examples, precise vocabulary and a concluding sentence.
• Composition — Writing to inform: retelling learnt information about a topic in short, clear sentences.
• Writing Processes — Drafting: developing a multi-paragraph non-fiction text with an introduction, sub-topics and conclusion.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 0–7 min · Hook and connect. Teacher displays an image of a flooded playground and asks, “What happened, and why?” using the opening image and discussion prompt. Students think, pair-share and give explanations using “because” or “so”; teacher records cause-and-effect examples.

2. 7–17 min · Teach causal links. Teacher models how the same idea changes with because, so, therefore, as a result and when, using a familiar topic such as “Why do leaves change colour?” on the causal connectives examples. Explicitly model that because introduces a reason, so shows a result, therefore and as a result signal a consequence, and when links an event to a condition or time. Students orally complete sentence stems with a partner and identify the cause and effect.

3. 17–27 min · Oral rehearsal and planning. Teacher models planning one explanation using the cause-and-consequence organiser, then distributes the Cause and Consequence Organiser. Students choose a familiar process or natural event, such as erosion, evaporation, plant growth or a bicycle stopping, and record an event, two causes and matching consequences. Partners rehearse each planned sentence aloud, trying at least three different connectives.

4. 27–43 min · Guided drafting. Teacher demonstrates turning notes into a short explanation paragraph: topic sentence, two linked explanation sentences and a concluding sentence. Students use the cause-and-effect drafting worksheet to draft four explanation sentences or a short paragraph, including at least three target connectives and precise topic vocabulary. Circulate to prompt: “What is the cause?”, “What is the result?” and “Which connective shows that relationship most clearly?”

5. 43–52 min · Transcription and editing mini-workshop. Teacher models rereading aloud and editing one sentence on the editing and punctuation examples. Review commas after an opening clause, for example, “When water freezes, it expands,” and discuss -ing spellings such as making, running and carrying. Briefly revisit homonyms in context, such as there/their/they’re or its/it’s. Students reread their drafts, circle one causal connective, check one -ing word and one homonym, and correct punctuation. Remind students to sit with feet supported, shoulders relaxed, paper angled comfortably and pencil held without gripping tightly.

6. 52–60 min · Share and exit check. Teacher invites three students to read a strong sentence and asks the class to identify the cause, effect and connective, using the sharing and reflection prompt. Students complete the final box on the self-check and exit response: write one new cause-and-effect sentence about today’s topic, underline the connective and add a comma if needed. Collect drafts and exit responses.

Resources

• the Cause and Effect teaching deck
• the cause-and-effect drafting worksheet
• the Cause and Consequence Organiser
• Whiteboard and markers
• Exercise books or writing paper
• Pencils, erasers and highlighters
• Visual timer

Assessment

• Listen during partner rehearsal for accurate identification of causes, effects and appropriate connectives; provide immediate oral feedback.
• Confer during drafting, checking sentence meaning, precise vocabulary, comma use, -ing spelling and homonym choice.
• Use the exit response to identify students who can independently construct a causal sentence and those requiring further modelling.

Differentiation

• Support students with a word bank, colour-coded cause/effect prompts and sentence frames: “_____ happened because _____,” “When _____, _____,” and “As a result, _____.”
• Allow students to rehearse orally with a trusted partner or record their sentence before writing; scribe key vocabulary where handwriting or fine-motor difficulty limits composition.
• Provide enlarged writing lines, pencil grips or a sloped writing surface for students needing physical or visual support, and check posture without interrupting fluency.
• Extend confident writers by asking them to combine two causal links in a short paragraph and explain why one connective is more precise than another.
• For English language learners, use a labelled image, gestures and repeated oral rehearsal before expecting independent writing; accept a clearly communicated idea while teaching the target form explicitly.