Warm-Up for Cause-Effect Essays

Everything that is going on around you right now has one or more causes that came before. And everything that will happen in the future is the effect of something that is happening now, sometimes resulting from choices you make! To understand what's going on, you can think about causes and effects.

What Is Cause-Effect Thinking?

Cause-effect thinking means considering how one thing leads to another. To discover causes, you will think about why something happens, for example, the sources of air pollution. To discover effects, you will think about the results of something that happens, for example, how air pollution impacts the environment.

In this unit you will write an essay that explores the cause-effect connections of a special event, action, or occurrence.

Thinking About Causes and Effects

Thinking about causes and effects will help you understand why things happen. Causes are the reasons something happens. Effects are the results of something happening. You can also think of effects as consequences.

The following cause-effect webs will help you better understand the relationship between causes and effects.

Cause-Effect Web

Think about causes and effects.

Use your imagination to fill in each missing space with a realistic cause or effect. The first row is done for you. Make a copy of this Google doc or download a Word template.

Causes	Effects
You forgot to eat breakfast.	It was difficult to concentrate in class before lunch.
(Answers will vary.)	You earned an “A” on a science test.
It is snowing.	(Answers will vary.)
(Answers will vary.)	Your bike tire is flat.
You missed practice.	(Answers will vary.)
(Answers will vary.)	A dog starts barking.
It’s an early-release day at school.	(Answers will vary.)
(Answers will vary.)	Your homework is late.