📖 ReadingGrade 5Lesson 13
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Explain cause and effect relationships

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Learning Objectives

  • 1Define cause as the reason and effect as the result
  • 2Identify signal words that link causes to effects
  • 3Explain how one event leads to another in a text
  • 4Trace cause-and-effect chains across multiple sentences
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Mini Lesson

Stories and articles are full of moments where one thing makes another thing happen. The first event is the CAUSE — the reason. The second event is the EFFECT — the result. Strong readers connect the two by asking, "Why did that happen?" and "What happened because of it?"

Signal words that point to cause and effect

  • Cause signal words — because, since, due to, the reason was
  • Effect signal words — so, therefore, as a result, consequently
  • Two-sided phrases — if ... then, when ... then
  • Order clue — the cause usually comes first in time, even if the sentence flips them

A simple routine to explain cause and effect

  1. Find an event in the text — name what happened
  2. Ask "why did it happen?" — that answer is the cause
  3. Ask "what happened because of it?" — that answer is the effect
  4. Look for a signal word that links the two
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Two events happening near each other in a story does NOT always mean one caused the other. Always check for a clear link or signal word before you connect them.

Cause and Effect ChainCause and Effect ChainCAUSEHeavy rain fellEFFECTThe river floodedCAUSEMaya forgot lunchEFFECTHer stomach growledCAUSESam practiced dailyEFFECTHe won the match
Signal Words to SpotSignal Words to SpotCAUSE wordsbecausesincedue toEFFECT wordssothereforeas a result
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Cause-and-effect chains can run long. One effect often becomes the cause of the next event. Track each link: A caused B, B caused C, C caused D.

Vocabulary
cause
The reason something happens.e.g. Heavy rain was the cause of the flood.
effect
The result that follows a cause.e.g. The flooded streets were an effect of the rain.
signal word
A word that points to a cause or effect, such as "because" or "so".e.g. "Therefore" is a signal word that introduces an effect.
cause-and-effect chain
A series where each effect becomes a cause for the next event.e.g. Rain — flooded river — closed bridge — long detour.
text evidence
A specific line from the text used to support a claim.e.g. He used text evidence to identify the cause.
explain
To make a connection clear, often using because and so.e.g. Explain how the storm changed the towns plans.
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