What is cause and effect?
Cause and effect is a critical thinking skill that demonstrates an understanding of a relationship between two or more events. Scientists study cause and event relationships all the time because events take place and generate observable patterns.
Cause – Why it happened
Effect – What happened
Why is it important to science?
Cause and effect are important in science because they allow students to ask questions about what causes patterns they observe. When starting a unit that follows the Next Generation Science Standards, you may begin with phenomena. Students can use the Crosscutting skill of cause and effect to determine how or why the phenomena occur and whether there are patterns to observe.
Patterns should be studied to see if they repeat. Repeated patterns will determine if a cause and effect relationship or different factors cause something to happen.
How to find causal relationships in science?
Experiments and models are devised and set up to test and determine a cause and effect relationship in science. Then scientists collect evidence to prove their theories. Often, this takes time.
When students are planning and carrying out their investigation in science, they are likely addressing the skill of cause and effect. In younger grades, this may involve students doing something and then watching what happens. (Think: push the domino, they all fall). Later on, as students get older, they will design experiments to see if one parameter is altered and change the final result (Think: if more force is applied).
Looking at the NGSS Cause and Effect chart below, you can see how this skill will expand as the students move further into their educational careers.
How to Teach Cause and Effect in the Classroom?
When teaching cause and effect in the classroom, keep in mind the following:
Cause: Why it happened
Effect: What happened
Identifying signal words:
The following words can help to identify a cause and effect relationship:
- So
- Because
- Since
- If… then…
- Therefore
- This led to
- Reason why
- As a result
- Effect of
- May be able to
- Consequently
- For this reason
These words and phrases can help students to identify a relationship, or they can be used to explain a scientific connection.
When trying to identify a relationship, it is also helpful to ask questions. Students (and teachers) should ask, “What causes the patterns they observe?”
Think about:
- How and why phenomena occur?
- Are the patterns conditional?
How to Introduce this Skill to Your Science Class:
Cause and effect is a critical thinking skill that we use in our lives all the time. When introducing this topic, I like to point this out to my students. Here are some scenarios and ideas to use in your classroom:
- Weather forecasts: Weather forecasts can determine the clothes we decide to wear before leaving the house or if we will need to bring an umbrella.
- Pictures: The saying that pictures are worth 1,000 words is true! Use photos to help all learners begin to internalize these skills. Students can make predictions about causes that happen to make each picture happen. Click here for a collection of pictures that use to elicit a classroom discussion with my students.
- Finding cause and effect in picture books: This free activity will have students find and illustrate cause and effect in reading class. It can be used with any picture book and will further integrate literacy skills in your science classroom.
- Sentence strips: Write different causes on sentence strips and have students find the effect they need to match.
Some Concepts to Teach Using Cause and Effect:
Weather:
Natural disasters lead to a wonderful conversation about cause and effect. Students can identify causes that lead to a natural disaster, with the disaster being the effect.
Another way to integrate this skill into this science concept is to discuss how a natural hazard will affect an area.
Acids and Bases:
Acids and bases are other units that can easily integrate the NGSS Crosscutting Skill of cause and effect. Through an experiment, students can see that as they add a base to an acid, it will weaken in strength and become less acidic, moving toward a neutral substance. If a stronger acid is added, the substance will become more acidic.
Plants:
Force and Motion:
Chemical and Physical Changes:
In addition to using the skill of cause and effect in your science classroom, teach students how to compare and contrast. This literacy skill will allow students to find similarities and differences between different science concepts. Please read about how I teach this skill in my classroom.