Topic 2

Reading Skills
Identify causes, effects and values from text

?
 How to Find Cause and Effect in a Reading Selection

Cause and Effect

Cause and effect structures can be used
to describe how an action takes place.

How to find cause and effect

When a news article or other informational text
is written using the cause and effect
organizational structure, it explains the ripple
effects of what happened and why. Signal
words and phrases are used within the
informational text to clue the reader in that the
cause/effect structure is being used.
 Signal Words and
● For this reason
Phrases
● Therefore
● As a result
● Thus
● Since
● Due to
● Consequently
● Because
● May be due to
● This led to
● On account of
 Signal Words and
Phrases
It's also important to note that:

● The cause and effect structure is not always written in

sequential order.
● Scholarly journal articles, news articles, or expository essays
can also analyze why something happens.
● The author can choose to focus more on causes than
effects, vice versa, or he or she can decide to fully examine
both.
 Example of Cause and Effect
excerpts from a New York Times article written by Ritchie S.
King entitled 'After Lean Acorn Crop in Northeast, Even People
May Feel the Effects.'
EXCERPTS 1

Coming on the heels of an acorn glut,

the dearth this year will probably Notice that signal words, such as
have a cascade of effects on the
forest ecosystem, culling the 'effects' and 'because' were
populations of squirrels, field mice used? Also, the effects or results
and ground-nesting birds. And
because the now-overgrown field were described in detail, pointing
mouse population will crash, legions to the cause/effect structure.
of ticks - some infested with Lyme
disease - will be aggressively
pursuing new hosts, like humans.
 Example of Cause and Effect
excerpts from a New York Times article written by Ritchie S.
King entitled 'After Lean Acorn Crop in Northeast, Even People
May Feel the Effects.'
EXCERPTS 2
In this section, Ritchie discusses
While scientists do not fully understand why this year possible causes for this acorn
has produced the lowest acorn crop in 20 years of
shortage by using signaling
monitoring. . . Fingers are not being pointed at global
warming. . . One theory for why oak trees vary their phrases, like 'why this year,'
acorn yield is the so-called predator satiation 'fingers are not being pointed,'
hypothesis. Under this theory, during bumper years, the
and 'could also be playing a role.'
trees litter the forest floor with seeds so completely
that squirrels, jays, deer and bears cannot possibly eat We see that Ritchie discusses why
them all. Then, in off years, the trees ramp down there is an acorn shortage (the
production to keep the predator populations from
growing too large to be satiated. . . But the variability of
cause) and the ripple effects of
weather in New York and New England could also be this shortage.
playing a role in the shortage this year.
 EXPRESSING VALUES
What is values?
Values refer to those beliefs that are
closely tied to your perspective of what
is right or wrong. As such, a particular
value is often informed by multiple ideas
on a certain aspect of human life. In
weighing the causes and effects, we also
consider ethics, values, and morals. Will
an idea or plan promote things we like or
value? Will it discourage things we dislike
or fear?
 EXPRESSING
VALUES
Things we want Things we want
to to
encourage, promote, Discourage, prevent,
increase decrease
● good health ● new ● violence ● vanity
● wealth experiences ● crime ● laziness
● freedom ● justice ● fatigue ● dishonesty
● free ● self control ● disease ● self-
time/recreation ● trust ● pain centeredness
● taking ● loyalty ● poverty ● rudeness
responsibility ● generosity ● favoritism ● irresponsible
● fairness ● friendliness ● injustice behaviour
● learning ● politeness / ● greed ● immoral
● security civility ● narcissism behaviour
● beauty ● cooperation ● decay and ● environmental
● knowledge ● bravery ugliness damage
● amusement and ● jealousy ● loss of tradition
fun
Pop Quiz!
Scan
the QR code

Or
go to

wordwall.net/resource/29270923

and complete the quiz in 5 minutes