How to write a .k12.or.us



How to write a cause and effect paragraph!Describing the causes and effects of an event is a key skill in studying history and society. Descriptions of cause and effect allow us to tie together events in meaningful ways, to tell the story of the event. This makes a cause and effect paragraph look very similar to a shortened narrative, with a context statement that acts as exposition, a description of the build-up which act as our rising action, a turning point which acts as our climax, and a conclusion that acts as our resolution.Like all paragraphs in middle school, compare/contrast paragraphs have a format which includes a topic sentence, supporting details and a concluding sentence.Context statement – The topic sentence of a cause and effect paragraph should introduce the reader to the setting (when and where), the characters (who), and should foreshadow the change that takes place (what are things like before, and what are they like after, and why).Example: Prior to 1763 people living in the thirteen American colonies thought of themselves as British citizens, but a series of laws and actions by the British government eventually led them to rebel.When, where and whoPrior to 1763 people living in the thirteen American colonies…Before…thought of themselves as British citizens…After/why…but a series of laws and actions by the British government eventually led them to rebel.Build-up – The initial supporting details should describe at least 2 events that helped cause the change.Example 1: Some colonists became frustrated after the passage of the Stamp Act, which forced colonists to pay for a stamp placed on any product that used paper.Example 2: Colonists in Boston became especially displeased when British soldiers fired into a crowd of protesting Patriots in an event called the Boston Massacre.Turning point – The final supporting detail should be the moment that led directly to the change. Example: Following the upheaval in Boston, the British enacted a series of laws so strict that colonists began to call them the Intolerable Acts, which caused tensions between the two sides to finally reach a breaking point.Concluding sentence – In our concluding sentence, finally describe the results of the change that took place.Example: This led to an armed conflict in the towns of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, in which British troops and Colonial troops fired on each other in the first battles of the American Revolution.Example ParagraphPrior to 1763 people living in the thirteen American colonies thought of themselves as British citizens, but a series of laws and actions by the British government eventually led them to rebel. Some colonists became frustrated after the passage of the Stamp Act, which forced colonists to pay for a stamp placed on any product that used paper. Colonists in Boston became especially displeased when British soldiers fired into a crowd of protesting Patriots in an event called the Boston Massacre. Following the upheaval in Boston, the British enacted a series of laws so strict that colonists began to call them the Intolerable Acts, which caused tensions between the two sides to finally reach a breaking point. This led to an armed conflict in the towns of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, in which British troops and Colonial troops fired on each other in the first battles of the American Revolution.Graphic Organizer!Context (What is the setting, who are the characters, and what is life like before and after the event)345122580010Second Build-up EventSecond Build-up Event97599593980First Build-up EventFirst Build-up Event388111936195001890395635001204595163195Turning Point!0Turning Point!323342013652597599573025Conclusion00Conclusion ................
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