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LANGUAGE ARTS :: SECONDARY RESOURCES :: RIGHT DIRECTION 2 :: CAUSE AND EFFECT RESEARCH ESSAY

CAUSE AND EFFECT RESEARCH ESSAY

Planning Points

Approximate Time Needed: two weeks
Correlation to English I SCS 2.02, 3.01, 6.01, 6.02
Correlation to NC High School Exit Exam Competencies: C-2, C-3, C-7, PI-9, PI-11

Lesson Objectives:

Students will demonstrate synthesis of a controversial issue or a cultural topic by writing an essay that shows either the causes or the effects of the issue or topic according to the students' own knowledge and research gathered and analyzed. Students will also evaluate another student's writing according to an established rubric and students will evaluate their own writing as well.

Materials Needed:

None

Description:

  1. Students should first be introduced to the concept of cause and effect writing, such as when you explain causes, you try to show why something happens or has happened, and when you explain effects, you point out what happens, has happened, or will happen as a result of something else. Students need practice first. Take current situations and/or events (allow students to brainstorm these with you) and help students to explain why the event happened (its causes) and what resulted (its effects). Do this first as a class and then have pairs or groups brainstorm with their own event/situation and then present to the class. Identify which events and situations would be considered controversial and which ones would be considered cultural (see note below).
  2. Introduce students to the topic of this researched essay: Write an essay in which you identify an issue, a situation, or an event and explain its causes or its effects.
  3. Students should understand that their aims are to inform the neutral audience with convincing, logical detail. Here is a good time to discuss/ review how to support ideas with detail and why this is necessary.

    Prewriting Process:

    • Students should prewrite by brainstorming possible topics of interest.
    • Students should then analyze all of the possible causes and effects (or both) of these topics, considering not only the obvious causes or effects but also the hidden ones. Students should consider both positive and negative ones.
    • Students should then choose the topic they most want to research and inform an audience about.
    • Now students should begin gathering information and evidence. Evidence can come from facts, statistics, examples, anecdotes about the students' own experiences, opinions of experts, and interviews. Students need to identify what they already know and can support with concrete evidence. Research of their topic is now needed.
  4. Drafting:
    • Once students have gathered information and evidence, it is time to start drafting the essay. Here would be a good time to discuss with students the logical fallacies that should be avoided in their writing. Students cannot assume that because one event follows another, the first is the cause of the second. You may want to give students a list of logical fallacies and discuss how to avoid them.
    • Here is also a good time to review topic sentences and giving enough supporting and relevant detail within paragraphs.
    • Give students a guideline sheet (see attached) so that they can evaluate their drafts as they write.
  5. Evaluating student drafts:
    • Once students have finished drafts, they should evaluate the drafts of their peers. You can use and adapt the attached Peer Evaluation sheet for students to use as a rubric. You may want to have students evaluate two students' essays.
    • Before students see the completed peer evaluation forms, allow them to evaluate their own essays using the evaluation form as well.
    • Students should spend time reading and evaluating the comments written by their peers and then revise their essay accordingly.

Assessment:

Students can be assessed according to a teacher designed rubric that assigns point values to those elements that need to be present in the essay. These may include organization (thesis statement, topic sentences), the use of relevant and specific supporting details, correct quoting and paraphrasing, etc. Teachers need to make students aware of the elements of the essay that will be graded.

Additional Notes:

  • If students have not yet been taught research skills, this will need to be included. It may be more effective if those skills were part of an earlier unit.
  • You many need to spend more time with students on how to evaluate issues according to causes and effects. Make adjustments according to the needs of each class.
  • This unit will emphasize the effective writing skills of main idea, supporting details, coherence, and organization. Depending upon the skill level of each class, a review of these concepts may be needed.
  • Controversial issues are also a part of this unit but you may want to adapt this. You may want your students to focus on only controversial issues or only cultural topics (those related to music, fashion, fads, phenomena, etc). Sample controversial issues may be those dealing with environmental concerns, gun laws, the new driving restrictions, and the drinking age. Cultural topics may include why the clothing of the 60s is now popular again (causes), how September 11 changed our society (effects), or how "boy bands" are changing pop music (effects).

Teacher's Notes:

Cause and Effect Research Essay
Guideline Sheet

As you write your rough draft, evaluate your writing according to the following:

  1. Does the paper clearly describe the event or situation to be explained? (This should be in your introductory paragraph.)
    If not.....
    Add information     that clearly describes and identifies the event or situation. For an event, tell what happened. For a changing situation, explain the situation before the change and the change that occurred.
  2. Does the paper explain the causes or effects of the event of situation? (All body paragraphs)
    If not......
    Add descriptive details and information     to help the reader understand each cause or effect. For example, if you wrote that hundreds of teenagers die because of driving while drinking, you may want to explain how many have died and how alcohol plays a part in these accidents.
  3. Does the paper include clear, logical, evidence for each cause or effect? (All body paragraphs)
    If not......
    Add facts, quotations, and examples     to make your explanations more believable to your audience.
  4. Are the causes or effects effectively organized? Does the organization make the situation clear to the reader? (All body paragraphs)
    If not......
    You may want to put your causes or effects in order from most important to least important.
  5. Does the conclusion leave you feeling that the paper is complete?
    If not.....
    Be sure to recap what you have shown in your essay and end with your own statements about the importance of your topic. What is the last idea you want the reader to read before ending the paper?


Cause and Effect Research Essay
Peer Evaluation Form

Your name______________________________________________________

Name of the person's paper ________________________________________

  1. Read the introduction paragraph.

    Is a thesis given? ____________________
    Is enough background information given? _______________________
    Are three causes or three effects given? _________________________
    Are you interested? _______________ Explain your answer-why are you or why are you not interested?

  2. Write the topic or main idea of body paragraph one.
  3. After reading body paragraph one, are you convinced by the evidence given that this is truly a cause or truly an effect? Explain your answer and give suggestions for improvement.
  4. Write the topic or main idea of body paragraph two.
  5. After reading body paragraph two, are you convinced by the evidence given that this is truly a cause or truly an effect? Explain your answer and give suggestions for improvement.
  6. Write the topic or main idea for body paragraph three (if applicable)
  7. After reading body paragraph three, does the evidence given convince you that this is truly a cause or truly an effect? Explain your answer and give suggestions for improvement.
  8. Write the topic or main idea for body paragraph three (if applicable)
  9. After reading body paragraph three, does the evidence given convince you that this is truly a cause or truly an effect? Explain your answer and give suggestions for improvement.
  10. Read the conclusion.
    • Are the main points recapped in some way (but repeated again word for word)? ________________
    • Does the paragraph end with the students' own thoughts? _________________
    • Give suggestions.
  11. What are other strengths and weaknesses of this paper?
    • Strengths:
    • Weaknesses:

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