Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Marzano Lesson "Cause and Effect"
Before CRTs, I introduced the concept of cause/effect with students by first showing them a necktie which I cut into shreds. I asked students what they thought could have happened to the tie. They came up with all sorts of wacky ideas (paper shredder, scissors, shark attack, etc.) After that, I gave the kids several different scenarios in which they were given an outcome (effect) such as a student walking out of shop class with a cut finger, or a cook running out of the kitchen with a burned hand. They then had to brainstorm possible causes. They came up with some good ideas. Finally I led them in a discussion of the effects of humans on the environment. We talked about global warming, deforestation, burning fossil fuels, etc. Then we completed a graphic organizer listing human causes and effects on the environment. They had to write an essay using the ideas listed on the graphic. After reading the essays, it was evident that they applied what they had learned about cause and effect in their writing.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is a fantastic idea that I'd like to use in my high school history and government classes. I'm constantly talking about cause and effect though I may not say it in those exact words. I'm always talking about history, events, and phenomena as a pendulum. If it swings hard one way, it's going to have to come back. To every action, there's a reaction. For example, the wave of conservatism of the 80s came, partly, as a result of the radical social movements of the 60s and 70s. The anti-immigration and anti-intellectual movements of the 20s came as a result of rapidly changes social mores. One of the most difficult tasks I have as a history teacher is to show my kids that events don't happen in a vacuum- that there is a cause and effect relationship to all things. I will definitely use this strategy to send that message!
ReplyDelete