Grade
Skill/Strategy:
4
Unit
6
Week
1
Cause Effect/Answer Questions
Review: The effect is what happens. The cause is why it happens.. Clue words such as because, so,
therefore, and as a result can signal causes and effects. Sometimes one effect becomes the
cause of another effect, which causes another, and so on. This is called a chain of events.
Good readers can answer questions about what they read. Sometimes the answer to a
question will be in one place in the text. Sometimes it will be in several places. Sometimes you
must combine what you read with what you already know. As you read, look for causes and
effects. Answer the questions "What happened?" and "Why did it happen?"
Reading Street Grade 5 Unit 6, page 638
Part A: Cause & Effect
EQ: How can I find the missing part in a cause and effect relationship?
Materials: A Class of One, blank paper
Read this text with students, and discuss these cause-effect relationships. Then, model for students
how to create a cause-effect graphic organizer to organize these facts.
cause: Ms. Henry had no children of her
own, and Ruby was a smart, brave child.
effect: Barbara Henry thought of Ruby as
her child.
cause: Ms. Henry was willing to be kind to
Ruby and teach her when no one else
wanted to.
effect: other teachers were unkind to Ms.
Henry and would not even talk to her.
cause: Some teachers did not want to
transfer to another school.
effect: Those teachers just sat around in a
classroom all day, and did not do any work.
cause:
effect: Ms. Henry could not tell anyone
where she was teaching.
cause: Some people were used to
behaving in a certain way, and were afraid
to change.
cause:
effect:
effect: Children today can be inspired and
to believe they, too, can do important
things.
A Class of One
An excerpt from Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges
In 1960 the New Orleans, Louisiana school district is forced to integrate the public schools. Every day
federal marshals escort Ruby, the first and only African American in attendance, to and from Mrs.
Henry's class at William Frantz Elementary School to protect her from angry segregationists
demonstrating outside.
My name is Barbara Henry and I was Ruby's first grade teacher. I recall Ruby as a smart,
sensitive person. It was a joy to go to school each day and to have her as—well—my child. I was
newly married and had no children of my own at that time, and I think Ruby became "my child"! She
was sweet, beautiful, and so brave. It was such an anxious time, and I often wondered how that little
girl could come to school each day and be as relaxed and trusting as she was.
Ruby and I were both treated as unwelcome outsiders. When I went to the teachers' lounge at
lunchtime, the other teachers at first ignored me or made unpleasant remarks about the fact that I
was willing to teach a black child.
When I discovered how the other teachers were spending their time, I was appalled. Quite by
accident one day, I came upon a classroom—the long-hidden other first grade—and discovered three
white students talking among themselves. Their teacher was listening to the radio. Other teachers sat
through the day with no students at all. They had been given the option of transferring to other
schools, but they preferred a year of not-teaching.
Outside of school, I was forced to become secretive. I wasn't allowed to be in contact with Ruby's
family or even to know where they lived. My husband was in total sympathy with what I was doing,
but there were very few other people who even knew where I was teaching. I didn't tell anybody
because I wasn't sure who could be trusted. It was a dangerous time.
To help Ruby, I tried to explain integration more than once, but I'm not sure she understood. I told
her that white people in the South had gotten used to living a certain way and that they were having
trouble changing. I said people become afraid of anyone whom they think is really different from
them. I wanted Ruby to know that none of the integration problem was her fault. I told her she was a
wonderful and special person. I told her the other children would come back to school eventually.
Ruby never complained, but I knew she was lonely.
Nowadays, when I'm invited into schools to talk about that year, I find that Ruby's story so inspires
children. They feel they finally have a hero who is like them. Ruby's story allows children to feel they,
too, can do very important things and they, too, can be heroes. For me, it's a pleasure to remember
back. Ruby was a star. I was proud of her then, and I still am.
Part B: Word Study -cian, -tian, -cious, -tious
EQ: How many more words can I read if I just learn a few word endings?
Materials: Word Cards, white boards (optional)
In the main selection, the author tells us that M.L.’s father enjoyed music and singing so much that he
could have been a musician. Words with an ending of -cian, -tian, -cious, and -tious are often
challenging words to read. Let’s practice words of this type.
-cian -tian say “shun”
-cious -tious say “shus”
Ask students to sort the words into four columns based on the ending sounds. Then, help students to
read the words all together (one column at a time), and then with a partner. Ask students to
write the word or hold up the word card that matches each riddle.
musician
dalmatian
gracious
spacious
scrumptious
martian
magician
delicious
luscious
ambitious
superstitious
mathematician
technician
ferocious
precious
nutritious
electrician
1. I can be found on a fire engine, and I have black and white spots. What am I? Dalmation
2. I am a word that describes my Aunt Nora’s double chocolate brownies. What am I? scrumptious,
luscious, delicious
3. I am the person who comes when your lights and appliances don’t work. Who am I? electrician
4. I am the kind of food you should eat to be healthy and strong. What am I? nutritious
5. I am used to describe a person who uses good manners and always says “please” and “thank
you”. What am I? gracious
6. I am a person who knows a lot about numbers and calculations. Who am I? mathematician
7. I am a person who can pull a coin out of behind your ear and can make a dollar disappear. Who
am I? magician
8. I can be used to describe a lion or a bear. What am I? ferocious
9. I can be used to describe a large open place or even a bedroom with a lot of space. What am I?
spacious
10. I am used to describe sayings like “a black cat crossing in front of you causes bad luck” or “13 is
an unlucky number”. What am I? superstitious
11. Your ambitions are what you hope and dream about. This word describes a person who is
working hard for their goals. What is it? ambitious
12. I am a person from outer space. Who am I? martian
13. I am a person who fixes things like computers and air conditioning units and other things like that.
I work with lots of little wires and circuits. Who am I? technician
14. I am a word used to describe really special and important things like a baby or a favorite statue.
What am I? precious
Part C: Do this after the story has been read in class.
EQ: How can I find cause and effect relationships when I am reading?
Materials: Reading Street text, cause and effect frames cut from construction paper magnets or
tape on the back to stick to the board; students can write the cause and effect inside the frame
Read a paragraph or two as indicated below, and then ask students to identify a cause and effect
relationship. Remind students to look for clue words such as because, so, therefore, as a result.
Write these in cause and effect frames. (You may want to invite students up to the board or chart
tablet to create GOs for the class, or you may want each student to create his or her own.)
Usually it helps to keep the Cause-Effect in the same order on the chart. Students can use the
word SO between the cause and effect.
p. 645 P1 – Martin was called M.L. because his dad had the same name.
p. 646 P2 – People would scream in fright when we dangled grandmother’s real-looking fur in front of
them.
p.646 P3 – ML and AD didn’t want to practice so they loosened the legs on the piano bench
(cause&effect). Mr. Mann crashed down on the floor.
p. 648 P1 – Some people were captured in far-off Africa and brought to America as slaves because
there were unfair laws that kept black people separate.
p. 649 whole page – All the kids, white and black, player together because they never even thought
of NOT playing together.
p. 651 P1-3 – Black people and white people had different parks, museums and restaurants because
some people did not understand that everyone is the same.
p. 653-4 last sentence - ML turned the world upside down because he noticed that there were so
many things that were wrong.
CAUSE
EFFECT
He noticed many
things were wrong.
SO
ML turned the world
upside down.
Part B
musician
magician
technician
dalmatian
delicious
ferocious
gracious
luscious
precious
spacious
ambitious
nutritious
scrumptious superstitious
martian
mathematician
electrician