Name__________________________________
Rough Draft Due____________________
Class Period___________________________
Final Draft Due_____________________
Expository Writing: Cause and Effect Essay / Worth 100 pts
You will be writing a cause and effect essay geared towards other teens about a topic of your
choice. Like any kind of journalism, this will involve research, organization, and some creative
thinking on your part. Look below for some research options or present your own researchable
idea to Mrs. Yee.
Some Ideas:
Cyber Bullying
Environmental Issues
Illegal Music Downloading
Healthy Eating
Dating
Cheating on Tests
Drugs/Alcohol
Exercise
Your final paper will be at least two pages long (one page and a little bit on the second does
NOT count as two pages.) You will follow the standard five paragraph essay format we learn in
class. That means that your essay will be at least five paragraphs long. It will be typed, double
spaced, size 12 Times New Roman font with 1 inch margins all around. You need to include
your name, date, and class period in the upper right hand corner and center the title of your paper
at the top of the page. You MUST cite all outside sources that you use using the MLA format
we learned when we did our Christmas Carol Research Project. You will include a separate
works cited page and parenthetical in text citations. Also, give your essay an interesting title!
You have a choice on how to turn in this essay. You can print it out and give it to me, “share” it
with me on Google Drive, or turn it in using your assignments folder on Google Drive. As long
as I get it on the due date, you get to choose how you hand it in.
The Rubric is attached!
Please fill out the rest of this assignment sheet and turn it in on your rough draft due date
with your rough draft.
Steps for writing an expository cause and effect essay
Step 1: Choose your research topic: _____________________________________________
Step 2: List as many causes and effects that are associated with your topic.
Example:
If I was researching why some people choose to have a pet while others do not, my
list of causes and effects might look something like this:
Causes for having a dog:
1. Desire for companionship
2. Compassion
3. You think they’re cute
4. You want something to take care of
Effects of having a dog:
1. More responsibility
2. Spending money
3. Use of time
4. Friendship
5. Happiness
My Topic Causes
My Topic Effects
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Step 3: Cause and effect essays generally emphasize one side or the other. Decide if you are
going to focus on the causes or the effects (circle one) of your topic.
Step 4: Choose your top three causes or effects. These will be the points you hit on in your
essay.
Top Three Causes/Effects
1._____________________________________________________
2._____________________________________________________
3._____________________________________________________
Step 5: Brainstorm how you can encourage your readers to make the proactive choice when they
come face-to-face with your topic. Remember there are two ways to respond in any situation:
proactively or reactively. Your goal is to help your reader consider different options before
making a choice.
For example, if I was writing about the effects of having a dog, my conclusion would
focus on ways someone can be proactive about making their choice:
It’s best not to adopt a dog based solely on the face that you think it is a cute
animal. A proactive way to make the decision would be to draw up an idea of how much
time and money would be involved for caring for the dog. If you are able to reach those
needs, and you think the dog would make you a happier person, it might be a good
choice. If you do not have the time or money, you should probably wait until you do.
Room for Brainstorming:
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Cause and Effect Essay Rubric
Ideas
/20
Organization
/20
Word Choice
/10
Sentence Fluency (varied sentence structures)
/10
Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation
/20
Works Cited Page
/10
In-text Parenthetical Citations
/10
TOTAL
/100
Remarks: