Identifying Cause and Effect in Biographies
I.
Strategy:
Identifying Cause and Effect in Biographies
II.
Type of Strategy:
Text Structure: Cause and Effect
III.
Type of Text:
Nonfiction
IV.
Grade Level:
9 – 12
V.
Type of Learner:
Intensive, Strategic, Proficient, Advanced
VI.
Purpose of Using Strategy:
Student identifies a series of key cause-and-effect relationships that have an
impact on the life of a biographical subject.
VII.
Steps:
1. Teacher questions students to determine how they might learn more about
specific historical figures. After students have their ideas, introduce the term
biography. Link the term to the ideas students have expressed to clarify the
meaning of biography (story of a real person’s life), biographer (person who
has written the story about another person’s life) and biographical subject
(person the biography is about).
2. Teacher discusses why a person might become the subject of a biography,
what kind of information the biographer might include, and how the
biographer might organize information for the reader.
3. Teacher explains the events that happen in a person’s life may have important
consequences or effects. Teacher shares an example of something that
happened in his/her life and the important consequence. Invite students (in
groups of 4) to share events and consequences from their lives.
4. Teacher leads a preview of the biography and the portion of the text that
students will read. Guide students to read the title, the front and back covers,
and the table of contents; skim the headings and bold face type in the section
they are about to read; and examine pictures, captions, and any other visual
support. (Text Features)
5. Students preview the text. Ask them to select information regarding key
events in the biographical subject’s life to make predictions about what they
will learn about the subject or to ask questions they think will be answered in
the section of text they will read. During the preview, focus students on events
in the person’s life and the possible effects or consequences of these events.
6. Teacher explains to students to read text to identify the events that caused a
specific effect or consequence in the life of the biographical subject. Show
students the cause/effect graphic organizer. An effect/consequence section is
completed.
7. Teacher reads the effect/consequence section to the students, and asks them
to read silently the assigned portion of the text, focusing their attention on key
events in the person’s life that contributed to the identified
effect/consequence.
8. Students use RallyRobin (A shares, B shares, etc.) to share the events they
think contributed to the identified effect. Record the information in the
causes/events portion of the organizer (see Attachment). There may be more
than one event leading to a particular consequence/effect.
9. If there is a second important pair of cause/effect relationships in the portion
of the biography students have read, lead students in completing a second
portion of the cause/effect graphic organizer. Students again share the events
that they think contributed to the identified effect as you record the
information in the causes/events box.
10. Over the course of reading the biography, guide students to identify a series of
cause/effect relationships, and model how to record the information on the
graphic organizer.
11. After reading the biography, students, in pairs using the RallyRobin
structure, to review the series of cause/effect relationships they have recorded
on the class graphic organizer. Partner A shares cause and effect. Partner B
listens and affirms. Partner B shares cause and effect. Partner A listens and
affirms.
12. Individually use the information to construct an overarching statement that
identifies an essential cause/effect relationship at the core of the life of the
biographical subject.
13. Individually write the statement on large print on chart paper and create a
border of visual representations of the subject’s life. Post their representations
in the room.
VIII. Tips:
1. Use a variety of cause and effect maps.
IX.
Resources:
Honig, I., Diamond, L., Gutlohn, L., & Cole, C. L. (2008). Teaching reading
sourcebook. High Noon Books.
Attachment
Cause-and-Effect Chain
Cause
Effect
Cause
Cause
Effect
Effect
Cause
Effect