Read Write Think is an amazing Website that gives you some awesome lessons that you could do with your children. The unfortunate things is we are an Imagine It School so we have to do what is dictated to us so we do not get the freedom that we would really like.
The lesson that I chose was “The Day Jimmy’s Boa Taught Cause and Effect”. Cause and Effect is a skill that my students have a harder time understanding so I think that this lesson would be a great lesson to try. This lesson is taught over 4 lessons, designed to do a lot of modeling, then slowly allowing the students to go onto their own to create their own cause and effect book.
In the first session after reading The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash the teacher will ask the students what happened and why each event happened. The teacher will then list some of the events of the story. The teacher will ask, “what caused these events?” and add these to the chart paper before the events. The teacher will then introduce cause and effect and explain what it is. The teacher will model how to draw a cause and effect picture and the students will pick any event and draw the cause and effect.
On Day 2 as a class, they will review the book and introduce Jimmy’s Boa and the Big Splash Birthday Bash. The teacher will read the story to the students, making sure that they can see the pictures. While reading book the teacher will ask students the cause of each book making sure you use the word cause. They will then review events using cause and effects. The students will complete a puzzle of events by having students illustrate before they put the puzzle together. Once the students finish as a class, they will figure out who has the cause and who has effect.
In session 3 the teacher will introduce Jimmy’s Boa Bounces Back. Teacher will read story ask about cause and effect. They will discuss whether events in story are real or make-believe. They will then review cause and effects and discuss in real-life examples. The teacher will list examples on the board and the students will complete a flow chart that shows the order in which things happen.
In session four the teacher will read Jimmy’s Boa and the Bungee Jump Slam Dunk. While reading the story the teacher will ask students the cause and effects. The teacher will explain that each book was about a girl coming home and explaining her game. The students will create a story to tell their parents or friends. The teacher and students will brainstorm a list of possible ideas on the board and begin their rough draft. On day 5, after looking over their rough drafts, the students will complete their rough draft and do their final draft of the book. The teacher will model how to write sentences explaining the pictures and then go back to add the illustrations.
This is a great lesson to do for teaching cause and effect. I loved how they used many stories from the same series and all of the stories had the same elements to them. I think that this lesson would work very well for my students. I would love to try this and I am anxious to know if they will be able to succeed in learning about cause and effect.
Natalie Enns