8 Cause and Effect Anchor Chart Ideas

This interactive anchor chart starts with an interesting photo that displays a possible effect.  Write out the effect, and then have students help you come up with possible causes!

This would also make a fun small group activity.  Give each small group chart paper with a photo on it.  Have groups work together to list out possible causes.

And of course, you could switch it around - include a photo with a cause, and have students come up with a variety of possible effects!

A definition, photo examples, a chain, and more - this anchor chart has a little of everything!

I like the idea of doing some sort of cause and effect chain activity and then including it in the anchor chart to help keep that activity top of mind for upper elementary students.

Another interactive cause and effect anchor chart - make a list of possible causes on your chart paper, and then have students brainstorm effects on one of these fun Post-Its.  Add these effects to the anchor chart as you discuss them as a class.

Of course, you could also switch it up and list possible effects, while having students come up with possible causes.

Read Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day together and use examples from the book to introduce your students to cause and effect!

This cause and effect anchor chart would be helpful when first introducing cause and effect.  It includes a simple definition, signal words, and an example.  It's a printable resource, but it would be easily duplicated with chart paper and fun markers.

Or, get the printable version as part of a larger resource that helps you scaffold your cause and effect lessons.

Help your 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students understand how cause and effect relate to other informational text structures with this anchor chart as a model.  While this wouldn't be ideal for students who are just learning about cause and effect, more advanced learners will benefit from seeing the bigger picture.

Since I am artistically challenged, I would have to leave out all of the beautiful illustrations on this anchor chart.  But the examples and explanations are easily replicated!

I particularly like that this anchor chart explicitly shows that one cause can have multiple effects and vice versa.

It also explicitly teaches that sometimes the cause comes first in a text, while other times the effect can come first.

Students who benefit from this anchor chart might also benefit from extra practice with these cause and effect games ideas.

This practical cause and effect anchor chart provides examples of what students might see in real text.  The sentence frames can be used to help students write their own cause and effect sentences, or to remind them that sometimes causes come first in the text, while other times the effect comes first!

Sentence frames like this can also be helpful for teaching students how to write comparing and contrasting paragraphs and essays.