Cause and Effect1

Te Whāinga
This activity helps students to reflect on a text and to select, organise and use relevant information for a
specific purpose.
Ngā Rautaki Whakaaro
Processing and reflecting knowledge, constructing meaning.
He Kupu Matua mō te Mahi
Reo tū hono i te take me te pānga, whakamārama, whakaahua, tīpako, whiriwhiri.
Te Mahi
Students read a narrative text and identify how the action of one of the characters leads to a reaction by
another. It is a good option to start with a story that all the students are familiar with. This activity requires
students to focus on story structure so it is important that students have been given lots of opportunity to talk
about the basic structure of narratives through shared reading and oral language activities. Initially, allow
students to work with a partner until they become familiar with this activity.
He Rauemi Tautoko
 A copy of a narrative text for the teacher and one for each student.
 A copy of the cause and effect chart for each student (see example of this chart below).

Te Ara Tohutohu
1. After shared reading of the text together, discuss and identify the main events or episodes of the story.
2. Identify how the action of one of the characters leads to a reaction by another.
3. Discuss the parts of the cause and effect chart and together fill out the Mahi 1 column.
4. When students have filled in their cause and effect charts have them share them in a group.
5. Come together as a class or group and ask some students to share their charts.

Hei tauira:
Te Take me te Pānga2

Mahi 1 Mahi 2 Mahi 3

Ko Wai? Rona Rona Rona
I hea? Tō na whare Te ara Te ara
Inahea? Waenganui pō Waenganui pō Waenganui pō
I aha? Ka oho āna tamariki, a, ka Ka haere a Rona ki te manga Ka huna te marama ki muri i
hiainu rātou tētahi kapua
Te Raruraru Kāore he wai i roto i te tahā He whāiti, he kō pikopiko te Kua pouri katoa te ara whāiti
ara, he pō uriuri
Te Pānga Ka haere a Rona ki te manga ki I whitingia te ara e te marama, Ka tūtuki ngā waewae o Rona
te tiki wai he māmā te haere a Rona ki ngā pakiaka nunui o ngā
rākau

1 Adapted from Education Department of Western Australia (1996, p. 100).

2 Note that this chart contains only three events from the beginning of the narrative. A cause and effect chart may contain as many
columns as needed.