Cause and Effect Reading Check

Please clear desks for a reading check on the chapter you read last class.

Hand in Questions on “Earth Without People”

Cause and Effect Essay

Questions?

Planning

1) Make chart of causes and effects Identify the specific relationships on that

chart 2) 3 options:

Discuss causes Discuss effects Discuss both (keep scope limited)

Thesis statement

Essay must present and support a particular thesis Ex: p. 328 (1st para.)

Thesis statement should: Identify the relationships among the

specific causes or effects you discuss Indicate the significance of the causes

or effects ARGUMENT

Thesis - example

Ex 1: Facebook revolutionized the way that people date. Not a thesis▪ Just an observation▪ Very general (not specific)

Thesis Statement

Ex 2: Facebook altered the way that people ask others to go on a date, and in effect made a task that was scarier in the past much easier and less socially awkward. Thesis▪ Specific▪ States the significance of an effect

Thesis statement

Thesis tells reader 3 things: 1) issues you plan to consider 2) position you will take on those issues 3) whether your emphasis is on causes,

effects, or both

Thesis Statement

May also explicitly or implicitly indicate the main cause or effect you will focus on

May include the order you will present your points

Arranging Causes and effects: Options 1) Chronological order

Be careful of post hoc reasoning! 2) Introduce main cause first, then

contributory (or do the opposite—save the best for last)

3) focus on positive consequences, briefly summarize negative (vice versa)

Arranging Causes and effects: Options 4) Dismiss any events that were not

causes Explain what the real causes were (helps to

avoid post hoc reasoning) 5) Begin with most obvious causes or

effects Move to the more subtle causes or effects

Transitions – distinguish causes from effects

The first cause, The second cause, One result, Another result,

Transitions – show causal relationships Main cause =

Most important Contributory causes =

Least important/Another causeI.e. Hartford Roof CollapseMain cause: Roof DesignContributory cause: Weight of Snow

Transitions – show causal relationships Immediate cause =

Closely precedes the effect; most obvious Remote cause =

Less obvious; possibly in the past or far away

i.e. Hartford Roof Collapse: Immediate cause: Weight of Snow (straw

that broke the camel’s back)Remote causes: Roof design, improper

maintenance, etc.

Structure

Let’s take a look at the student’s example in your Patterns textbook:

Pg 333: The Irish Famine

How is it organized?

Structure

The Irish FamineIntroduction: (Thesis statement)1st Cause: Failure of Crop2nd Cause: Landlord-tenant system3rd Cause: Failures of government

policy4th Cause: British prejudiceResults of the famineConclusion, more nuanced

Structure

In this essay, all causes are seen as important and interrelated.

Evelyn starts with immediate cause of the famine: failure of potato crop.

Ends with most remote cause: British Prejudice

Structure

This was an answer to an exam question. Hence, it could be improved:

1. More interesting opening (eyewitness account of famine’s effects. Quote from A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift)

2. Her conclusion could have been developed further, pointing towards the nation’s eventual recovery. Or commenting further on the enrichment of other nations alluded to at the end of the conclusion.

3. Body paragraphs could have included supporting statistics/quotes from historians/or a brief history of Ireland before the Famine.

Assignment Revision

1. Pick Topic, Cause and/or Effect Focus, and write a prelimary thesis for next Class (3/06) or next time we see each other

2. Essay Due Date Extended: Monday 3/16 or next corresponding class!

3. We will be watching a Documentary Food, Inc. for the next couple of classes…

4. Ishmael to begin after that…(Late Next Week or earlt the week after that!)