Unit Plan 28 (Grade 2 ELA): Cause & Effect and Idea Connections
Second graders become cause-and-effect detectives, learning how events and ideas connect using signal words like because, so, and then. They also practice asking thoughtful follow-up questions to clarify, deepen, and extend their understanding of informational texts.
Focus: Event/idea relationships; asking follow-up questions
Grade Level: 2
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Informational • Speaking/Listening)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
This week, students become cause-and-effect detectives. They will learn how one event or idea can lead to another (cause → effect), how steps connect in a process, and how to ask follow-up questions that clarify and deepen understanding after reading or listening.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Describe connections between events/ideas/steps using language like because, so, then, as a result (RI.2.3).
- Ask and answer who/what/where/when/why/how questions to show understanding of key details in a text (RI.2.1).
- Ask follow-up questions after listening to a speaker/read-aloud to clarify, gather more information, or deepen understanding (SL.2.3).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 2
- RI.2.3, RI.2.1, SL.2.3
Success Criteria — student language
- I can name a cause and its effect and tell how they connect.
- I can answer who/what/where/when/why/how about the text.
- I can ask a follow-up question that helps me understand more.
- I can use because/so/then to explain idea connections.