Cause and Effect in Nonfiction
A Grade 3 ELA worksheet focused on identifying cause and effect relationships in nonfiction texts.
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Cause and Effect in Nonfiction
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Read the passages carefully. Identify the cause (why something happened) and the effect (what happened).
Why Do Leaves Change Color?
In autumn, many trees change their leaf colors from green to red, orange, or yellow. This happens because the days get shorter and there is less sunlight. When there is less sunlight, the trees stop making chlorophyll, which is the green stuff in leaves. As the green fades away, the other colors, which were always there but hidden, begin to show.
1. Cause: The days get and there is less .
Effect: Trees stop making .
2. Cause: Trees stop making chlorophyll.
Effect: The green color from the leaves, and other colors .
Why Do Bears Hibernate?
When winter comes, food becomes very hard to find for many animals. Bears prepare for this by eating a lot of food all summer and fall to gain weight. Because there is not enough food and the weather gets very cold, bears go into a deep sleep called hibernation. During hibernation, their bodies use the fat they stored to stay alive.
3. What is the cause of bears going into hibernation?
4. What is the effect of bears eating a lot of food in the summer and fall?
5. A plant did not get enough water. What is the most likely effect?
The plant grew very tall.
The plant wilted and turned brown.
The plant made more flowers.
The plant looked very healthy.
6. It rained all day yesterday. What was a possible effect?
The sun was shining.
The ground was dry.
There were puddles outside.
The temperature was very hot.
7. If you study hard for a test, the effect will always be a good grade.
True
False
8. A cause is why something happens, and an effect is what happens.
True
False