Cause and Effect 4th Grade

FUNDaField

When Garrett and Kyle were 15 and 13 years old, they went on a trip to Germany where they watched the World Cup Soccer game between Angola and Iran. They noticed how enthusiastic the Angolans were during the game. The people from the small country in Africa were jumping up and down, all dressed in red and white, and cheered loudly. During their trip, they met some of the fans from Angola and they told the boys how the kids from Angola didn't have many opportunities to play organized sports. When Garrett and Kyle went back home, they couldn't forget these stories they heard from the people, so they decided to start an organization to provide soccer fields and equipment for the children in Africa. They name their non-profit organization FUNDafield. Their charity has brought smiles to the faces of thousands of children who had never before had an opportunity to play. So far, FUNDafield has built five soccer fields in Africa and plans to build even more in the future.

The main reason Garrett and Kyle wanted to build soccer fields in Africa was to-

• help out a friend in need

• find a solution to their own problem

• provide opportunities for children to play sports

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.4

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

ManCan

Have you ever made fun of your sister for something girlie? Well, for 13 years old Hart Main, his teasing made him rich. Hart’s sister was selling scented candles for a school fundraiser, and Hart made fun of her girlie scented candles. He joked with her that she needed to create a more manly scent. Hart’s parents thought he had a great idea and encouraged him to begin a business, so he used $100 he had saved from his newspaper route and got started. Hart purchased the supplies online and used old soup cans as candle holders. He named the scents Coffee, New Mitt and Fresh Cut Grass. He decided to name his company ManCan. Interestingly, Hart’s company also helped people in need. He donates the soup inside the cans he uses to local soup kitchens before he cleans and uses them for his candles. His business became so large he had to rent a warehouse and hire five employees to help him run it. By 2011, he sold over 25,000 ManCans.

Hart's parents encouraged him to start a business because they-

• were too busy to help him

• believed he had a great idea

• wanted to punish him for making fun of his sister

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.3.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

Seahorses

Is a seahorse a fish? There has been a lot of debate with scientists over the years about this question, but hey have finally agreed that seahorses are actually fish, and there are a few reasons. Seahorses breathe using gills found on their head just like fish do. They also have a swim bladder, much like a gas-filled balloon, to control their buoyancy. Most fish are too heavy to float and sink to the ocean floor unless they are in constant motion. However, some fish, like seahorses, can fill their bladders if they want to float, or empty them if they want to sink. Although they do not have fins on their tails like most fish, they do have four other fins. They are located behind the cheeks, one under the belly, and one at the base of the tail.

Cause:________________ Effect: Most fish cannot float

Which sentence completes the diagram?

• Fish are too heavy.

• fish have a swim bladder.

• some fish breathe using gills.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.3

CCSS.RI.4.3

CCSS.RI.5.3

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.7.3

Pop-Tarts

Hundreds of years ago, people had to work hard to find, grow, and hunt for their food, but as cities and factories began to grow, convenience foods became popular. This is because convenience foods are packaged and ready to eat. One of the most popular convenience breakfast foods has to be the Pop-Tart. This small, rectangular, toaster pastry was first introduced by the Kellogg Company in 1964 and quickly became a hit. Their jelly-filled centers and crispy pastry crust is so popular that millions of boxes are sole every year all around the world. Pop-Tarts come in dozens of flavors, and sometimes, a special flavor is added, too.

Convenience foods, such as the Pop-Tart, became popular in recent years because-

• people hated having to hunt and grow their own food.

• they are quick and easy to eat.

• the pastries came in a variety of flavors.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.2

CCSS.RI.4.2

CCSS.RI.5.2

CCSS.RL.4.2

CCSS.RL.5.2

Hippos:

The name hippopotamus means river horse. That is probably why the hippo is right at home in the water. They spend up to 16 hours every day submerged in the waters of Africa. This helps keep them cool under the hot sun. Hippo’s are very graceful swimmers and can hold their breath for up to five minutes. Since their eyes, eras, and nostrils are on top of their heads, they can see, hear, and breathe while the rest of their bodies are submerged, or underwater. Since hippos are the third largest animal on Earth, staying underwater helps their body get a break from carrying all that weight. Females even give birth in the water. Hippo’s only leave the water to feed at night. They eat short grass for about six hours every night. When they leave the water, the hippo produces a red-colored substance to cool their hairless skin. This substance is called blood-sweat, but it is not actually blood or sweat.

Cause: Hippos leave the water sometimes Effect: ___________

What goes in the blank?

• they feed for 6 hours at night

• their bodies produce a substance to cool their skin

• they hold their breath for up to 5 minutes.

Tags

CCSS.RI.3.3

CCSS.RI.4.3

CCSS.RI.5.3

CCSS.RI.6.3

CCSS.RI.7.3