1. Cause and Effect Chapter 10

2. A process essay describes HOW something happened
A process essay describes HOW something happened. A cause and effect essay analyzes WHY something happens.

4. Why is Phil a Spartan. What caused him to be admitted to MSU
Why is Phil a Spartan? What caused him to be admitted to MSU? What was the effect of earning admittance?

5. Cause and effect essays can focus on a variety of causes and how those causes produce one effect. OR Cause and effect essays can focus on one cause and how it produces a variety of effects.

6. Read and be prepared to discuss “The Case of the Losing Team” and The Case of the Declining SAT Scores” on pages

7. Even if there are several causes, there is always one “main cause” and the others are considered contributory or less important. You must determine the “main cause” before you write a cause and effect essay!

8. Immediate Causes = closely precedes an effect and therefore is relatively easy to recognize. Remote Causes = Less obvious perhaps because it involves something in the past or far away

9. Causal Chain – when the effect can also be the cause
Causal Chain – when the effect can also be the cause. Think Hamlet – one action caused an effect, which caused another action, which produced another effect, etc

10. Avoid Post Hoc Reasoning You cannot assume that just because event A precedes event B that event A has caused event B. Example: I stubbed my toe this morning and as a result I haven’t been able to read any essays.

12. Reading Practice - Chapter 10 “Who Killed Benny Paret. ” – pg
Reading Practice - Chapter 10 “Who Killed Benny Paret?” – pg. 339 “The ‘Black Table’ Is Still There” – pg 349 “A Peaceful Woman Explains Why She Carries a Gun” – pg 354

13. Cause and Effect Practice Use a cause and effect graphic organizer to show the causes and effects of the three assigned reading selections. Due at the end of the hour.