Transcript Cause and Effect Essay

Cause and Effect Essay
This Essay explores the
relationship between events that
occur and the outcome.
There are several ways to develop
a Cause and Effect Essay:
• You can show several causes that will
lead up to one or more effects (results)
• You can show an equal amount of causes
and effects.
(I mention these because they may come up
in other courses for other Essays)
We will use the One Cause/
Three Effects Method for this
Essay
C/E Components
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This Essay will be written in Formal Tone
The Length will be 3-4 pages.
There will be 7 or more paragraphs
You must include the Background
statement as well as at least one
expansion paragraph.(2 new paragraphs)
• MLA style for secondary or library sources.
One Cause/Three Effects
• Remember, the relationship between your
cause and the effects means that you are
looking at the after effects or the results
of some act that has occurred. Be sure
that you do not confuse the order of
events or the Essay will not follow the
proper logical train of thought for the
Essay.
An Example:
• Let’s say your Topic or Cause is WAR:
• Consider what happens as a result of war
or after war:
From a Brainstorming List I might include:
1.Physical Destruction
2. Demoralized citizens
3. Economic Strife
The Seven paragraph Essay
• The new aspects of the Essay:
– You will be adding at least two new
paragraphs to the basic 5 paragraph Essay
format
– The first is called the Background statement
paragraph and it should follow the
Introduction
Background Statement
• This paragraph discusses the background
of a topic. It might include:
– Historical background
– Discuss what makes it a controversial topic
– It might offer definitions and discuss important
people to the topic.
– It might also illustrate any other groundwork
necessary for helping your reader further
understand your topic.
Background Statement
Continued
Choose the element that might best serve
your Essay. An example:
– In the movie “The Kingdom” with Jamie Fox and Jennifer Garner,
the movie starts with a historical account of the Middle East in
approximately 1934. It discussed the new oil relationship with
Saudi Arabia and the United States. It continues to discuss the
main groups, people involved such as Osama Bin Laden,
companies (Aramco), and oil interests up to the present. This is
an example of a Background statement. It fills in all of the gaps
for the viewer.
Background Statement
Student Sample
• This war in Columbia against the Guerrillas was started
in 1964 after a couple of political wars occurred in the
1950’s and 1960’s. Many people say that it started when
political leader, Jorge Gaitan was killed in the 1960’s. At
this time, there was a big struggle with the two main
political groups. Jorge Gaitan was for poor people
getting more help, and wanted the rich people to pay
more taxes. At the time he was assassinated, Jorge
Gaitan was running for the presidency. It was highly
likely that he would have won the election. The Guerrillas
were formed when a couple of civil rights leaders said
they were fighting for the poor people of Colombia, their
rights, and against a politically corrupt Colombian
government that only cared about the rich.
Background Statement
Student Sample Continued
• Even though their main purpose began to help the poor,
Guerrillas now run the poor out of their regions and kill
them if they do not support their cause. Now to support
all their troops, they kidnap people for ransom, aid in the
distribution of illegal narcotics, and kill innocent people.
As a result, the war has an effect on Colombia’s
economy causing poverty, unemployment, and common
delinquency .
Expanding the Essay
• Since you will/are writing for other courses
that may require longer Essays, the best
way to expand a paper without becoming
disorganized is to expand one or more of
the Thesis ideas within the Essay.
– For Example: For the Demoralized Citizens
paragraph, I might expand that into to
paragraphs: One for Short term effects like
examples of Shock, Fear, Paranoia, Hysteria)
Expand the Essay
•
I would also create a New paragraph
over the Long term affects:
– (Examples of depression, increased use of
the drug Valium in Iraqi women, phobias,
anger, frustration, etc.)
Now there are two paragraphs under
Demoralized Citizens: the
1. Short term effects and
2. Long term effects
Expanding the Essay
• This tool of expansion can be used for as
many body paragraphs as you like to meet
the required length of the Essay you are
writing.
• For this Essay you are only required to
create one additional body paragraph and
one background paragraph.
Cause and Effect Con’t
• Remember your Effects create the body
paragraphs. For this topic I might include:
– Physical Destruction: Discussion of the
“Shock and Awe” campaign, Target strategies
in war, etc
– Demoralized Citizens: The immediate
reaction to war, the short term and long term
effects.
Continued
– Economic Strife: The economic effects for
the victims of war, countries fighting the war,
how it affects the world at large.
This is an idea of how to develop the Essay
Hint: Notice that I used 7 paragraphs. This
means that you should also expand at least
one body paragraph
Rough Outline of C/E Essay
• I. Introduction: Discusses
the current issues of the
topic. Discuss the cause.
What led to it?
• II. Background Statement
• III. Physical Destruction
– A. Shock and Awe
– B. Strategies for war
• IV.. Demoralized Citizens
– A. Short term effects
V. Long Term Effects )(new
para.)
• VI. Economic strife
• VII. Conclusion:
Predictions, Quotes, your
commentary,
interpretation of the
events so far.
Topic Suggestions
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The War in Iraq
Child Abuse
Elderly Abuse
Wealth
Poverty
Gas Prices
Voting Process
Teen Pregnancy
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Rape
Death of a Loved One
Global Warming
Positive Thinking
Debt
Stem Cell Research
Troubled Children
Privacy Issues
Ethnic Cleansing
More Topics
• Media’s influence
• Excessive sex,
violence in the media
• Alcoholism
• Drug Abuse
• Drug Sellers
• AIDS
• Anorexia/Bulimia
• Heart Disease
• Cyberbullying
• (Of course you can
choose your own
topic.)