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Explain a Chain of Causes is a free printable Grade 4 English worksheet on putting a causal chain in the right order, aligned to Common Core standard W.4.2. It prints 2 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two pupils in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.

Set 17 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Explain a Chain of Causes

W.4.2

NameDate

Number the boxes to show the right order.

1.Number these to show how a beaver dam builds wet ground.
  • The water behind the dam slows.
  • Rich wet ground builds up over years.
  • The ground holds water in a drought.
  • The beaver dams the river.
  • Slow water drops the silt it carries.
2.Number these to show the chain of effects in Yellowstone.
  • Elk stop lingering on open valley floors.
  • Beavers return and build dams.
  • Wolves are reintroduced in 1995.
  • Roots hold the banks and the rivers narrow.
  • Willow and aspen grow back along the rivers.

LessonPrint · W.4.2 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Explain a Chain of Causes

Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.Correct order: 4, 1, 5, 2, 3
  2. 2.Correct order: 3, 1, 5, 2, 4

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to W.4.2 of the Common Core State Standards for English language arts.