What Caused It, What Followed
A 55-minute Grade 5 lesson on separating causes from effects when two causes acted at once.
What Caused It, What Followed is a free 55-minute Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies lesson plan for Common Core standard D2.His.14.3-5 — explain the likely causes and effects of an event. It is timed across 5 sections, gives the exact wording to use where the wording carries the mathematics, names 3 misconceptions with the teaching move that addresses each, and ends with an exit ticket and a printable worksheet with its answer key.
- Grade:
- Grade 3 to Grade 5
- Length:
- 55 minutes
- Standard:
- D2.His.14.3-5
Grade 3 to Grade 5 · History
D2.His.14.3-5
Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments.
Objective
Students will be able to sort causes from effects and say why 'probable' is the precise word.
Students are successful when they can
- Sorts statements into cause and effect.
- Uses dates and mechanisms as checks.
- Explains why historians say probable rather than proved.
What you need
- Twelve statement cards
- The 2011 history's concession
- The printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan
The lesson
Warm-up — two causes, one shortfall
5 min- Read that shortages and the choice of builder are both offered as causes.
- Ask how you would tell which mattered more.
Teach — dates, mechanisms, and honesty
18 min- Sort three causes: destruction, shortages, the decision to build through councils.
- Sort three effects: 140,000 built, a waiting list of 11,600, a broadcast admission.
- First check: a cause must come before. Use the dated sources.
- Second check: name the mechanism. Bricks running short slows building. That is a mechanism.
- Now the hard case: both causes operated at once and no source separates them.
- Read the author's concession. She says so, and says it in the book.
- Name the word 'probable' and say why it is precise, not evasive.
“Did it come before, what is the mechanism, and can it be separated from the other cause?”
Guided practice — sort and test
17 min- Pairs sort twelve cards into cause and effect.
- They check four against the dated sources.
- Groups find a card that came after but was probably not caused by the programme.
Independent practice
12 min- Students complete the 'What Caused It, What Followed' page.
- Check the date and mechanism tests are being used.
Close
3 min- Ask what evidence would separate the two causes.
What goes wrong, and why
Each of these is a reasoning error rather than carelessness. The fix addresses the reasoning.
Treats anything later as an effect.
Why: Sequence looks like causation.
Fix: Name the mechanism. Without one it is coincidence.
Insists on one decisive cause.
Why: Single causes are tidier.
Fix: Two operated at once. Saying so is the accurate answer.
Reads 'probable' as a hedge.
Why: It sounds uncertain.
Fix: It states exactly how strong the evidence is. That is precision, not evasion.
If they are not there yet
- Six cards, three of each kind.
- Give the date and ask which side it falls on.
If they finish early
- Find an effect that became a cause of something else.
- Say which cause was necessary and which merely contributed.
- Design the evidence that would separate the two causes.
Exit ticket
Two causes are offered for the shortfall. Why do historians say 'probable' rather than 'proved'?
What to look for: Both operated at once and the evidence cannot separate them with certainty. Reading it as a hedge means the precision point has not landed.
Printable practice for D2.His.14.3-5
Free to print and copy, answer key included. Each sheet can generate a fresh set of problems for a retake.
- What Caused It, What FollowedSort each one into cause or effect.
Questions about What Caused It, What Followed
How long does the What Caused It, What Followed lesson take?
55 minutes, split across 5 timed sections: warm-up 5 min, teach 18 min, guided practice 17 min, independent practice 12 min, close 3 min. The minutes are stated per section and add up to the stated length, so the plan can be cut or extended at a section boundary rather than abandoned halfway.
Which standard does What Caused It, What Followed teach?
D2.His.14.3-5 — D2.His.14.3-5, History for Grade 3 to Grade 5: “Explain probable causes and effects of events and developments.” In plain terms, explain the likely causes and effects of an event.
What do I need to teach this lesson?
Twelve statement cards, the 2011 history's concession and the printable practice sheet linked at the end of this plan. Everything listed is either ordinary classroom equipment or a free printable from this site — there is nothing to buy and nothing to prepare beyond photocopying.
What mistakes should I expect in this lesson?
Three, each a reasoning error rather than carelessness: treats anything later as an effect; insists on one decisive cause and reads 'probable' as a hedge. The plan gives the thinking behind each one and the teaching move that addresses the thinking rather than the symptom.
How do I know whether the lesson worked?
The exit ticket asks: “Two causes are offered for the shortfall. Why do historians say 'probable' rather than 'proved'?.” Both operated at once and the evidence cannot separate them with certainty. Reading it as a hedge means the precision point has not landed. That tells you whether the class needs a reteach or a thirty-second conversation before you plan tomorrow.
Is there a worksheet to go with What Caused It, What Followed?
Yes — 1 printable D2.His.14.3-5 worksheet, linked at the end of the plan and free like the rest of the site. Each one comes with an answer key and 25 versions, so the practice after the lesson can be a different paper on every desk.
Is What Caused It, What Followed free to use?
Yes. The plan, its printables and their answer keys are free to read, print and photocopy for your own class, with no account and no email capture. It was last reviewed on 7 September 2026. Please do not resell it or republish it as your own.
Last reviewed 2026-09-07. Aligned to D2.His.14.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.