Cause Chains

This worksheet helps students in Grades 5 and 6 strengthen analytical reading, historical reasoning, and written explanation by tracing cause-and-effect relationships for major Reconstruction policies. Students examine laws such as the Reconstruction Acts, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and the 14th Amendment, explaining immediate effects and extended impacts on life in the South.

Learning Goals

• Analyzing Cause-and-Effect (Grades 5-6) – Students identify how specific policies influenced social, political, and economic outcomes.
• Understanding Reconstruction Policies – Learners explore how government actions shaped opportunities and challenges for Southern citizens.
• Extended Effect Writing – Students practice inferring long-term consequences of historical decisions.
• Historical Reasoning – The activity emphasizes connections between policy, society, and change over time.

Instructional Benefits

• Teacher-Created Resource – Designed by educators to align with upper-elementary ELA and social studies standards.
• Builds Analytical Skills – Mapping relationships helps students recognize patterns in historical events.
• Supports Inferential Thinking – Extended effects encourage deeper reasoning about consequences.
• Flexible Classroom Use – Ideal for independent work, guided instruction, assessments, or enrichment.
• Low-Prep Printable – Ready for classroom or homeschool use.

Mapping cause-and-effect relationships builds essential analytical reading skills. Students learn to identify what actions led to specific historical outcomes. Writing extended effects strengthens inferential thinking. Worksheets like this deepen understanding of how government policies influence social change.