Activity Overview
In this activity, students will identify the cause and effect of events from the text. By creating a compare and contrast T-Chart, students will be able to understand how events are related to one another, even if they aren't extremely close to each other in the story.
At the beginning of the novel, Bud and Bugs meet up at the library, and make a decision to ride the rails together. The effect of this decision is the discovery of Hooverville, a place where train hoppers get food and shelter, before catching the next train.
Another cause and effect relationship is the man at the mission who refuses to let Bud in. Strangers see the incident and pretend that Bud is their son Clarence.
Bud speaks to the librarian who helps him figure out how long it will take to walk to Grand Rapids. Knowing this information, Bud begins the long walk only to be stopped by Lefty Lewis.
Lastly, once Bud confronts Mr. Calloway and the band, he is invited to stay at Grand Calloway Station until they are able to figure things out. During his stay, he becomes close with the band members, who give him with a nickname and instruments to play.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that shows cause and effect relationships in Bud, Not Buddy. Each cause and effect pair will be shown in the same row.
- On the left side of the T-Chart, illustrate events that show cause (why).
- On the right side of the T-Chart, illustrate events that are the direct effect of that cause.
- Write a description below each cause.
- In the description under each effect, show how the cause and effect are related.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cause | All events on the left side of the T-Chart are correctly identified as causes. These events are why something else happened. | Most events on the left side of the T-Chart are correctly identified as causes or why something else happened. | Few or no events on the left side of the T-Chart are correctly identified as causes or why something else happened. |
| Effect | All events on the right side of the T-Chart are correctly identified as effects. These events are direct results of something else. | Most events on the right side of the T-Chart are correctly identified as effects or direct results of something else. | Few or no events on the right side of the T-Chart are correctly identified as effects or direct results of something else. |
| Images | Images clearly show the events in the story that have been identified as causes and effects. | Images show events from the story, but not all images match the cause and effect events. | Images do not represent the story or are missing. |
| Cause and Effect Relationship | All rows correctly show cause events in the story having a direct effect on the effect events. | Most rows correctly show cause events in the story having a direct effect on the effect events. | Few or no rows correctly show cause events in the story having a direct effect on the effect events. |
How To Integrate Cause and Effect in a Storyline
Introduce the Concept of Cause and Effect
Teachers should first introduce the concept of cause and effect to students by providing basic definitions and examples from the novel itself.
Give Real Life Examples
Ask the students to come up with scenarios in their daily life where certain actions had a certain impact. For instance, if a student came late to school they would have to face punishment.
Come Up With a Central Plot
Students can come up with a storyline where they can incorporate the concept of cause and effect. Teachers can also guide the students to deliver a certain lesson to the viewers through their stories.
Show Actions and Consequences
Ask the students to design the plot in such a way where main characters will have to face all the consequences of their actions. For example, the hero succeeds, and the villain loses because of their actions.
Create a Balance
Ask the students to develop a balance between the cause and effect relationship and not overdo it as it can disturb the plot.
How To Use Movies to Inspire Learning
Read a Book With Your Class
Using movies to inspire learning is perfect for a language arts class. In general, it is a good idea to read the book first and help students to understand the main ideas through the plot and characters.
Watch the Movie
Instruct students to watch the movie version of the book, paying careful attention to similarities and differences that they find. Learning how to organize their thoughts into comparing and contrasting is a higher level skill all students need.
Find Similarities and Differences
Instruct students to find similarities and differences between the book and the movie. They may look at elements such as characters, setting, themes, conflicts, and other interactions in the story line. Classifying elements of the book and movie will help them to organize information.
More Storyboard That Activities
Bud, Not Buddy
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