Free Printable Cause and Effect Graphic Organizers

About these cause and effect handouts

A cause is why something happened, and an effect is what happened as a result. Students often confuse the two or list events in order without showing that one made the next happen. These organizers put the relationship on the page with an arrow from cause to effect, so students have to decide which way the arrow points.

The single version gives one large cause box and one large effect box for a close look at one pair. The multiple-effects version starts with one cause and fans out to three effects, which fits topics like a storm, a new law or a character's decision. The chain version stacks four boxes where each effect becomes the cause of the next event; it is useful for the water cycle, a chain reaction in history or a plot that snowballs. The lined version has six rows of cause and effect pairs with writing lines for a list of related pairs from one text.

In science, record what happens when you change one variable. In social studies, trace the causes of a historical event. In reading, connect a character's choice to its results. The signal words because, so, since and as a result help students write the sentence that goes with each pair.

How to use them

1. Pick the version that matches the structure of the text: one pair, many effects, a chain, or several pairs.
2. Type the event or topic in the Topic box and print.
3. Students write the effect first, since it is the easier part to spot, then ask why it happened for the cause.
4. Check each arrow by reading it aloud with because or so.
5. For a chain, read it top to bottom and make sure each effect truly leads to the next box.

Classroom tips

• Teach the signal words because, so, since, therefore and as a result before students fill in the page.
• Ask whether an effect could have more than one cause; the lined version is good for that discussion.
• In science labs, write the changed variable in the cause box and the measured result in the effect box.
• Have students swap pages and point out any arrow that points the wrong way.

Last reviewed 2026-10-03. Handout Hero designs are original and made for this site. They are general reference material; check your own school, district or tradition where it matters.