What Happened? Cause and Effect Worksheet

Cause and effect is the reading skill behind every “why did that happen?” a second grader asks: one thing happens, and because of it, something else follows. This what happened? cause and effect worksheet gives that idea two kinds of practice on one page, first by matching a cause to the effect it led to, then by writing an effect in a complete sentence of the child’s own. Working in both directions matters, because recognizing a pair on the page and producing one from scratch are different jobs, and only the second one shows a teacher that the idea has actually landed.

Part A holds four short causes in purple labels on the left and four effects on the right, in a scrambled order, so a child has to read every line instead of matching straight across. Part B gives two new causes with ruled writing space underneath, where the student writes one complete sentence telling what happened as a result. Use it as guided practice after a mini-lesson, as an independent reading-center task, as homework, or as a quick check before moving into cause-and-effect passages. The answer key prints on the second page with the matching lines drawn in and a model sentence for each written item.

What’s Included

• 1 print-ready PDF worksheet
• Part A: 4 cause-and-effect matching pairs with a scrambled effect column
• Part B: 2 write-the-effect prompts with wide ruled writing space
• 1 complete answer key page with the match lines drawn and model sentences

How This Helps Kids Learn

First, the matching section builds the language of the skill, so a child starts hearing “because” and “so” as signals rather than ordinary words. Second, every cause on this page has exactly one effect that truly fits, which trains careful reading instead of guessing from a key word. Third, the written part turns recognition into explanation, and explaining in a full sentence is the form the skill takes on reading tests and in classroom discussion later on.

Teaching Ideas

Read the four causes aloud together and let children predict an effect before they look at the right-hand column. Cut the page apart and turn Part A into a pocket-chart sorting activity. Ask a child to flip one pair around and say it the other way, starting with the effect, to hear how “because” changes the sentence. Take the skill off the page entirely by naming causes from the school day, such as leaving a jacket outside overnight, and inviting effects. This 2nd grade cause and effect worksheet also pairs well with a read-aloud: stop at a turning point in the story and ask what caused it, then keep this what happened? cause and effect worksheet nearby as a reminder of how to write the answer.

Related Resources

• Find the Effect Cause and Effect Worksheet
• Find the Cause Cause and Effect Worksheet
• Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer Worksheet
• Story Elements Song by Have Fun Teaching