Analysing Cause and Effect
When historians study the past, they use a variety of information
sources to make sense of what happened.
They address such questions as:
- What helps us to understand why the event occurred?
- Did the event result from a single factor or a mix of factors?
- Did the event have to happen in the way it did?
- How does this event relate to some of the things that are going on today?
After Newfoundland and Labrador became Canada's tenth
province, scholars began to examine what led up to the event. In
this lesson, you will engage in tasks similar to those that
concern historians. More specifically, you will focus on a key
"How can the success of confederate forces be explained?"
To help you in this task, the following exercises and suggestions
Exercises and Suggestions:
- Take time to explore the materials in the Resource Room and identify
information that relates to the focus
- Develop a series of sub-questions you would like
answered. For example, how did Great Britain influence the
final referendum outcome?
- Read again the information you identified in the Resource Room and answer your questions as
you do so.
- Write a short classroom report to summarize your
- The opening paragraph should introduce what
your report is about and get the attention of the
- The middle or main body of your report will
contain the questions you generated and the
answers to them. You may wish to develop a
paragraph around each question.
- The ending paragraph should tie together what
you have said and your position on the focus
- After you have written the first draft of your report, read it
again and have someone else review it. Together,
discuss how your report could be revised. You may use
the following guidelines to revise your report:
Did you give enough details, and describe and explain
Did you arrange your ideas so that they make sense, and
did you write a good opening and closing?
Did you change your sentence structure from time to time
to make your writing interesting?
Did you use words that clearly and interestingly express
your ideas and feelings?
Did you carefully and accurately use punctuation, capitalization, spelling,
grammar and paragraphing?
- Write the final draft.