If you are looking to add some high-interest activities for teaching cause-and-effect, try using the animated shorts Feast to teach reading skills. This post contains the animated short film “Feast” found on Vimeo and inserted in this post. Students create a cause-and-effect chain to summarize the film.
Teaching Cause-and-Effect with the Animated Short Feast [6:49]
A stray Boston Terrier finds a new home with James and Kirby. James gives the puppy French fries and other junk foods. Kirby wants the puppy to eat healthy foods. This makes for a humorous story that teaches students about the value of eating healthy foods. This 2014 Oscar-winning Walt Disney film will be a hit with your students.
The Handout
In this animated short, students will create a cause-and-effect chain.
What people are saying about the full unit…
Inspired Owl’s Corner
Such a fun and creative way to teach and practice reading skills! I appreciate that you give a list of shorts that go with each skill. Thank you so much! 🙂
The handout includes the following information:
Cause – A hungry, stray Boston Terrier puppy licks at a fast-food wrapper next to a trash can on a street in the city.
Effect – James sees the hungry puppy. He gives him French fries and takes him home to live with him.
Cause – James begins feeding the puppy that he names Winston dog food as well as table scraps which includes a lot of junk food.
Effect – Winston begins to grow. He becomes finicky about what he likes to eat.
Cause – James meets a waitress named Kirby at a local restaurant. They begin dating.
Effect – Kirby encourages James to eat healthy foods. Brussel sprouts and other vegetables are the normal diet. Winston does not like to eat these foods.
Cause – Kirby and James break up. James is depressed and in low spirits.
Effect – Winston grabs a piece of parsley, which he knows Kirby likes, and goes to find her. James follows Winston to the restaurant where Kirby works. James and Kirby reconcile.
Cause – James and Kirby get married and have a baby.
Effect – Winston lives a happy life. His owner James is happy with his new family.
Winston gets delicious food that the baby drops. [This bit of irony causes a laugh from the audience.]
More Samples from the Teaching Reading with Animated Shorts Series
- Inference
- Summarizing
- Main Idea and Details
- Point of View and Perspective
- Theme
- Characters and Setting
- Cause and Effect
- Compare and Contrast
- Problems and Solution
- Christmas Shorts
- Mood and Tone with Christmas Shorts
Check out all six products in the Reading and Writing Series. Units are also available as bundles.
Reading Series
