Chain Reactions
At a Glance
- Time: 3-4 minutes
- Prep: None
- Group: Whole class or small groups
- Setting: Any
- Subjects: Universal
- Energy: Medium
Purpose
Build causal reasoning by having students collaboratively create chains of cause-and-effect relationships, revealing understanding of how events and concepts connect in sequences.
How It Works
- Start the chain (30 sec) - Present initial cause: "Photosynthesis occurs"
- Build sequentially (2-3 min) - Each student adds one effect that becomes next cause
- Review chain (1 min) - Analyze the complete causal sequence created
What to Say
Opening: "I'll start: 'Photosynthesis occurs.' Next person—what's the immediate effect? That effect becomes your cause for the next person. Build the chain!"
During: "What's the direct effect?... That effect is now the cause... Keep the logic tight... No jumps!"
Closing: "We built a 12-link chain from photosynthesis to ecosystem health. Notice how each link was logically connected—that's causal reasoning."
Why It Works
Chain reactions require students to identify immediate causal relationships and distinguish between direct effects and distant consequences, strengthening logical reasoning and systems thinking.
Teacher Tip
Keep the chain visible (board/screen) so students can see the sequence. This helps them understand the difference between direct causation and correlation.
Variations
Subjects: Science: chemical reactions; History: historical causation; Literature: plot events; Economics: market forces • Ages: K-5: 5-link chains; 6-12: 10+ links with branching; College: multiple parallel chains
Online
Display chain on shared document; students add links in sequence via chat or doc editing.
Troubleshooting
Logical jumps: "That's too far ahead—what's the immediate next effect?"
Extension
Reverse: Start with final effect, work backward to find original cause.
Related: Six Degrees, Reverse Engineering