Cause and Effect in Maniac Magee

In this activity students will identify the cause and effect of events in the text. At the beginning of the novel, Jeffrey is sent to live with his aunt and uncle who do not get along. He is so disturbed by this, that during a school play, he stands on the stage yelling, “TALK!” and then runs away.

Another cause and effect relationship begins when Mars Bar and his friends surround Maniac, ready to beat him up. Amanda Beale steps in, rescues him and takes him to her house. Shortly after his rescue, Maniac realizes the trouble he is causing the Beales when “FISHBELLY” is sprayed on their house. He doesn’t want to be a burden on the family, so he runs away to the West End.

The text structure of Maniac Magee is cause and effect; therefore an entire cause and effect chain can be created to show how the story progresses.

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows cause and effect relationships in Maniac Magee. Each cause and effect pair will be shown in the same row.

1. On the left side of the T-Chart, illustrate events that show cause (why).
2. On the right side of the T-Chart, illustrate events that are the direct effect of that cause.
3. Write a description below each cause.
4. In the description under each effect, show how the cause and effect are related.