Cause and Effect in The Hunger Games

Throughout the story, Katniss and the other characters make decisions that cause something else (good or bad) to happen. All actions have consequences and The Hunger Games shows readers how these results might not be predictable. For example, Katniss treats Rue tenderly as she is dying, adding some humanity to the inhumane way in which she dies. As a result, the citizens of Rue’s district honor Katniss’ bravery and defiance against the situation by silently holding up their hands as a way to rebel against the Capitol and show their respect for Katniss and Rue.

Students should choose three instances where a character makes a choice and then show the consequence(s) of that action. For this activity, students should use the T-Chart layout and include both a title and description for each cell. They should then explain the cause and effect of every action in the respective description boxes.

Student Instructions

Create a storyboard that shows cause and effect relationships in The Hunger Games. 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.