Claim Evidence Reasoning- Rubric
Focus Question: (This is the question provided by the teacher that you are answering in your C-E-R.
Claim:
A stand-alone statement in a complete sentence
that answers the focus question.
Evidence:
Data gathered from lab, graphics, or text that helped
you decide upon your answer to the focus question.
 Contains no explanation
 Does not start with “Yes,” “No,” or “Because”
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Evidence must be relevant / support your claim
Always includes more than one piece of evidence
Includes facts, not inferences
Include both quantitative & qualitative evidence
States facts without adding any explanation
In lab conclusions, evidence directly from the lab
must always be included
Reasoning:
The most important part of your answer. It provides your reader with the explanation for your claim.
 Explains how your evidence supports your claim: Links evidence to claim (why does evidence support?)
 Goes beyond simply restating evidence. Answers “Why is this evidence important or relevant?”
 Contains an explanation of key concepts / vocabulary, and how they are related
 Explains well enough that someone unfamiliar with the concept can understand
 Ends with a summary statement that links back to the claim
Uses sentence stems such as:
“This supports the idea that….”
“This suggests that…”
3
Advanced
Claim
Makes a claim that is…
A statement or
conclusion that
answers the original
question/ problem.
 Relevant
Evidence
Scientific data that
supports the claim.
The data needs to be
appropriate and
sufficient to support
the claim.
Reasoning
Shows WHY the
evidence supports
claim
AND ties to key
scientific principals
(Directly & clearly responds to question)
 Accurate
“The evidence shows… because…”
2
Proficient
 Makes a relevant and
accurate but incomplete
claim.
1
Beginning
 Does not make a
claim, or makes an
inaccurate or
irrelevant claim.
(Consistent with evidence and scientific
principles)
 Complete (Complete stand alone sentence)
Provides evidence to support the
claim that is…
 Appropriate (Factual scientific data or
information from observations, investigations,
data analysis, or valid scientific sources)
 Sufficient
(Enough evidence to support the claim)
Explanation provides reasoning that
is…
 Clear (Clearly communicated and goes beyond
repeating claim and evidence)
 Connected (Explains why the evidence is
important or why it is relevant)
 Integrated (Links the evidence to an
important disciplinary idea and crosscutting
concept)
 Provides appropriate,
 Does not provide
but insufficient evidence
evidence, or only
to support claim. May
provides
include some
inappropriate
inappropriate/irrelevant
evidence (Evidence
evidence. May include
that does not
inferences.
support claim).
 Provides reasoning that  Does not provide
connects the evidence
reasoning, or only
to the claim. May
provides
include some scientific
inappropriate
principles or justification
reasoning.
for why the evidence
supports the claim, but
not sufficient.
Claim Evidence Reasoning- Rubric