Step 1: Complete your investigation of the experimental question. Rough draft of lab handout with
modifications is acceptable, but you may also rewrite any or all parts if necessary or add
attachments. Don’t forget your procedure diagram and excel graph.
Step 2: After finishing your lab, as a group you will create a poster for a “silent gallery walk”.
Your poster should have a similar format to that of Figure 3 and 4. Figure 1 and the information
below it provide you with other information related to making claims, providing evidence, and
justifying that evidence to aid you in creating your poster.
The following definitions will also assist you in developing your argument. A claim is a statement that expresses an
answer to a question. The evidence is the data that supports the claim. The following criteria are important when
identifying or collecting scientific evidence.
 The data is observations and measurements collected in natural settings (empirical evidence).
 The data is appropriate and relevant to the claim.
 There are multiple types of evidence.
The justification is the rationale, reasoning, or explanation for why each type of evidence supports (or warrants) the
scientific claim. The justification links each example of evidence to the claim. The justification also requires a
discussion of appropriate scientific concepts that explain these links.
Step 3. During the silent gallery walk, you will attach sticky note comments to other people’s
posters. These comments should critique (good and bad) the claim, evidence or justification that
other people have made. You will provide one unique comment per poster. Additionally, you need
to identify a group that has made a claim different from your claim. Take a picture of their poster
and/or take notes on their evidence and justification.
Step 4: Write a scientific argument to rebut or refute skeptics’ claims. You found a group with a
different claim in the “silent gallery walk”. You also have twenty or more comments on your own
poster, some good and some bad. You will merge these two sources of information to write a
scientific argument. Has your claim changed by seeing other evidence? That’s okay. You can
jump ship and switch your claim. Your original claim is now the skeptic’s claim.
To begin, you will investigate the skeptics’ claim, evidence and justification. You will then develop
a scientific counter-argument, which includes a rebuttal to refute the skeptics’ argument. A
rebuttal is a scientific explanation that provides counter evidence and justification for why the
skeptics’ evidence and justification is not an appropriate explanation for their claim. Pay attention to
negative critiques that you received on your own poster. Refine these or use them to your
advantage in your rebuttal. A rebuttal describes the alternative (skeptics’) explanation, but provides
counter (scientific) evidence and reasoning for why the alternative (skeptics’) explanation is not
correct.
Your scientific argument will include the following components:
 Skeptics ’ Argument - Skeptics’ claim, the evidence, and justification
 Your Counter-Argument - your claim, evidence, and justification
 Rebuttal to Skeptics ’ Argument - Explanation of why the skeptics’ argument is NOT correct
and a few examples of how to respond to more specific sub-arguments
Score
0
1. Skeptics’
Does not present the
Argument (Claim,
skeptics’ argument.
Evidence, and
Justification)
2. Your Counter-Argument
a. Evidence
Does not provide
evidence or
provides
inappropriate or
irrelevant
evidence.
b. Justification
Does not provide
(Reasoning)
justification or only
provides
justification that
does not justify how
the evidence
supports the claim.
3
Presents the
skeptics’ claim,
evidence, &
justification.
Your counter-claim is the opposite of the skeptics’ claim.
Provides 1 type of
Provides 1 type of
Provides 2 types of
appropriate and
appropriate and
appropriate and
relevant scientific
relevant scientific
relevant scientific
evidence
evidence, (including
evidence,
one graph)
(including one
graph)
Provides justification
Provides justification
Provides
of why the 1 type of
of why each of 2
justification of why
scientific evidence
types of scientific
each of 3 types of
supports the claim.
evidence supports
scientific evidence
the claim.
supports the claim.
Explains the science
Explains the
using a short video or science using a
visualization or
short video or
animation of trends.
visualization or
animation of
trends.
3. Rebuttal of
Skeptics’ Argument
Provides 1 type of
scientific evidence to
rebut the skeptics’
evidence.
Does not present
the “rebuttal” of the
skeptics’ argument.
1
Presents the
skeptics’ claim.
2
Presents the skeptics’
claim and evidence.
Provides 2 types of
scientific evidence to
rebut the skeptics’
evidence.
Provides 2 types of
scientific evidence
to rebut the
skeptics’ evidence
and justifies why
the skeptics’
evidence is not
appropriate.
4
Presents the skeptic s’
claim, evidence,
Justification.
Provides more than 2
types appropriate and
relevant scientific
evidence, (including
one graph).
Provides justification of
why each of the more
than 3 types of
scientific evidence
supports the claim.
Explains the science
using visualization or
animation of trends.
Also includes
references for
source(s) of
visualization or
animation.
Provides 2 types of
scientific evidence to
rebut the skeptics’
evidence and justifies
why the skeptics’
evidence is not
appropriate.
Also includes
references for
source(s) of evidence
and justification.