What do you claim happened?
What evidence
supports your claim?
What reasons
do you have for
connecting that
specific evidence
to your claim?
My dog ran away.
There’s a loose plank
and a hole under the
fence. My dog’s chain
is broken.
My dog is not on his
chain where I left him.
The hole under the
fence is big enough for
him to go through.
Writing Your CER
Have a minimum of 4 Sentences
• Claim
– We discovered that
• Evidence
– Support your claim
– How did you know it? Use
your data to explain
• Reasoning
– Why did that happen
– Use what you know about
science to explain.
Here’s Example:
Three Parts to a Logical Response
CLAIM
 A statement about the solution to a problem
 A response to a question
 An answer to a problem
EVIDENCE
 Relevant data or facts that supports the claim
 Observations that support the claim
REASONING
 Explains how the evidence is linked to the claim
 Justifies why the data, facts, or observations support the claim
 Includes appropriate content concepts or principles
CLAIM
• The Claim is a statement that answers the
original question.
Rubric for Claim
• 2 – Makes an accurate and complete claim
• 1 – Makes an accurate but incomplete claim
• 0 – Does not make a claim, or makes an
inaccurate claim
Evidence
• Sufficient and appropriate scientific data
(include NUMBERS) that supports the claim.
Rubric for Evidence
• 2 – Provides appropriate and sufficient evidence to
support claim
• 1 – Provides appropriate, but insufficient evidence to
support claim. May include some inappropriate data
• 0 – Does not provide evidence, or only provides
inappropriate evidence (does not support claim).
Reasoning
• Justification that links the claim to the
evidence. It shows why the data counts as
evidence by using appropriate and sufficient
principles.
• NOT a place to restate your evidence
Rubric for Reasoning
• 2 – Provides reasoning that links evidence to claim.
Includes appropriate and sufficient scientific
principles
• 1 – Provides reasoning that links the claim and
evidence. Repeats the evidence and/or includes
some scientific principles, not sufficient.
• 0 – Does not provide reasoning, or only provides
reasoning that does not link evidence to claim.
Does carbon dioxide contribute to global warming?
Container
Temperature
Air
28.2 Celsius
Carbon Dioxide
32.4 Celsius
Carbon Dioxide contributes to global warming. The
container with the air has a lower temperature than
the container with carbon dioxide. So, you can see
that it does contribute.
Claim = 2
Evidence = 1
Reasoning = 0
Does carbon dioxide contribute to global warming?
Container
Temperature
Air
28.2 Celsius
Carbon Dioxide
32.4 Celsius
Yes, it does. You can see in my data table that the
temperatures are different.
Claim = 0
Evidence = 0
Reasoning = 0
Does Carbon Dioxide contribute to global warming?
Container
Temperature
Air
28.2 Celsius
Carbon Dioxide
32.4 Celsius
Carbon dioxide does contribute to global warming. The
temperature in the container with air is 28.2 degrees
Celsius and the temperature in the container with
Carbon Dioxide is 32.4 degrees Celsius. The container
with Carbon Dioxide is 4.2 degrees higher than air.
Carbon dioxide is a warmer gas than regular air, so that
is why this occurs.
Claim = 2
Evidence = 2
Reasoning = 0
Does Carbon Dioxide contribute to global warming?
Container
Temperature
Air
28.2 Celsius
Carbon Dioxide
32.4 Celsius
Carbon dioxide does contribute to global warming. The temperature in the
container with air is 28.2 degrees Celsius and the temperature in the container
with Carbon Dioxide is 32.4 degrees Celsius. The container with Carbon Dioxide
is 4.2 degrees higher than air. When the heat from the sun hits the earth, it is
reflected back into the atmosphere. Carbon Dioxide traps this heat from
escaping into space, therefore increasing the temperature of Earth.
Claim = 2
Evidence = 2
Reasoning = 2
A Rubric to Evaluate the Conclusion
• Provides for implementation of a guaranteed
and viable curriculum
– All students are held to the same standard
– Rigor is built into the rubric
– Teachers know if their instruction has ‘met the
standard’
– Students know what is expected of their products
Assessment Rubric
Example #1
Claim =
2
Evidence = 2
Reasoning = 2
Example #2
Claim =
2
Evidence = 2
Reasoning = 2
Feedback?
Feedback on Conclusions
Research by Robert Marzano has found that students
stop learning when they receive a numerical or letter
grade.
•
•
•
•
Use holistic grading
Comment on explanations
Comment on scientific content
Be explicit and clear
– Point out strengths and weaknesses
– Give suggestions to improve
– Ask questions for deeper thinking
Example #3
Example #4
Example #5
Teaching the Rubric
1.
2.
3.
4.
Make the framework explicit
Discuss the rationale behind the explanation
Model the construction of explanations
Discuss similarities and differences with everyday
explanations
5. Provide multiple opportunities to construct
explanations
6. Have students critique explanations
7. Provide students with feedback