Writing a Scientific Explanation: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning
According to the CER model, an explanation consists of:
When Should I Use CER?
• Use it to discuss claims made in documentaries, videos, commercials. • Use it after an experiment to explain why a hypothesis was proven correct or not. • Use it to engage in structured, respectful, argumentation. |
Claim –
• A statement. • My hypothesis was proven correct (or incorrect). • The answer to a question with multiple possible answers. Evidence –
• Observations • Experimental evidence • Facts that led you to make the claim Reasoning –
• Uses logic to tie evidence to the claim. • Detailed explanation for why the evidence led you to make the claim. • Deep explanation of the science concepts. – Why do the facts support the statement. – Why did my experiment turn out the way it did. – The scientific background knowledge that justifies why one answer is the best answer. |
Resources
Identify the claim, the evidence, and the reasoning – or rule – that connects the evidence to the little girl's claim that her dad is a space alien.
- Video: Sham Wow Infomercial
- Video: Smiling Makes Us Happier