Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (C-E-R)

Student Graphic Organizer

Question:

(provided by teacher)

C
(Claim)

Write a statement
that responds to
the question.

E
(Evidence)

Provide scientific
data to support
your claim. Your
evidence should be
appropriate
(relevant) and
sufficient (enough
to convince
someone that your
claim is correct).
This can be bullet
points instead of
sentences.
 R
(reasoning)

Use scientific
principles and
knowledge that
you have about the
topic to explain
why your evidence
(data) supports
your claim.
In other words,
explain how your
data proves your
point?
(paragraph format)
Claim-Evidence-Reasoning
(C-E-R) Rubric

0 1 2 3

X
Makes an Makes an
CLAIM Does not make a
accurate but accurate and
claim, or makes an
A statement that answers the incomplete or complete
inaccurate claim.
original question/problem. vague claim. claim.

Provides
Does not provide appropriate but
EVIDENCE

X
evidence, or only insufficient Provides
Scientific data that supports provides evidence to appropriate
inappropriate support claim. and sufficient
the claim.
evidence (evidence May include evidence to
Data needs to be appropriate that does not some support claim.
and support claim). inappropriate
sufficient to support the claim. evidence.
 Provides
REASONING Does not provide Provides Provides reasoning that
Explain why your evidence reasoning or reasoning that reasoning that links evidence to
supports your claim. This provides reasoning links claim to links the claim claim.
that does not link evidence, but and evidence Includes
must include scientific
evidence to claim does not include using scientific appropriate and
principles/knowledge that you using scientific scientific principles, but sufficient
have about the topic to show principles. principles. not sufficient. scientific
why the data counts as principles.
evidence.

Points Letter
Total Possible Points: 7
Earned Grade
Total Points Earned: _______
7 A
6 B Grade: _______
5 C
4 or below F

Need help writing your REASONING?

Follow this path.

 samples whenever you need a refresher on how to do a C-E-R.
data table that we used to collect data. Feel free to come back and review these
reviewed in class. The C-E-R examples are based on two commercials and one
The following are two samples of Claim-Evidence-Reasoning conclusions that were
Sample C-E-R: Alien
Wrap up your reasoning with a conclusion
sentence that begins with a word such as
"Therefore," "Hence," "Thus," "So," and re- Step 4
state the claim.
Provide data from the activity (lab, gizmo,
etc.) that connects to the scientific Step
principles/knowledge you mentioned in Step 3
2. Show that your data can be used to prove
your claim.
Step
Provide some scientific principles/knowledge 2
that you already have about a topic.
Step
Re-state your claim. 1
Audi Commercial Alien http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89uJz_us4PM

Question: Is the little girls dad an alien?

C
(claim)
Write a statement that
responds to the question.

E
(evidence)
Provide scientific data to
support your claim. You
should only use
appropriate (relevant)
data and include enough
data to convince someone
that your claim is correct.
This can be bullet points
instead of sentences.

R
(reasoning)

Explain why your evidence

(data) supports your claim.
In other words, how does
your data prove your point?
Your explanation must
include scientific
principles/knowledge that
you have about the topic to
prove that your evidence
supports your claim.

Sample C-E-R: Prom

Audi Commercial Prom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANhmS6QLd5Q

Question: Did the boy get punched in the face at prom?

C
(claim)
Write a statement
that responds to the
question.

E
(evidence)
Provide scientific
data to support your
claim. You should
only use appropriate
(relevant) data and
include enough data
to convince someone
that your claim is
correct. This can be
bullet points instead
of sentences.

R
(reasoning)

Explain why your

evidence (data)
supports your claim.
In other words, how
does your data prove
your point? Your
explanation must
include scientific
principles/knowledge
that you have about
the topic to prove
that your evidence
supports your claim.

Sample C-E-R: Identifying Liquids

Question: Are any of the liquids in the data table the same substance?

C
(claim)
Write a statement
that responds to the
question.
 E
(evidence)
Provide scientific
data to support your
claim. You should
only use appropriate
(relevant) data and
include enough data
to convince someone
that your claim is
correct. This can be
bullet points instead
of sentences.

R
(reasoning)
Explain why your
evidence (data)
supports your claim.
In other words, how
does your data prove
your point? Your
explanation must
include scientific
principles/knowledge
that you have about
the topic to prove
that your evidence
supports your claim.