Category Archive for: CER

Ep109 – Is this CER statement Proficient or Developing?

Handouts are available at the bottom. Big Idea How can we use proficiency scales to mark skills while ensuring consistency? That is, how can we ensure that a student that scores a developing mark from one teacher and scores the same from another? One thing we can do to create this consistency is to mark…

Read More →

Ep106 – First CER and Graphs Test

Handouts are available below. Big Idea Learning how to graph data and write arguments using CER (claim, evidence and reasoning) are skills that I teach at the beginning of the school year. But, how do I assess students on these skills after that initial work? Here, I share the first quiz I give students to…

Read More →

Ep103 – A More Organic Way to Teach CER

Handouts are available below. Big Idea How can we teach CER in a more organic way? When we teach CER, I used to go over what a claim is, what evidence is, and what reasoning is and how that differs from evidence. Then, we’d work through some examples. This works, but I think it can…

Read More →

#54 – This is the Greatest Boy Band Song of all time (another simple, fun CER example)

CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is an awesome way for students to communicate their scientific claims by connecting them with supporting evidence and linking them to “textbook” ideas and reasons. In Post #12, we use jellybeans as a low-barrier-to-entry example to introduce CER to students (click here to check it out). However, outside of food, what’s…

Read More →

#51 – Write Good CER Statements, Review Science Content Using Chain Notes!

How do teachers check for understanding in their science classes? Or, how about writing good CER statements – how do we check for that? A typical strategy is call and answer. That is, ask the class, and wait for someone to answer. However, call and answer is typically a passive process – students sit and…

Read More →

#49 – How we make learning lab equipment fun! (a CER Activity)

How do you teach students about lab equipment? Some teachers merely hand out an equipment list with pictures and labels and ask students to memorize it. There’s nothing wrong with that. It gets the job done (especially if all a teacher wants us to be able to identify and name equipment). But, is there a…

Read More →

#48 – What’s the secret to writing CER statements (hint: it’s not the claim)

Do you have students who struggle with CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) statements? I give a lot of CER examples on this site (Refer to #4 and #46), but, sometimes, examples are not enough. Some students still need a step-by-step process to writing CER statements. This is especially true when writing CER statements are based on lab…

Read More →

#46 – Do bigger animals take longer to pee? 3 more CER examples based on FUN science

I always believe students need to have fun in science. Of course, not all the time. But, there needs to be an element of fun. This is especially true when we teach science skills like CER. CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, and it’s an awesome format for students to follow in order to…

Read More →

#33 – Weekend Eggs cook quicker (and other fun advertising claims for CER practice)

How do we teach CER (Claim Evidence Reasoning) in a fun, engaging way? Whether you’re introducing CER (Claim Evidence Reasoning) for the first time to your students or looking for ways to reinforce it, it’s easier to do if we use real life examples. And, on top of being fun and interesting, it would be…

Read More →

#28 – Do lobsters feel pain & should we boil them? (A CER practice worksheet)

CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) is an excellent structure for students to follow when organizing their thoughts, ideas, and arguments. But, some students may wonder if CER is really relevant to science. Or, like so many things they learn in school, whether people really use it outside of school. Perhaps, what students need is a CER…

Read More →

Back to Top