Develop a T-chart O (Observations)

= Evidence

I (Inferences) = Claim/Reasoning

Observation vs. Inference – Would you want to play in this

water?

Develop a T-chart • O (Observations)

= Evidence• Six people wearing yellow suits

and green gloves are around the water.

• The water is brown.• There is some plant life in the

water.• The water is near a Subway.• Some type of barrier is on the

water’s surface.• There is a hose/pipe behind the

individuals• There is a large dumpster and a

truck in the area• A golf cart is on the grass

I (Inferences) = Claim/Reasoning

• The water is contaminated.• The individuals in the picture

are trying to clean up a toxic waste spill.

• This is an area with a high population

• The individuals have placed a barrier in the stream to stop the toxic waste in the water from spreading.

• The plants in the water might die.

• Enough waste has been spilled to turn the whole stream brown.

• People might be at risk of being exposed to the contaminants in the water.

• The group is going to pump out some of the waste.

C-E-R Would you want to play in this

water?

Sample Claim Evidence Reasoning Student Response

• Claim:

• Evidence:

• Reasoning:

Sample Claim Evidence Reasoning Student Response

• Claim: I would not want to play in this water.

• Evidence: There are six people in hazmat suits around the brown water that has some sort of barrier in it. There is a hose/pipe behind the individuals in suits. There is a large dumpster and a truck in the area and the individuals are wearing gloves and looking at the water.

• Reasoning: Besides just looking dirty, there’s probably some type of toxic waste in the water. There is no way I’m playing in the water, or any near by body of water as the contaminants can be absorbed into the ground and transported to other areas. I wouldn’t play in this water until long after it has been cleaned up. I would even wait to see if the plants stay healthy before trying to play in this water with my friends. I’m also going to need to find another lunch spot, because that Subway is too close for my comfort.

ELA CCSS Literacy Supports Content Area State Assessment

Sample FCAT 2.0 Science Question

A radiometer is a device with fins that spin when light energy strikes them. A picture of a radiometer is shown below. As part of an experiment, a light source was placed 50 centimeters (cm) from a radiometer. The light source gave off four different-colored lights for 30 seconds (s) each. After each color of light was turned off, the amount of time the fins on the radiometer spun was recorded. The results are shown in the table below.

Which color of light provided the greatest amount of light energy according to the data in the table? F. red G. green H. blue I. white

claim

reasoning

evidence

SAMPLE INFORMATIONAL TEXT

Claim

Evidence

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Getting Started:Prewriting Science Ideas

• What is a possible claim?• What science words will you want to include?• Where will you look for your evidence?• What sentence starters can you use to present

your evidence?• What reasons show that this is good evidence?• What writing words can you use?

Show Your EvidenceSentence Starters

Grade 6

• According to the text…• On page ___, it said …• The author wrote…• For instance…• From the reading, I know that…• Based on what I read…• The graphic showed…• For example…

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When can a CER be used?

• Use it to engage in structured, argumentation to explain a scientific concept.

• Use it after an experiment to explain why a hypothesis was proven correct or not.

• Use it to justify an answer choice for a multiple (FCAT type) test question is correct.

• Use it to discuss claims made in videos or documentaries.

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After an Experiment

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Claims

Claims are the statements that answer your original question.

• The claim must be accurate, specific, and answer the question.

• The claim is usually one sentence in length.

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Evidence

The evidence is all the scientific data that supports your claim.• It can come from a variety of sources such as: textbook, reading selections, videos, lab investigations, class notes, etc.• It should include both qualitative and

quantitative data.• It is important to have numerous pieces of

evidence in order to prove your claim.

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Reasoning• Reasoning is the explanation that connects your

claim to the evidence that supports it or why you think your claim (answer to the question) is correct .

• It shows why the data you chose counts as evidence.• It shows a detailed understanding of the scientific

principles involved and uses correct science vocabulary.

• This explanation acts as a conclusion. • If evidence is from an experiment, it can be the

“conclusion” of the lab.• It is usually several sentences in length.