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 practice worksheet that shows how scientists use CER in current research. Perhaps, this CER practice worksheet can identify the parts of CER in the research to students too. In this way, students will hopefully realize that CER is not just an exercise in writing but an approach on how students present and support their ideas. This is what we set out to do.

Recently, the Swiss government passed a law making it illegal to boil live lobsters. The reason: boiling lobsters to death is cruel. Such a claim is sparking a debate over whether lobsters feel pain. And, although it cannot be known for sure if lobsters indeed feel pain, the debate shows how reporters and scientists use CER in a debate. Their statements make for an awesome example for our CER practice worksheet.

CER Recap

CER, which stands for Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, is a structure or template for writing an argument or conclusion. The main idea behind CER is that every strong argument or conclusion has the same parts: a claim (or argument), facts to support the claim, and reasons explaining how to evidence supports the claim. In science, students can use CER to write conclusions for lab reports. But, more importantly, it can be used as a structure for debates or to gauge student thinking when presented with a problem or question. Thus, CER is a tool for students to develop and practice their skills in scientific analysis and critical thinking.

Consider the following two CER statements

Back to the debate at hand: do lobsters feel pain (and, therefore, is it cruel to boil them to death)?

Claim 1: Lobsters feel pain.

Claim Two: Lobsters don’t feel pain.

CER Practice from Open Ended Questions

I like to use open ended questions with no definite answer to get students to practice CER. Sometimes, I give students a claim and ask them to think of evidence and reasoning that might support the claim. Refer to #12 – Red Jellybeans are the best Jellybeans for that practice activity.

However, there are times where I ask students to come up with their own claims to science questions. Questions that may be outside the realm of formal science. Fun questions with many different answers. Here are some of those questions I use:

1. Foods labelled organic are better for people to eat
2. More money should be spent on <science A> than <science B>.
3. <science discovery or invention> is the most significant discovery/invention in the last 10 years.
4. The smartest organism on earth is <>.
5. 10 years from now, a career that would be in demand is…

Wrap Up

Do lobsters feel pain (and, therefore, is it cruel to boil them in hot water)? For our purposes, whether this is true or not is important as how scientists present the arguments themselves. This shows science and scientific thinking in action. It shows how scientists make claims, present supporting evidence, and connect their ideas and facts with greater or previous science ideas. In a nutshell, this debate shows CER in action. Click the link below to download the handouts (REAL Science – CER Practice Worksheet) which includes some practice statements. And, connect with us on our Facebook group (Super Science Teachers Co-Lab).

Until next time, keep it REAL.

Resources

Handout(s): 28 – CER Practice Worksheet

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