CER - Claim Evidence Reasoning

Summary

In this educational video, Paul Anderson introduces the CER framework as a vital tool for students to improve their science lab writeups and exam scores. CER, standing for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, is a method to structure scientific explanations. Anderson emphasizes framing questions and defining terms before gathering evidence. He illustrates the process with examples, like determining if 'skew dice' are fair or proving air is matter, and encourages students to make logical connections based on scientific principles. The video aims to enhance students' ability to explain their findings effectively.

Takeaways

• 🔍 CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, a framework developed by Dr. Kate McNeil and Dr. Joe Cek to improve scientific explanations in the classroom.
• 🌟 Science is about gathering evidence and forming explanations that are critiqued over time, with CER helping to make the process of explanation explicit.
• 📚 In many science classrooms, students follow 'cookbook labs' without fully engaging in the process of explanation, which CER aims to address.
• 🧩 The 'Claim' is an answer to a question, 'Evidence' is the empirical data collected, and 'Reasoning' is the logical connection between the two.
• 🤔 Students often struggle with the 'Reasoning' part, which should be based on a scientific definition, rule, or principle agreed upon in the scientific community.
• 👨‍🏫 Teachers should provide a good question and a method for answering it, ensuring that students understand and can define the terms within the question.
• 🎲 An example of using CER is determining if 'skew dice' are fair, which involves defining 'fair', gathering evidence through rolling, and reasoning based on the definition of fairness.
• 🌬️ Another example question is whether air is matter, which requires understanding the properties of matter and gathering evidence through experiments like filling a balloon with air.
• 🔬 The 'Reasoning' in CER should connect the evidence to the claim using scientific principles, such as the law of conservation of energy in the context of phase changes.
• 📝 When doing lab write-ups, students should focus on the connection between evidence and explanation, not just detailing the evidence collected.
• 💬 The CER framework can also be used for rebuttals, where students can challenge claims, evidence, and reasoning presented by others.

Q & A

What is the CER framework mentioned in the video?

CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. It is a framework designed to help students in the science classroom make clear and structured explanations. It emphasizes connecting evidence gathered during investigations to a claim and supporting it with logical reasoning.

Why is the CER framework important in science education?

The CER framework is important because it helps students improve their ability to create structured explanations, which is crucial for lab write-ups, essays, and exams. It ensures that students not only gather evidence but also connect it logically to their claims.

Who developed the CER framework?

The CER framework was developed by Dr. Kate McNeill and Dr. Joe Krajcik.

What is the main challenge students face when using the CER framework?

Students often excel at gathering evidence but struggle with making logical connections between the evidence and the claim, which is the reasoning part of the CER framework.

How can teachers support students in using the CER framework effectively?

Teachers can support students by providing a clear question to answer and ensuring that students understand and define all terms in the question before gathering evidence. Teachers should also encourage students to base their reasoning on established scientific principles.

What example does the video provide to illustrate the use of the CER framework?

The video provides an example where students are asked to determine if 'skew dice' are fair. The process involves defining what 'fair' means (equal probability of each side landing on top), gathering evidence by rolling the dice, and then using that evidence to make a claim about the fairness of the dice, supported by reasoning.

How does the video suggest students should begin their investigation using the CER framework?

Students should begin by framing the question and ensuring they understand all terms involved. This includes defining key concepts before gathering evidence to answer the question.

Can you provide an example of reasoning in the CER framework?

An example of reasoning is: 'The mass of the balloon increased when air was added, indicating that the air had mass. The air displaced a volume of water, indicating that the air also has volume. Since matter must have both mass and volume, my evidence suggests that air is matter.'

What is a 'rebuttal' in the context of the CER framework?

A rebuttal is when someone critiques or challenges the claim, evidence, and reasoning provided. It involves looking at alternative explanations or questioning the validity of the evidence or the logical connection made.

How does the CER framework help in creating better scientific explanations?

The CER framework helps by providing a structured approach to explanation. It ensures that students make clear claims, support them with relevant evidence, and connect them with logical reasoning, leading to more thorough and convincing scientific explanations.

Outlines

00:00

🔬 Introduction to CER Framework in Science Education

Paul Anderson introduces the CER framework, which stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, as a vital skill for students to excel in science. He emphasizes the importance of not just conducting investigations but also formulating explanations that can be critiqued over time. Anderson points out common pitfalls in science classrooms, such as teachers leading investigations like 'cookbook labs' and students focusing too much on the investigation process rather than explaining their findings. The CER framework, developed by Dr. Kate McNeil and Dr. Joe Cek, is presented as a solution to make the process of explanation more explicit and structured. The acronym is explained, with 'Claim' being an answer to a question, 'Evidence' being empirical data gathered, and 'Reasoning' being the logical connection between the evidence and the claim. Anderson also stresses the importance of basing reasoning on scientific definitions, rules, or principles that are universally accepted in the scientific community.

05:01

🎲 Applying CER to Practical Science Scenarios

The second paragraph delves into the application of the CER framework in practical science scenarios. Anderson uses the example of 'skew dice' to illustrate how students should approach a question with a clear understanding of its terms and definitions. He suggests that before gathering evidence, students should ensure they have a solid grasp of the question's components. The paragraph also touches on the process of answering a scientific question, such as 'Is air matter?', by framing the question, gathering evidence through experiments like weighing a balloon before and after filling it with air, and then using the law of conservation of matter to reason that air has both mass and volume, thus concluding that air is matter. Anderson highlights the common issue where students focus on detailing the evidence rather than making a logical connection in their reasoning. He encourages the use of the CER framework in lab write-ups to improve the quality of explanations and suggests that teachers should provide good questions and materials to facilitate this process.

Keywords

💡CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning)

CER is a framework for making scientific explanations explicit in a classroom setting. It involves stating a claim (answer to a question), providing evidence (empirical data), and connecting them logically through reasoning. The video emphasizes how this structure can help students better explain their findings in lab writeups and exams.

💡Claim

A claim is the answer to a specific question posed during an investigation. In the context of CER, it is the conclusion students draw based on the evidence they have gathered. For example, the claim 'air is matter' answers the question 'is air matter?' after evidence has been collected.

💡Evidence

Evidence refers to the empirical data gathered during an experiment or investigation that supports a claim. In the video, evidence could include measurements such as the increased mass of a balloon when filled with air or the displacement of water to show that air has volume.

💡Reasoning

Reasoning connects the claim and the evidence by explaining how the evidence supports the claim, often based on scientific principles. In the video, reasoning involves stating that air has mass and volume, thus fitting the definition of matter, which is the logical link between the evidence and the claim.

💡Scientific Definitions

Scientific definitions are the fundamental concepts or principles used to frame and guide investigations and explanations. In the video, definitions like 'fair' in the context of dice or 'matter' in the context of air are crucial for making reasoning clear and logical.

💡Empirical Evidence

Empirical evidence refers to data and observations gathered through experimentation or direct research. The video highlights the importance of gathering this type of evidence, such as measuring the mass of a balloon, to make valid scientific claims.

💡Logical Connection

A logical connection refers to the reasoning that links evidence to the claim in a coherent and scientifically sound way. In the video, the logical connection is made by tying empirical evidence to established scientific definitions, such as connecting the increase in balloon mass to the definition of matter.

💡Investigation

An investigation is the process of conducting experiments to gather data and explore scientific questions. The video emphasizes the importance of not just conducting investigations but also focusing on explaining the results using the CER framework.

💡Scientific Explanation

A scientific explanation is a reasoned and evidence-based answer to a scientific question. The video discusses how using CER helps students structure their explanations effectively, ensuring that they present clear claims, supported by evidence, and justified through reasoning.

💡Phase Change

A phase change refers to the transition of matter from one state (solid, liquid, gas) to another, as mentioned in the video. An example is the phase change during the boiling of water, where students are encouraged to investigate what happens to energy during the change and explain it using CER.

Highlights

Paul Anderson introduces the CER framework for making explanations in the science classroom.

CER is essential for improving scores on lab writeups, essays, and exams.

Science involves gathering evidence and forming explanations, which are critiqued over time.

The CER framework was developed by Dr. Kate McNeil and Dr. Joe Cek.

C stands for claim, E for evidence, and R for reasoning in the CER framework.

Students often struggle with making the logical connection in reasoning.

Reasoning should be based on a scientific definition, rule, or principle.

Teachers should provide a good question and a method to answer it.

An example of framing a question is determining if 'skew dice' are fair.

Defining terms like 'fair' and 'skew dice' is crucial before gathering evidence.

An example science question is whether air is matter.

Framing and understanding the terms in a question is important before starting an investigation.

Evidence gathering should be followed by a clear claim and reasoning.

The reasoning process should connect evidence to a scientific principle.

Students often repeat evidence instead of making a clear connection in their lab writeups.

A rebuttal can be used to challenge claims, evidence, and reasoning.

The CER framework can be applied to various science topics, including chemistry and physics.

An example of a chemistry lab question is what happens to energy during a phase change.

The law of conservation of energy can be used in reasoning during a phase change.

Claim, evidence, and reasoning is a systematic approach to explanation in science.

Using CER improves the quality of explanations and understanding in scientific investigations.

Transcripts

[Music]

hi it's Paul Anderson and in this video

I want to talk about CER it's a

framework for making explanations in the

science classroom it's a skill that

teachers should give their students and

students should have if they want to

improve their scores on lab writeups on

essays or on big exams but before we

talk about CER let's talk about science

in general in science what we're doing

is gathering evidence through

investigations of the natural world

we're then coming up with explanations

that are critiqued over time but

unfortunately a lot of the time in a

science classroom the investigations are

developed by the teacher itself and the

students are just going through a

cookbook lab and so we want to avoid

that if we can but also we spend too

much time on the investigation itself on

the variables and controlling the

variables and then when we get to the

end of coming up with an explanation of

what we learned we kind of fall down on

that point and so the CER is a framework

that makes this explanation making

explicit it was developed by Dr Kate

mcneel and Dr Joe cek I'll put links to

some of their material down below but

it's an acronym the C stands for claim

the E stands for evidence and the r

stands for reasoning sometimes you'll

hear rebuttle at it at the end of that

that's looking at somebody else's claim

evidence and reasoning um but this is my

model for how claim evidence reasoning

Works claim is an answer to a question

that's asked evidence is going to be

what you gather empirical evidence that

gathered that's gathered in the lab or

through research and then reasoning is

going to be a logical connection between

the evidence and the claim that you're

trying to make

now students will generally do really

good at the evidence Gathering but they

fall down when it comes to this logical

connection and so a good tip is to make

sure that your reasoning is based in

some kind of a scientific definition

rule principle that's a way that in

science we can all agree on that now

what should a teacher provide a teacher

should simply provide a good question

and a way to answer that question so

let's say in the science classroom I

give my students a bunch of dice but

they're different looking dice they're

skew dice that look like this and I ask

them the following question are these

skew dice Fair now they could start

Gathering uh evidence right away they

could roll the dice a bunch of times we

could measure the dice look at their

center of gravity maybe measure all of

the sides to make sure that they're all

the same but before we jump in and start

doing evidence make sure that you've

actually framed the question and you

understand what's being asked make sure

that you could Define everything that's

in this this question itself I I'm sure

you know what skew dice is but are we

all in agreement with what it is to be

fair

well let's define it fair is this idea

that each side has an equal probability

of ending up on top now once we have

that definition you can use that in that

logical connection let's get to an

actual science uh question that we could

answer is air matter that's a question

you can answer in the science laboratory

before we dig in and start Gathering

evidence however we should frame the

question and make sure that we

understand what every term in there

means so what is air air is an invisible

substance that surrounds the Earth what

what is matter matter is anything that

has mass and takes up space um what else

do we know about matter it can be

neither created nor destroyed so

sometimes it's helpful at the beginning

to get all of these listed out so that

we can use them at a later date now we

can use a form like this to do our claim

evidence reasoning claim is going to be

an answer to the question but generally

we don't start there we have to start by

gathering evidence so perhaps I take a

balloon put it on a scale and then I

fill up a balloon and put it on the same

scale I'm trying to show that there's an

increase in mass and then maybe I want

to look at the takes up space side of

the matter maybe I take a bottle filled

with water pump air into it and I can

displace some of that water and so now I

can make a claim yes air is matter

that's going to be my claim I've

gathered evidence but now how do I do

the reasoning well the reasoning is

easier if it's tied to one of those

scientific definitions that I had before

so let me read you my reasoning uh the

mass of the balloon increased when air

was added indicating that the air had

Mass the air displaced a volume of water

indicating that the air also has a

volume since matter must have both mass

and volume my evidence suggests that air

is matter that reasoning part is what we

hope our students will start to write

and they never do generally when they're

doing a lab write up they simply tell us

the evidence they gathered over and over

and over in more detail but what we

really want is a connection between the

evidence that you gathered and the

explanation that you're trying to make

now we could do a rebuttal on that we

could say well let's look at the

evidence here um you blew this up so

that's air coming from your lungs so

it's not coming from the environment so

that could impact it maybe it's water

there and also it looks like there's air

right here um and so are you really

measuring air or are we measuring air

pressure and so now we can have

argumentation or we can talk about the

evidence or the reasoning now all you do

when you're doing Labs that use claim

evidence reasoning is just give them a

good question and a material to answer

the question I could give them a bunch

of magnets and I could say which of

these is the strongest give them a bunch

of paper clips rulers whatever um rubber

bands washers and they have to answer

this question the first question they

should ask you as a teacher however is

let's make sure we frame the question

and Define everything inside it what is

magnetic strength and if we say it's a

measure of the attractiveness or

attractive force between a magnet and

magnetic material do we know what a

force is once we have all of these

definitions out there it's easier for

you to do a claim evidence reasoning now

these are pretty lowlevel science

questions we could do it in a chemistry

lab as well one thing that puzzles

students a lot of the time is when you

boil water it gets to around 100° C and

then it stays there I used to have kids

who would look at their thermometer and

thought it was somehow broken but we

have this curve that looks like this so

as we heat something up as we apply heat

to it as it goes from a solid to a

liquid to a gas we get these plateaus

where the temperature stays the same so

I could ask them a question what happens

to the energy during a phase change what

happens to the energy right here and so

what they should be doing is coming up

with an explanation they should be

coming up with a claim how should they

do that number one frame what the

question is asking uh do we know what

energy is do we know what a phase change

is do we know anything things that might

be applicable to energy like the law of

conservation of energy now they're going

to gather a bunch of evidence what's

some relevant evidence we can see we're

a phase change from liquid to gas is

occurring right here we see during this

time that we're adding heat but the

temperature is not going up and so you

could gather a bunch of evidence but

then making that connection making the

reasoning it's going to be based in some

kind of a principle and you could try to

make that connection down below you

could write your reasoning in the

comments if you wanted to so what is

claim evidence and reasoning it's a way

to make explanations and if you step

through those three parts when you're

ever asked to explain what you learned

as long as you say here's my claim

here's the evidence and here's the

reasoning to back it up you're going to

do much better than you have in the past

I want to thank Krist Rin

uh he put this forward as an idea of a

video if you have a suggestion for a

video you'd like me to make put it again

in the comments down below uh but that's

claim evidence reasoning and I hope that

was

[Music]

helpful