CER - Claim Evidence Reasoning

Bozeman Science
9 Jan 201707:24
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this educational video, Paul Anderson introduces the CER framework, a method for crafting scientific explanations. Developed by Dr. Kate Mcneel and Dr. Joe Cek, CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. Anderson emphasizes the importance of not just gathering evidence in science, but also making logical connections to support claims, a skill crucial for lab write-ups and exams.

Takeaways
  • 🔬 CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, a framework developed by Dr. Kate McNeil and Dr. Joe Cek to enhance science explanations in the classroom.
  • 📚 The primary goal of CER is to help students improve their performance on lab writeups, essays, and exams by providing a structured approach to explanation making.
  • 🧐 In science, evidence is gathered through investigations, and explanations are formed and critiqued over time, but students often struggle with the reasoning part of the process.
  • 📉 Teachers should avoid 'cookbook labs' and instead encourage students to engage in the process of making explanations based on evidence.
  • 📝 A claim is an answer to a scientific question, evidence is the empirical data collected, and reasoning is the logical connection between the evidence and the claim.
  • 🤔 Students often excel at gathering evidence but may falter when making the logical connection, which should be grounded in scientific definitions or principles.
  • 👨‍🏫 Teachers should provide a good question and the means to answer it, ensuring that students understand and can define the terms within the question.
  • 🎲 An example given in the script involves using 'skew dice' to teach students how to frame a question, gather evidence, and make a logical claim about fairness.
  • 🌬️ Another example discusses whether air is matter, using a balloon and a bottle filled with water to demonstrate the properties of matter and support the claim.
  • 🔄 The script emphasizes the importance of framing questions and defining terms before gathering evidence, as seen in the discussion about the phase change of water.
  • 📉 The concept of energy conservation is introduced, suggesting that during a phase change, energy is neither created nor destroyed, but its form changes.
Q & A
  • What is CER and why is it important in the science classroom?

    -CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. It is a framework for making explanations in the science classroom. It is important because it helps students improve their understanding and ability to explain scientific concepts, which is crucial for lab writeups, essays, and exams.

  • What is the general process of doing science according to the video?

    -In science, the general process involves gathering evidence through investigations of the natural world and then coming up with explanations that are critiqued over time.

  • Why do students often struggle with the explanation part in science?

    -Students often struggle with the explanation part because they tend to focus too much on the investigation and controlling variables, neglecting the need to make a logical connection between the evidence they gather and the claim they are trying to support.

  • What does the acronym CER stand for and what does each part represent?

    -CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. 'Claim' is an answer to a question, 'Evidence' is the empirical data gathered, and 'Reasoning' is the logical connection between the evidence and the claim.

  • What is the role of a teacher in facilitating the CER process?

    -A teacher should provide a good question and a way to answer that question, ensuring that students understand and can define all terms in the question.

  • How can students improve their reasoning in the CER framework?

    -Students can improve their reasoning by basing it on scientific definitions, rules, or principles that are widely accepted in the scientific community.

  • What is an example of a science question that could be explored using the CER framework?

    -An example question is 'Are these skew dice fair?' where 'fair' is defined as each side having an equal probability of landing on top.

  • What is the scientific definition of 'matter' as discussed in the video?

    -In the video, 'matter' is defined as anything that has mass and takes up space, and it cannot be created or destroyed.

  • How can the CER framework be used to explore the question 'Is air matter?'

    -Using the CER framework, one can claim that air is matter, gather evidence such as the increase in mass of a balloon when filled with air and the displacement of water by air, and then reason that since air has mass and volume, it qualifies as matter.

  • What is a potential rebuttal to the claim that air is matter?

    -A potential rebuttal could question the source of the air (e.g., from the lungs vs. the environment) and whether the measurements are actually of air or air pressure.

  • How can the CER framework be applied to a chemistry lab question like 'What happens to the energy during a phase change?'

    -Students can frame the question, gather evidence of a phase change (e.g., water boiling and maintaining a constant temperature), and reason based on principles like the law of conservation of energy to explain what happens to the energy.

Outlines
00:00
🔬 Introduction to CER Framework in Science Education

In this video, Paul Anderson introduces the CER framework, which stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. He emphasizes its importance in science education, particularly for improving students' performance in lab write-ups, essays, and exams. Anderson explains that science involves gathering evidence and forming explanations, but often students struggle with the explanation part. The CER framework, developed by Dr. Kate McNeil and Dr. Joe Ceci, helps make the process of explanation explicit. The framework involves starting with a claim (an answer to a question), gathering evidence (empirical data from experiments or research), and then reasoning (connecting the evidence to the claim logically, often based on scientific principles). Anderson suggests that teachers should provide good questions and a way to answer them, using the CER framework to guide students through the process of scientific inquiry.

05:01
🧲 Applying CER Framework to Simple Science Questions

In the second paragraph, Paul Anderson continues to discuss the CER framework, applying it to simple science questions like determining the fairness of skew dice and whether air is matter. He illustrates how to frame questions and define terms clearly before gathering evidence. For example, in a lab setting, students might roll skew dice to test their fairness or measure the mass of a balloon filled with air to determine if air has mass. Anderson emphasizes the importance of reasoning in the CER framework, suggesting that students should connect their evidence to a scientific principle or definition. He also touches on the potential for rebuttals, where students can challenge each other's claims, evidence, and reasoning, fostering deeper understanding and critical thinking. Anderson concludes by encouraging teachers to use the CER framework in their labs, providing students with clear questions and materials to explore and answer.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡CER
CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning. It is a framework introduced by Dr. Kate McNeil and Dr. Joe Cek for structuring scientific explanations in the classroom. The video emphasizes its importance for students to improve their lab writeups, essays, and exam scores. The acronym is used throughout the script to explain how to make clear and logical scientific arguments based on evidence.
💡Science Classroom
The science classroom is the educational setting where the video's content is applied. It is where students gather evidence through investigations and develop explanations that are critiqued over time. The script discusses the common issues in science classrooms, such as students following 'cookbook labs' without fully understanding the scientific process.
💡Investigations
Investigations in the context of the video refer to the process of exploring and studying the natural world to gather evidence. They are a fundamental part of the scientific method and are used to form explanations about phenomena observed in the natural world.
💡Claim
A claim in the CER framework is an answer to a scientific question. It is a statement that is supported by evidence and reasoning. The script uses the concept of 'claim' to illustrate the starting point of a scientific argument, such as answering whether 'air is matter'.
💡Evidence
Evidence in the script represents the empirical data gathered through scientific investigations. It is a crucial component of the CER framework, where students must collect verifiable facts that support their claims, such as measuring the mass of a balloon before and after filling it with air.
💡Reasoning
Reasoning is the logical connection between the claim and the evidence in the CER framework. It is the process of explaining why the evidence supports the claim, often based on scientific principles or definitions. The script emphasizes the importance of clear reasoning in scientific explanations.
💡Skew Dice
Skew dice are a type of dice that are not perfectly symmetrical, used in the script as an example to illustrate the process of framing questions and gathering evidence in a science classroom. They are used to ask whether the dice are 'fair,' which leads to a discussion about probability and the scientific method.
💡Fair (in probability)
In the context of the video, 'fair' refers to the concept in probability that each side of a die (or any random event) has an equal chance of occurring. This is used to frame a question about the skew dice and to guide the scientific investigation.
💡Matter
Matter is defined in the script as anything that has mass and takes up space. It is a fundamental concept in physics and chemistry, and the script uses it to explore whether air qualifies as matter, tying into the scientific principles of mass and volume.
💡Phase Change
A phase change is a transformation between states of matter, such as from solid to liquid or liquid to gas. The script discusses phase changes, particularly boiling water, to illustrate how energy is involved in these processes and to prompt students to think about the conservation of energy.
💡Rebuttal
Rebuttal, while not the main focus of the CER framework, is mentioned as a part of the process where one might challenge another's claim, evidence, and reasoning. In the script, it is suggested as a way to further explore and critique scientific arguments, such as questioning the source of air in an experiment.
Highlights

CER is a framework for making explanations in the science classroom.

CER is a skill that teachers should provide to students to improve their scores on lab writeups, essays, or exams.

Science involves gathering evidence through investigations and coming up with explanations that are critiqued over time.

In many science classrooms, investigations are developed by the teacher, leading to a cookbook lab approach.

CER framework makes the process of explanation making explicit.

CER was developed by Dr. Kate Mcneel and Dr. Joe Cek.

CER stands for Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning, with an optional Rebuttal.

Claim is an answer to a question, Evidence is empirical data gathered, and Reasoning is the logical connection between them.

Students often excel at gathering evidence but struggle with making the logical connection in Reasoning.

Reasoning should be based on scientific definitions, rules, or principles.

A teacher should provide a good question and a way to answer it, such as using skew dice to determine fairness.

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

An example science question is 'Is air matter?' which can be explored in a lab setting.

Understanding terms like 'air' and 'matter' and principles like the conservation of mass is key to framing questions.

Gathering evidence involves experiments like measuring the mass of a balloon filled with air.

Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning should be used to answer questions, with Reasoning tied to scientific definitions.

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

Rebuttal involves questioning the evidence or reasoning, such as considering if air measured is from the environment or lungs.

Using CER in labs involves providing a good question and materials to answer it, such as determining the strongest magnet.

Framing questions and defining terms like 'magnetic strength' and 'force' is essential before starting an investigation.

An example question in a chemistry lab could be about the energy during a phase change, like boiling water.

Understanding concepts like energy and the law of conservation of energy is crucial for making a claim and reasoning.

CER helps students make better explanations by clearly stating their claim, evidence, and reasoning.

Transcripts
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