CER Review

Let's Review C.E.R Writing

by FELICITY SWAFFORD

Poll

Which part of a CER paragraph are you MOST confident writing?

• The Claim

• The Evidence

• The Reasoning

​Let's Start With Claims

​Remember, claims are opinions or statements that can be argued AND supported with evidence.

​

​A good claim is clear and to the point. For example...

• ​I like doritos better than fritos. (x)

• ​Doritos are healthier than fritos.

Multiple Choice

Let's practice that concept.

Monica wants to write a CER paragraph about the benefits of Spanish class. Which of these statements is the BEST claim she can start with?

• I like Spanish class the best because it is fun.

• Spanish class is better than math class.

• Spanish class is one of the most beneficial classes you can take in high school.

• Spanish class is a waste of time and we don't have time to use the language.

​You might be thinking...

​"Hey! Spanish class is better than math class IS a claim!"

​

​And you're right. It is a claim. But it isn't the BEST claim for our CER paragraph.

​

​When writing a claim, try to be as clear about what you're talking about as you can, but don't use the word "because"! If you add because on, you're adding evidence.

Multiple Choice

Let's practice a bit more.

James wants to write a CER about video games helping hand-eye coordination. Which of these statements would be the BEST claim for his paragraph?

• Video game sports like football and soccer are more fun than the actual sport.

• Video games let us experience things we will never be able to in real life.

• Video games are a good replacement for sports.

• Video games help high schoolers in more ways than just entertaining them.

Multiple Choice

Zawadi wants to write a CER about the importance of having dance classes in school. Which of these statements would be the BEST claim for her paragraph?

• Many schools no longer have dance or music programs.

• Removing dance programs from school is taking away student opportunities.

• Dance classes are important for growing students.

• Taking a dance class can make you more flexible and give you better rhythm.

Multiple Choice

Mr. Miller is checking some CERs that his students wrote.

One student wrote, "The game of Clue lets you hunt down suspects by taking educated guesses."

Is this a claim?

• Yes, it's a claim.

• No, it's not a claim.

Multiple Choice

Ms. Swafford is grading a CER that a student wrote.

The student wrote, "If it comes down to flavor, Starbucks coffee is better than Dunkin Donuts."

Is this a claim?

• Yes, it's a claim.

• No, it isn't.

​Let's Talk About Evidence

​Evidence is factual statements that support (or prove) the claim you made.

​

​Remember that evidence MUST BE objective (fact) and not subjective (an opinion).

​

​Let's take a second to review objective and subjective.

Multiple Choice

Is this OBJECTIVE or SUBJECTIVE evidence?

The coffee we bought last week was better.

• Objective

• Subjective

Multiple Choice

Is this OBJECTIVE or SUBJECTIVE evidence?

Cats and tigers are both members of the feline family.

• Objective

• Subjective

Multiple Choice

Is this OBJECTIVE or SUBJECTIVE evidence?

Geometry class is way harder than Algebra I.

• Objective

• Subjective

Multiple Choice

Is this OBJECTIVE or SUBJECTIVE evidence?

I would do better in that class if it wasn't so cold.

• Objective

• Subjective

Multiple Choice

Is this OBJECTIVE or SUBJECTIVE evidence?

Cold classrooms have been proven to keep students awake and alert.

• Objective

• Subjective

Multiple Choice

Got It?

Now, just to make sure...

Objective evidence is...

• Fact

• Opinion

Multiple Choice

And...

Subjective evidence is...

• Fact

• Opinion

What makes evidence good?

You already know there's a lot of different types of evidence.

​

​So how do you know what evidence is best?

​

​Simply put, only use evidence that is STRONG and supports your claim!

Multiple Choice

Read the claim below.

"Public transportation should be free."

Which piece of evidence BEST supports the claim?

• Several cities around the world have experimented with free public transportation but ended up bringing back charges.

• Free public transportation would encourage more people to ride buses and trains, which causes less pollution.

Multiple Choice

Read the claim below.

"Cooking shows have a positive effect on American culture."

Which piece of evidence BEST supports the claim?

• Cooking shows have influenced and inspired both home cooks and professional chefs to try new cuisines and techniques.

• Cooking shows have a long history in the US, going back to radio shows in the 1920's and 30's.

Multiple Choice

Read the claim below.

"People should not keep wild animals as pets."

Which piece of evidence BEST supports the claim?

• Wild animals often carry diseases that are in incurable--and sometimes deadly--in humans.

• Certain states and cities have laws that allow for wild animals to be kept as pets.

Multiple Choice

Read the claim below.

"Boxing should be banned as a professional sport."

Which piece of evidence BEST supports the claim?

• Boxing promotes self discipline, increases self-esteem, and encourages physical fitness.

• Boxing glamorizes agression and physical violence against other people.

​What about Reasoning?

​Evidence is just a fact by itself, and usually only appears as a single sentence in a CER.

​

​The reasoning explains WHY that data supports your claim.

​

​Let's look at some examples.

​Example #1

​Claim: A person's height decreases throughout the day as gravity pulls down on their body.

​

​Evidence: The height of students decreased by an average of 1.7 cm throughout the day.

​

​Reasoning: Since the students were measured after the same amount of time sitting or standing, we know that gravity is having some effect on them.

​Example #2

​Claim: The nose is the most painful location for a honey bee sting. The upper lip is the 2nd most painful.

​

​Evidence: Mr. Smith stung himself with honey bees. On a scale of 1-10, he noticed stings on the nose and upper lip had an average pain rating of 9 and 8.7.

​

​Reasoning: Pain is more intense where the skin is thin, so parts of the face naturally hurt more.

Multiple Choice

Claim: Art classes should be mandatory in schools.

Evidence: Students who take art classes are shown to have more creative responses to problems.

Reasoning: ???

• Art classes teach students to think more creatively and look for better solutions.

• Art classes cause problems that students need to fix.

• Art classes make you creative.

Multiple Choice

Claim: Sports give players healthy coping skills.

Evidence: People who played a team sport were 67% more likely to not be disappointed by small losses.

Reasoning: ???

• Sports teach people that disappointment is not a good emotion to have.

• People who play sports are just stronger than those who don't.

• Since winning a game is a 50-50 chance, most players come to realize that losing is only temporary.

​Now Let's Write a CER

​I'll give you some evidence.

​

​Your job is to write a claim and reasoning for it!

Open Ended

Write a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) paragraph for the evidence below.

1) The world is getting hotter by a few degrees every year.

2) Gasses from cars and manufacturers trap the heat from the sun.

Open Ended

Write a CER (claim-evidence-reasoning) paragraph for the evidence below.

1) Year-long classes prevent learning loss during the next semester.

2) Students scored 43% better in year-long classes than semester-long ones.