CERCA

​Claim
Evidence
Reasoning
Counterargument
Audience

​Claim

​Definition: A clear statement that answers a question or proposes a solution. It should be debatable and require evidence to support it. 

Essential Question: Should robots be used to take care of the elderly?

Claim: Robots should be used to take care of the elderly because...

Evidence

​Definition: Data, observations, or information gathered from reliable sources that support the claim. This could be from experiment, research, or other form of investigation.



Evidence: ...there are robots that can lift a person.

Evidence: Observations

Definition: Observations is the gathering of information by using our five senses.

• Sight

• Smell

• Hearing

• Taste

• Touch
  
  
  
  
  

Open Ended

What is an observation you have about my classroom?

Evidence: Observations

Qualitative: Describes the quality or attribute of something.
Example: Those apples are red.

Quantitative: Describes a number amount (quantity) of something.
Example: There are ten red apples on that tree.

Poll

Was the observation you made earlier Qualitative (describes something) or Quantitative (number)?

• Qualitative

• Quantitative

• Both

Reasoning

​Definition:  Explains how the evidence supports the claim. It demonstrates a logical connection between the evidence and the stated claim, often using scientific principles or rules.



Reasoning: ...which means that robots could help if an elderly person fell down.

Counterargument

​Definition:  An argument against your claim using evidence. How could you defend your point of view from someone who disagrees?


Counterargument: Some people say that robots should not be used to take care of the elderly because they are expensive.

Audience

​Definition:  Who is the audience of this piece of writing, argument, speech, or any other form of communication?

Audience:
If you're writing a persuasive essay, the audience would be your teacher. If you're in a debate, the audience would be the judges/crowd.

​CERCA Practice:

You are a lawyer trying to convict someone of murder.

What would your claim be?

Raise your hands to answer!

​Claim:

The claim would be that the defendant committed the murder!

​Evidence:

What evidence would you have to try to prove that the defendant committed the murder?

Raise your hands to answer!

​Evidence:

Examples of evidence include: Fingerprints, blood, DNA, hair, murder weapon, motive, opportunity, eyewitness testimony, video/sound recordings, search history, written notes, photographs, footprints, tire tracks, clothes, lack of alibi, and evidence of a coverup.

Did you think of something I didn't?

​CERCA Practice:

What would the reasoning be behind the evidence that would help tie the defendant to the murder?

Raise your hands to answer!

​Reasoning:

Examples of reasoning:

• The defendant's DNA is found at the crime scene, and DNA is unique to every human being.

• The defendant had the murder weapon registered in their name, which means they had access to what killed the victim.

• The defendant has the same shoe size as the footprints found at the scene of the crime, so it's possible they made those tracks.
  
  
  
  

​Counterargument:

The defendant's lawyer would try to argue that their client is innocent.

What is a counterargument against the evidence we brought up earlier?

Raise your hands to answer!

​Counterargument:

• Examples of Counterarguments:

• Defendant has an identical twin, you can't prove which twin's DNA it was.

• Another suspect has the same shoe size.

• Their client had an alibi as they were filming a TikTok at the time of the murder with a witness and timestamp.
  
  

​Audience

Who is the audience for both lawyers?

Who are they making their arguments to?

Raise your hand to answer!

​Audience

The audience would be the judge and the jury!

Match

Match the following words to what they answer.

• Claim

• Evidence

• Reasoning

• Counterargument

• Audience

What is being stated?

What proof do you have?

Why does evidence support your claim?

Evidence against your claim.

What is this media being created for?

• What is being stated?

• What proof do you have?

• Why does evidence support your claim?

• Evidence against your claim.

• What is this media being created for?