CER Evaluation

How would you classify each statement?

Groups:

(a) Claim

,

(b) Evidence

,

(c) Reasoning

• An athlete's muscles performed better because her diet was rich in carbohydrates for energy.

• The # of bacteria on a kitchen counter decreasedby 95% after being sprayed with disinfectant

• Your heart rate increases during exercise to pump oxygenated blood to your muscles.

• The leaves on a plant turned yellow after it was left without water for three weeks.

• Cells are the basic unit of all living things.

• Living things need energy to survive.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A scientist observed that a plant growing in a dark room didn't grow as tall as a plant of the same species that was exposed to sunlight. Both plants were given the same amount of water and fertilizer. The scientist concluded that plants require light to grow to their full potential.

What is the claim in this scenario?

• Plants that grow in the dark will not grow as tall as plants exposed to sunlight.

• The amount of water and fertilizer given to the plants was kept constant.

• Plants require light to grow to their full potential.

• A plant growing in a dark room was compared to a plant exposed to sunlight.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

You are studying two identical beakers of pond water. You add a small amount of fertilizer to one beaker, and after a week, you observe a significant increase in the amount of algae in that beaker compared to the one without fertilizer. Based on this, you state that adding fertilizer to an aquatic environment promotes algae growth.

Identify the claim.

• .

  Adding fertilizer to an aquatic environment promotes algae growth.

• Adding a small amount of fertilizer to a beaker of pond water.

• Two identical beakers of pond water were studied.

• There was a significant increase in the amount of algae in one beaker.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

.Match the following

• Evidence

• A statement or conclusion that answers the original question or problem. It is a main idea or argument that is not based on opinion.

• Claim

• The scientific principle or rule that explains why the evidence supports the claim. It links the data to the conclusion

• Reasoning

• The data, observations, or information collected from an experiment or a reliable source. It is the proof that supports the claim.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-PS3-5

A student hypothesizes that the temperature of water affects how quickly sugar dissolves. They test this by adding one spoonful of sugar to a glass of cold water and another spoonful to a glass of hot water. The sugar in the hot water dissolved in 20 seconds, while the sugar in the cold water took 60 seconds. The student then asserted that a higher water temperature increases the rate at which sugar dissolves.

What is the reasoning that connects the evidence to the claim?

• The water in both glasses was a clear liquid.

• The sugar in the hot water dissolved faster.

• The student added a spoonful of sugar to each glass.

• In hot water, molecules move faster and collide with the sugar more frequently and with more energy, causing it to dissolve more quickly.

Tags

NGSS.MS-PS1-4

A farmer notices that a field treated with a new pesticide has a lower number of pests than an untreated field. Both fields were planted with the same crop and had similar soil conditions. The farmer decided to continue using the pesticide, believing it is effective in reducing pests.

What is the reasoning that supports the farmer's decision?

• The pesticide contains chemical compounds specifically designed to kill or repel pests.

• The treated field had fewer pests than the untreated field.

• Both fields had similar soil conditions.

• The farmer believed the pesticide was effective.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

During an experiment, a student measured the pulse rate of their classmates before and after 5 minutes of jogging. They found that everyone's pulse rate was significantly higher after jogging. The student concluded that physical activity causes an increase in heart rate. What is the reasoning for the student's conclusion?

• The students jogged for 5 minutes.

• Physical activity requires the body to deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, which is done by increasing the heart rate.

• The classmates' pulse rates were measured before and after jogging.

• Everyone's pulse rate was higher after jogging.

A biologist claims that the enzyme pepsin functions most effectively in a highly acidic environment, like that of the stomach. Which of the following would serve as evidence for this claim?

• The enzyme is known as pepsin.

• A graph showing that the rate of reaction for pepsin is highest at a pH of 2.0.

• The stomach is a highly acidic organ.

• Pepsin is a protein.

A student claims that yeast performs anaerobic respiration and produces a gas as a byproduct. To support this claim, the student set up an experiment with yeast, sugar, and a balloon on a flask. Which of the following observations from the experiment would be evidence for the claim?

• The flask contained yeast and sugar.

• The flask was sealed with a balloon on the opening.

• The balloon on the opening of the flask inflated over time.

• Yeast is a type of fungus.

A scientist claims that a prolonged drought on an island led to an increase in the average beak size of a finch population due to natural selection. Which of the following would be evidence to support this claim?

• There was a prolonged drought on the island.

• The finches with larger beaks were able to eat the tougher, larger seeds that survived the drought.

• A graph showing that the average beak size of the finches increased from 10mm to 12mm over the course of the drought.

• Finches on other islands did not experience a change in beak size.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4