1. Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) How do snowflakes form?
Mary Tweedy, Curriculum Support Specialist
Keisha Kidd, Curriculum Support Specialist
Millard Lightburn, Ph.D., District Supervisor K-5

2. Common Core Integration
Benchmark Focus
Science
SC.5.E.7.3 Recognize how air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and precipitation determine the weather in a particular place and time.
SC.5.E.7.4 Distinguish among the various forms of precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, and hail) making connections to the weather in a particular place and time. (Assessed as SC.5.E.7.3.)
Common Core Integration
LACC.5.W.3.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
LACC.5.SL.1.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
LACC.K12.L.3.4 : Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
Department of Mathematics and Science

3. How Snowflakes Form Resources
Grade 5 McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders Literature Anthology: The Story of Snow Unit 3 Week 3 pp
User Name: wondersfl Password: wonders2014
Discovery Education Reading: Where Do Snowflakes Come From?
Animated Video: How does it snow?
Video: How does snow form? (Comparing snow to sleet):
NBC LEARN: How Snowflakes Form (And Yes, Each One is Different)
How Do Snowflakes Form?
A snowflake primer:
Choose from the resources listed above to provide students with information to answer the question. All the resources will not need to be used, but students will likely need to review more than one to find the information needed.

4. What do you know about snow?
How does it snow?

5. Gr. 5 McGraw-Hill Reading Wonders Literature Anthology:
Discovery Education Reading:
Where Do Snowflakes Come From?

6. Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER)
Assignment: Write a scientific explanation that answers this question: How do snowflakes form? Claim (Write a sentence that states how snowflakes form.) Evidence: (Provide data about the weather conditions including quantitative data to support your claim about how snowflakes form.) Reasoning: (Write a statement that connects your evidence to your claim about how snowflakes form.)
You will also communicate what you know by making a scientific explanation. When you make a scientific explanation, be sure to include
what your question is,
the evidence that helps  answer your question,
your claim, or what you think the answer is, your reasoning, or  why you think the answer is correct.

7. Division of Academics – Department of Science
Getting Started
First think about:
Use your resources:
What is a possible claim?
Where can you find your evidence?
What science words will
you want to include?
Where can you find science and other words to help you write?
Observations and data from hands-on activities
Videos
Reading passages
Science notebook
Your textbook
Classroom charts, word walls and bulletin boards
CER anchor chart:
Ask students how they think they should get started.
Ask what is a possible claim?
Ask students what resources they have that will help them? If necessary, point out the anchor charts, word walls, and notes / activities in their science notebooks.
Say let’s see how a textbook page can help. See next slide.
Division of Academics – Department of Science

8. Division of Academics – Department of Science
Writing Scaffolds
Sentence Starters:
Writing Words:
My evidence to support my claim is…
The data…
According to the text…
On page ___, it said …
The author wrote…
For instance…
From the reading, I know that…
The graphic showed…
For example…
My evidence supports my claim because…
My claim is true because…
“Uncertainty” words:
usually, generally,
suggests, indicates
Sequencing words: first, second, third,
Next, last
Therefore
Because
If… Then…
However
CER Anchor Charts
Division of Academics – Department of Science

9. CER Grading Rubric

10. Providing Feedback on a Student’s CER
What to Comment on:
How to Comment:
Components of the explanation:
- claim
- evidence
- reasoning
Science content of explanation
Holistic quality of explanation
Explicit and clear feedback
Point out strengths and weaknesses
Provide suggestions on how to improve
Ask questions to promote deeper thinking
Department of Mathematics and Science