Helen a Pub l ic Schoo lsMiddle School Science Professional DevelopmentKirk RobbinsTeachscience4all.orgFebruary 14, 2018

Scientific Explanation and Argumentation

Using CER:A Handbook for Teachers

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OVERVIEW of Explanation and Argumentation in the Next Generation Science Standards

Practice 6 Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions:The goal of science is to construct explanations for the causes of phenomena. Students are expected to construct their own explanations, as well as apply standard explanations they learn about from their teachers or reading. The Framework states the following about explanation:

“The goal of science is the construction of theories that provide explanatory accounts of the world. A theory becomes accepted when it has multiple lines of empirical evidence and greater explanatory power of phenomena than previous theories.”(NRC Framework, 2012, p. 52)

An explanation includes a claim that relates how a variable or variables relate to another variable or a set of variables. A claim is often made in response to a question and in the process of answering the question, scientists often design investigations to generate data. The goal of engineering is to solve problems. Designing solutions to problems is a systematic process that involves defining the problem, then generating, testing, and improving solutions. This practice is described in the Framework as follows.

Asking students to demonstrate their own understanding of the implications of a scientific idea by developing their own explanations of phenomena, whether based on observations they have made or models they have developed, engages them in an essential part of the process by which conceptual change can occur.

Practice 7 Engaging in Argument from EvidenceThe study of science and engineering should produce a sense of the process of argument necessary for advancing and defending a new idea or an explanation of a phenomenon and the norms for conducting such arguments. In that spirit, students should argue for the explanations they construct, defend their interpretations of the associated data, and advocate for the designs they propose. (NRC Framework, 2012, p. 73)

Argumentation is a process for reaching agreements about explanations and design solutions. In science, reasoning and argument based on evidence are essential in identifying the best explanation for a natural phenomenon. In engineering, reasoning and argument are needed to identify the best solution to a design problem. Student engagement in scientific argumentation is critical if students are to understand the culture in which scientists live, and how to apply science and engineering for the benefit of society. As such, argument is a process based on evidence and reasoning that leads to explanations acceptable by the scientific community and design solutions acceptable by the engineering community.

Argument in science goes beyond reaching agreements in explanations and design solutions. Whether investigating a phenomenon, testing a design, or constructing a model to provide a mechanism for an explanation, students are expected to use argumentation to listen to, compare, and evaluate competing ideas and methods based on their merits. Scientists and engineers engage in argumentation when investigating a phenomenon, testing a design solution, resolving questions about measurements, building data models, and using evidence to evaluate claims.

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Writing Your Own Scientific Explanation1. Examine the data table below. 2. Write a scientific explanation stating whether fat and soap are the same substance or different substances.

Student Data Collection for Fat and SoapColor Hardness Solubility Melting Point Density

Fat Off-white or slightly yellow

Soft, squishy

Water- noOil- yes

37 degrees C 0.92 g/cm3

Soap Milky white Hard Water-yesOil- no

Hotter than 100 degrees C

0.84 g/cm3

Scientific Explanation

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Examining a Student Explanation Part 1Brandon’s First Explanation about Soap and Fat

What strengths do you see in this scientific explanation?

What feedback might you give to this student?

What do you think are some key features/components of a quality scientific explanation?

Fat and soap are both stuff but they are different substances. Fat is used for cooking and soap is used for washing. The are both things we use everyday. The data table is my evidence that they are different substances. Stuff can be different substances if you have the right data to show it.

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Examining a Student Explanation Part 2Brandon’s Second Explanation about Soap and Fat

What changes did Brandon make to his explanation?

In what ways did these changes make the explanation more clear?

If you were going to teach your students to write scientific explanations, how might you scaffold this for them?

Fat and soap are different substances.Fat is of white and soap is milky white.Fat is soft squishy and soap is hard.Fat is soluble in oil, but soap is not soluble in oil.Fat has a melting point of 37 degrees C and soap has a melting point above 100 degrees C. Fat has a density of 0.92 g/cm3 and soap has a density of 0.84g/cm3. These are all properties. Because fat and soap have different properties, I know they are different.

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Launching the CER FrameworkAs you watch the video of classroom instruction, record your observations of how the teacher introduced the CER Framework.

Parts of a Scientific Explanation

How did the teacher define this part? What example did the teacher use to introduce this part?

CLAIM

EVIDENCE

REASONING

Which of the parts of a scientific explanation do you think will be most difficult for students to master?

What could you do to make this part easier for students’ to understand and write?

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Explanation Framework

Learning Sequence for Teaching & Practicing Scientific Explanations1. Make the framework explicit.2. Model and critique explanations.3. Provide a rationale for creating explanations.4. Connect to everyday explanations.5. Assess and provide feedback to students._____________________________________________________________________________________Rubric for Learning the Cl-Ev-R Scientific ExplanationClaim

1. Relevant The claim directly & clearly responds to the question.2. Stands-Alone The claim statement is complete (stands alone).

Evidence3. Appropriate Is this the right type of evidence for this claim?

(Discuss this in the “Reasoning” section.)a. Validity: Measurements & observations are relevant.b. Validity: Controlled variables focus attention on key factors.

4. Sufficient Is there enough evidence?a. Reliability: Repeated trials will increase confidence.b. Full Range: Enough different conditions/values of variables?c. Full Range: The explanation cites enough examples to represent the whole data set without

being tedious.

Reasoning5. Stands-Out Is the reasoning obvious, or hard-to-spot?

a. DO NOT repeat the Claim or the Question.b. DO NOT repeat the Evidence.

6. Link Why this data should count as evidence.a. Why it’s the right type of measurement/observation.b. How the controls help to validate the link.

7. Science Concept Use scientific concepts to connect reasoning to claim:a. Is this the right science concept to connect the reasoning to the claim?b. Is the science concept clear and correctly used?

Note: A fuller scientific explanation will also contain a “Rebuttal,” which describes alternative Claims, plus the Evidence and/or Reasoning that refute the alternative Claim.

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Student Checklist for CERI Did It! I’m Close I Need Help Oops

Claim

Answers the question

My claim directly & clearly responds to the question.

My claim responds directly or clearly to the question.

My claim does not respond to the question.

No claim statement.

Stands-Alone(One sentence)

My claim stands alone as a complete statement.

My claim has a missing piece.

My claim is too vague or is missing pieces.

Evidence

This is the “right” evidence

My data is the right data to answer the question.

My data is mostly the right data to answer the question.

Most of my data is not the right data to answer the question.

No evidence cited.

There is enough evidence

I have just enough data but not so much that it is boring to read.

I have some evidence to support my claim but it doesn’t feel like enough.

I don’t have enough evidence to support my claim.

Reasoning

The reasoning is easy to spot

My reasoning statements are easy to find.

My reasoning statements are there but may be hard to find.

My reasoning just repeats the Claim, Question, or Evidence.

No reasoning

statements.

Why this evidence counts

I explain why my evidence counts.

I hint at why my evidence counts.

I don’t explain why my evidence counts.

Uses a science concept

I use a science concept to explain why the evidence supports the claim.

I use a science concept but it may not explain why the evidence supports the claim.

I barely mention any science concepts.

NOTES:

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Teacher Scoring ScaleAssessing Scientific Explanations and Arguments

Proficient Approaching Emerging No Evidence

Claim

Answers the question andStands Alone

Student’s claim directly and clearly responds to the question and stands alone as a complete statement

Student’s  claim responds directly or clearly to the question, but is missing a piece of the complete statement

Student’s claim does not respond to the question,  is too vague, or is incorrect

No claim statement or

totally irrelevant to

prompt.

Evidence

Quality of Evidence

Student uses the right data to answer the question.

Student uses data that  is mostly the right data to answer the question.

Student uses data that is not the right data to answer the question.

No evidence cited or

irrelevant evidence to the prompt.Quantity of

Evidence

Student uses an appropriate quantity of evidence, and is written in a concise way

Student uses evidence but some key evidence is missing

Student mentions evidence but doesn’t use  enough evidence to support their claim.

Reasoning

Clarity of reasoning

Student’s  reasoning statements are clear and make connections between the claim and the evidence

Student’s  reasoning statements are present but don’t make clear connections.

Student’s attempted reasoning just repeats the Claim, Question, or Evidence, or the reader has to make the connections

No reasoning statement, or irrelevant to the prompt.

Explanation of evidence

Student explains why their evidence counts.

Student  hints at why their evidence counts.

Student doesn’t explain why their evidence counts.

Uses a science concept

Student uses  a science concept to explain why their evidence supports the claim.

Student mentions  a science concept but it may not explain why the evidence supports the claim.

Student barely mentions any science concepts or uses an inappropriate concept.

Notes:

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TALK MOVESThe above frames can be displayed on posters, table tents, worksheets, etc and should frequently be modeled in talk and writing by the teacher.

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Making a Claim I observed __________ when __________.I compared ___________ and __________.I noticed __________, when __________.The effect of __________ on __________ is ___________.

Providing Evidence The evidence I use to support __________ is ___________.I believe __________ (statement) because __________ (justification).I know that __________ is __________ because __________.Based on ___________, I think ___________.Based upon ___________, my hypothesis is __________.

Asking for Evidence I have a question about ___________.Does ___________ have more ___________?What causes ___________ to ___________?Can you show me where you found the information about ___________?

Offering a Counter-Claim

I disagree with ___________ because ___________.The reason I believe ___________ is ___________.The facts that support my idea are ___________.In my opinion ___________.One difference between my idea and yours is ___________.

Inviting Speculation I wonder what would happen if ___________.I have a question about ___________.Let’s find out how we can test these samples for ___________.We want to test ___________ to find out if ___________.If I change ___________, then I think ___________ will happen because ___________.I wonder why ___________?What caused ___________?How would this be different if ___________?What do you think will happen if ___________/ next?

Reaching Consensus

I agree with ___________ because ___________.How would this be different if ___________?We all have the same idea about ___________.

What Counts as Evidence?(for this claim)

Read the statements below.Can we use this as evidence to support the claim? (yes or no)Why should it count as evidence (or not)?

Evidence: _____ Adult butterflies have wings.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence: _____ Adult butterflies have abdomens.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence: _____ Adult butterflies have many different colors on their wings.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence: _____ Butterflies have legs.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence: _____ Butterflies drink from flowers.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence: _____ Butterflies have six legs.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Evidence: _____ A butterfly develops from an egg, caterpillar, and chrysalis.

Reason: ___________________________________________________________________________________

Question: Are butterflies insects?

Claim: Yes, butterflies are insects

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KLEWs ChartMapping an explanation over time as claims are constructed from evidence can be a powerful instructional tool for both students and teachers. A KLEWs chart can be a useful tool for documenting claims and their connections to evidence and reasoning.

The KLEWs strategy is used to build “public notes” as an explanation is constructed over time.

COMPONTENT DESCRIPTIONKNOW (K) Document the uncovering of prior knowledge by asking, “what

do you think you know about _____?”LEARNING (L) This is the CLAIM column.

Entries are based on statements of learning in response to the guiding question.

EVIDENCE (E) Evidence is added to the chart when students share their observations before claims are constructed.Arrows are used on the chart to connect claims to multiple pieces of evidence

WONDERINGS (W) Testable questions are documented as they arise and every effort is made to test them at some point in the unit. Testable questions often surface during investigations.

Misconceptions can be rephrased as testable questions.

SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES (S) Throughout the science unit, science concepts are added to this column. They are used during discourse to build a more complete explanation by further elaborating the connection among claims and evidence.

What questions do you have about using a KLEWs chart?

How might this look with a recent science unit you taught? Use a blank KLEWs chart to fill in what the class might generate.

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CER Scaffold EXAMPLE AResultsBeak Marbles Pennies Popsicle

SticksRed Water

Chopsticks

Spoon

Tweezers

Straw

Question: Which bird beak is the best adaptation for this environment?

ClaimWrite a sentence stating which bird beak is the best adaptation for this environment

EvidenceProvide scientific data to support your claim. The evidence should include the amount of food (marbles, pennies, popsicle sticks, red water) that the bird with the assigned beak ate

ReasoningExplain why your evidence supports your claim. Describe what an adaptation is and why your evidence allowed you to determine which bird beak was the best adaptation .

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CER Scaffold EXAMPLE B

Write an argument that answers the question:

Is my ecocolumn a stable ecosystem?

ClaimWrite a sentence stating whether your ecocolumn is or is not stable.

EvidenceProvide scientific data to support your claim. Use evidence from your table about the health and changes for the different characteristics of your ecocolumn.

ReasoningExplain why your evidence supports your claim. Describe what it means for an ecosystem to be stable and why your evidence allowed you to determine if your ecocolumn was stable.

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Is it a CLAIM?

A class was answering the following science question.

Question: Are soap and fat the same substance?

The teacher asked the class to answer the question using a Scientific Explanation. Below are some statements from their explanations.

Which of the following statements are CLAIMS? What feedback would you give each student to make the statement a claim or to improve the claim?

Is it a CLAIM? Yes or No

STATEMENT FEEDBACK

Yes they are.

I think soap and fat are different substances.

Fat and soap are the same thing.

No.

Soap is different.

Fat is not the same thing.

Fat is yellowish but soap is white.

What is your definition of a CLAIM? What do you notice about the statements that ARE claims? How are they different than the statements that are NOT claims?

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Is it Evidence?

Which of the following are examples of EVIDENCE that you might use when making a Scientific Explanation?

____ Personal opinions ____ Something you saw in a movie

____ Text from a science article ____ An interview with an expert____ Background knowledge ____ A hypothesis

____ Personal experiences ____ A chart or graph____ Data from a data table ____ A photograph____ Observations that another

student made____ A drawing

____ Measurements ____ An observation you wrote in a notebook

____ A prediction ____ A model

____ Notes you took during class ____ Results from an investigation you conducted

Describe your rule for something to be considered EVIDENCE…

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