Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, Rebuttal (CERR) Guide for Science Writing

This should help you put together the pieces of the water lab, and any other lab we do in this class.  It is also now a tab on the top (Science writing CERR) for easier access throughout the year.

CERR Model for Science Writing

C	The claim is a testable statement or conclusion that answers the original question.  This is what the scientist is making an argument for.
E	The evidence is the scientific evidence that supports the claim. Evidence must be both appropriate and sufficient to support the claim. Ø  Appropriate evidence – evidence must directly connect to the claim. Ø  Sufficient evidence – there must be enough evidence to draw a valid conclusion about whether the claim is supported or not supported. (Does the evidence – the data—you present support the claim you are making?)
R	Reasoning is a justification that shows why the data counts as evidence to support the claim and includes appropriate scientific principles.  You explain exactly how and why your evidence supports your claim.
R	When explaining phenomena, there can be more than one possible claim or explanation. Often the same data can be used to more than one claim. You should learn to recognize alternative explanations. A good answer takes different possible explanations into consideration and offers a rebuttal to why a different explanation is not appropriate. In other words, the rebuttal explains why a different claim is not appropriate. It also gives you another chance to explain your reasoning and lets the reader know that you know what you’re talking about!

As you develop as a scientist, your ability to make claims, cite evidence, use reasoning and offer rebuttals will get much stronger and more sophisticated.