Science Skills: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

Science Skills: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER)

• Core Concept: Claim, Evidence, Reasoning (CER) framework is a method used in science to construct and communicate a logical argument.

• Scenario: Imagine a world based on a small nonpolar lipid, instead of water.

• Task: Consider the implications of this altered world on macromolecule structure and function, and then construct a brief CER (Claim, Evidence, Reasoning) to explain the likely outcomes.

• CER Breakdown:

  • Claim: A statement or conclusion that answers the original question or problem.
  • Evidence: Scientific data used to support the claim. The evidence needs to be appropriate and sufficient to support the claim.
  • Reasoning: A justification that connects the evidence to the claim. It shows why the data counts as evidence by using appropriate and sufficient scientific principles.

• Example Application: In the context of the prompt, one would:

  • Make a claim about how the structure/function of macromolecules would differ in a lipid-based world.
  • Provide evidence based on the differing properties of lipids versus water (e.g., hydrophobicity, polarity).
  • Explain the reasoning by linking the properties of lipids to the resulting macromolecular structures and functions.