Teacher Candidate: ​Kyley Matusz

Subject: ​Humanities
Grade: ​Middle school (6-8)

Lesson Date: ​Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Lesson: ​CER / Claim Evidence Reasoning
Unit: ​Literacy Block

Objective:
● Students will analyze a commercial video to determine claim, evidence, and reasoning
● Students will discuss with peers what they notice about the video’s contents
● Students will complete a graphic organizer with the commercial’s claim, evidence, and
reasoning
● Students will analyze a CER in writing and complete a graphic organizer to show the
author’s claim, evidence, and reasoning
● Students will use the commercial and text as mentor texts to write a CER on their own
topic they choose
● Students will analyze a peer’s writing to determine where the claim, evidence, and
reasoning is located within the writing

Standards (for 6th through 8th):

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.1.A
Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.1
Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.8.1.A
Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or
opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

Lesson Outline:
● Anticipatory:​ I will play the commercial and ask students to write down one fact about
the product. I will ask students to think-pair-share about what the host of the commercial
is trying to convince us of. (3 min)

● Instructional input:
○ I will write the responses of the students on a chart and write “claim” underneath,
pointing out that what the commercial is trying to convince us of is the claim.
○ I will then ask students to share with a peer the one fact they wrote down about
the product (this was completed during viewing), after a quick pair share, I will
ask students to share three pieces of data that were given to us by the
 commercial host about the product. I will chart the responses and write
“evidence” underneath.
○ I will then ask a “Why?” question about each piece of evidence matters for our
claim; this will become our reasoning which I will write underneath on the chart
paper.
○ I will check for understanding by asking students where I found my reasoning, to
which the answer is the evidence before moving on.
○ I will introduce what we just did as Claim Evidence Reasoning or CER and ask if
they would be willing to buy the product if the host just said: My name is Phil
Swift this is Flex Tape I don’t know what it does but you should buy it.

(5 min)

● Modeling: ​I will pass out a CER graphic organizer and have one under the document
cam for modeling.
○ I will ask students to fill out the organizer as I am filling it out above.
○ I will ask students what our topic or question is for the commercial and fill in the
top box.
○ I will ask students what our claim is (already on the chart; however, asking again
to reinforce the transfer from video and chart to organizer and formal CER).
○ I will ask students what our evidence is, and our reasoning.
(5 min)
● Check for Understanding:​ After sharing out, I will ask students where I found the
reasoning to reinforce that the reasoning is what connects the evidence to the claim. I
will also assure students they do this all of the time; however, this is an argument format
which assures a strong argument.
(3 min)
● Guided practice: ​I will pass out the piece of text and ask students to turn their organizer
over to the clean side. I will read the text aloud as they read along with me. I will then
ask students to pair with a peer and discuss what they think the question is as I circulate.
I will ask students to share out as I write in the top box over the doc cam. I will then ask
what the claim is.
● Once that is filled out students will be released to find the evidence and the reasoning,
either with a partner or alone.
● We will come together to share out what we found as I fill in the evidence and reasoning
boxes over the doc cam.
(10 min)
● Independent practice: ​Students will write their own CER using the format of the
organizer (6th grade) or immediately into paragraph form (8th grade). The CER must
have three pieces of evidence
● After writing their CER, students will switch with a peer in order to analyze to find the
CER in the writing - either with highlighting or underlining.
(20 min)
 ● Closure:​ I will close with a volunteer wanting to share their CER and ask students to find
their claim, evidence, and reasoning with a whole class share out.
(5 min)

Commercial:​ ​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xzN6FM5x_E

Mentor text:

Question:​ Which weather is better warm or cold?

I would say cold weather is better than warm weather. This is because warm weather
causes you to sweat and lose water, making you dehydrated; in cold weather you do
not sweat. Also, in cold weather there is a chance for snow which allows for fun
activities. For instance, you can snowboard, build fires, make s’mores, and hike at any
time of the day because it isn’t too hot. Because I can do more activities in the winter
and stay hydrated, cold weather is better than warm weather.
 CER Graphic Organizer
Topic / Theme: (What question are you trying to answer?)

Claim: (What is your opinion? What is your answer?) Use a complete sentence.

Evidence #1: (What support do you have for your opinion? How do you know this?) Use a
complete sentence.

Reasoning #1: (Why is what you say true? How does your evidence support your answer?)
Use a complete sentence.
Evidence #2: (What support do you have for your opinion? How do you know this?) Use a
complete sentence.

Reasoning #2: (Why is what you say true? How does your evidence support your answer?)
Use a complete sentence.

Evidence #3: (What support do you have for your opinion? How do you know this?) Use a
complete sentence.

Reasoning #3: (Why is what you say true? How does your evidence support your answer?)
Use a complete sentence.