February 22, 2018

Reasoning It All Together

Class Description: There are 27 students in this 6th grade standard inclusion science class with

14 females and 13 males. There are 9 students with IEP’s and 1 student with a 504 plan.

Accommodations include but are not limited to extended time, verbatim reading, selected

sections, visual cues, scribe, reduced distractions, chunking and frequent breaks.

Lesson Topic: Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) Method

Prior Knowledge: The students have learned how to complete a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning

graphic organizer.

Alignment:

Standard Objective Assessment Activity(ies)

CCSS:ELA- Students will be able The students will write a Activity 1:

LITERACY.RST.6-8.8 to use the Claim, written response to the Complete the Mr.
Evidence, Reasoning question from the Mr. Xavier mystery
Distinguish among method in order to Xavier mystery using the CER graphic
facts, reasoned identify and support graphic organizer as a guide. organizer
judgment based on their argument.
research findings and Questions: Focus on claim, Activity 2: Mr.
speculation in a text. evidence and reasoning Xavier mystery
portions of the Claim- written response
Evidence-Response (CER)
method and putting it into a
cohesive written response.

Materials Needed: student devices; prepared PowerPoint; projector/screen; prepared Kahoot

questions; “Mr. Xavier Murder Mystery” worksheet (30)

Technology Integration/Needs: The students will use devices to access Kahoot for the

introduction activity.
Lesson Procedure:

Introduction Activity:

Time Allotted: 10 minutes

Description: The teacher will have the warm-up displayed on the screen as the students

come into class. “Good morning! Please take out your devices and log onto Kahoot.it”.

Once most of the students have logged onto Kahoot, the teacher will display the game

code for the students to type in. The teacher will begin the game, reading aloud each

question and possible answer choices to the class. The Kahoot game will consist of

questions relating to if the statements are facts or opinions, as several students are still

struggling to distinguish if various pieces of evidence are facts or opinions. If many

students get a question wrong, the teacher should stop and have a brief discussion with

the class on what the correct answer to the question is.

Adaptations: The teacher will read the questions and answer choices aloud for students

who need verbatim reading. The teacher will also have directions written on the board as

visual and audial cues for student with hearing loss.

Transition: The teacher will ask the students to put their devices away and take out a pen

or pencil. While the students are doing so, the teacher will pass out the worksheet “Mr.

Xavier Murder Mystery”.

First Main Activity:

Time Allotted: 20 minutes

Description: The teacher will explain to the students that “today you are going to

complete a claim-evidence-reasoning graphic organizer, just as we have been doing

yesterday. However, afterwards we are going to practice writing the information into a
 paragraph. Let’s start with reading the story”. The teacher will read the story aloud to the

class while the students follow along on their worksheets. Then the teacher will ask the

students “what is our question that we are trying to find out?” Students should respond

that we want to figure out who killed Mr. Xavier. Then the teacher will tell the students

to “pair up with a partner and complete the rest of the graphic organizer on the front of

the worksheet. Make sure that your claim answers the question and that your pieces of

evidence support your claim!”. The teacher will allow the students about 10-15 minutes

to work with their partner with a countdown timer on the board, circulating around the

classroom helping students as needed.

Adaptations: The teacher will read the mystery story aloud for verbatim reading,

standing in the front of the classroom so the student with hearing loss can hear better. The

teacher will also help students with scribing as necessary and may only have students

with selected sections accommodations write two pieces of evidence/reasoning rather

than three.

Transition: The teacher will ask the students to return back to their seats and turn to the

back side of the worksheet to write the paragraph.

Second Main Activity:

Time Allotted: 15 minutes

Description: The teacher will explain to the students that “now you are going to take

what you have written in the graphic organizer boxes and put it into a written response.

You have already done most of the work! You just need to write your information in

complete sentences and make sure it all flows together! What do you think our paragraph

is going to start with?” Students should respond with “the claim”. The teacher will then
 explain that after you state your claim in a complete sentence, you are going to use your

evidence that you found to support your claim and explain each using your reasoning.

Use the graphic organizer on the front side of the worksheet to help you!” The teacher

will allow the students about 12-15 minutes to complete their written response,

circulating the classroom helping students as needed.

Adaptations: The teacher will have the instructions written on the board (visual cues) as

well as verbally state the directions. While circulating the classroom, the teacher will

assist with scribing as necessary for particular students.

Transition: The teacher will ask the students to pass up and turn in their worksheet to be

collected.

Closing Activity:

Time Allotted: 5 minutes

Description: The teacher will have a quick review discussion on what claim, evidence

and reasoning is. Some questions that the teacher may ask are “what is a claim?”, “what

do we need to support our claim?”, “should evidence be opinions?”, “why or why not?”,

“what is reasoning?”, etc. The teacher will call on various students in the classroom to

participate in the class discussion. The teacher will conclude with “tomorrow you will

complete one last organizer and written response on your own that will be turned at the

end of class! The topic will be about smiling!”.

Adaptations: The teacher will have the questions written on the board (visual cues) as

well as verbally discuss them. The teacher may also repeat/reword student responses so

the student with hearing loss can understand what other students are saying behind him.
Safety Valve: If there are an extra ten minutes of class after the students have completed and

turned in the Mr. Xavier worksheet, the teacher will poll the class to ask how many students

thought the chef killed Mr. Xavier, how many thought it was the servants, and how many

thought it was due to another cause. The teacher will ask each group to explain their claim using

pieces of evidence and reasonings why they believe that particular person(s) killed Mr. Xavier.