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Note-Taking Guide: Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER)

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Overview

• Encourage students to take structured notes while completing Penda activities to document their learning screen by screen. 
• This process helps students digest information more thoroughly and helps students build strong claim-evidence-reasoning connections.
• Writing within the content area also supports ELA standards and has been shown to improve information retention.
• Using their notes, students can reflect on their learning, revisit key concepts, and attempt activities again to achieve higher scores. 

How to Use the CER Note-Taking Guide

1. Choose a Science Standard:

• Instead of using a separate guide for each activity, students should use one note-taking guide per science standard.

2. Complete the Guide While Working Through Penda Activities:

• Claim: Write down the main idea or objective.
• Evidence: List facts, observations, or data that support the claim.
• Reasoning: Explain how the evidence connects to the claim using scientific principles.

3. Review and Reflect:

• Before reattempting an activity, review the notes to reinforce understanding.
• Use the notes to identify gaps in knowledge.
• Discuss your notes with a teacher for deeper insights.

4. Apply Notes to Improve Scores:

• Use the notes when retaking activities to enhance accuracy and understanding.
• Adjust claims and reasoning as needed based on new insights. 

Tips for Maximizing Effectiveness

• Encourage students to highlight or underline key concepts and vocabulary.
• Have students discuss their notes in small groups to compare findings.
• Integrate this process into classroom discussions and assessments.
• Use completed guides as study tools for quizzes, tests, or projects.

Click the images below to view and download the resources. 

Teacher Guide for CER Notes	Sample of Competed CER Notes
CER Notes Student Note-Taking Guide (Blank PDF)	CER Notes Student Note-Taking Guide (Blank Editable Word Doc)