​Claim, Evidence & Reasoning

• Claim is a statement about the solution to a problem or question 

• Evidence supports the claim, can be either quantitative and/or qualitative. 

• Reasoning provides justification that links the claim and evidence and includes appropriate and sufficient scientific principles to defend the claim and evidence.

"Why is the Sham Wow towel so effective at absorbing liquid compared to regular towels?"

The Sham Wow towel works so well because it contains microfibers. Microfiber towels are made from two synthetic (man-made) materials, usually nylon and polyester. The fibers are treated with chemicals and mechanically changed to make them very small, smaller than 1/100th the diameter of a human hair. This gives the towel a lot of surface area to make contact with the spill and absorb the liquid. The tiny fibers get into small places where most towel fibers cannot reach.

​Example 2:

The Sham Wow towel works really well because it’s good at cleaning up spills.

Example 1:

Identify three pieces of evidence that would support your prediction.

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​2. Collecting Evidence

Generate a claim, evidence and reasoning to answer the question 

“Why do humpback whales migrate 5,000 miles?”

Claim: 

• Directly answers the question

• Includes the word “because” 

Evidence: 

• Minimum of two pieces of evidence 

• Directly supports the claim 

Reasoning: 

• Links the claim to the reasoning 

• Includes scientific principles 

Criteria for Success:

• Identify biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem.

• Identify and describe the interactions between biotic and abiotic factors 

• Use data to explain how changes to the biotic/abiotic factors in an ecosystem can affect where populations of organisms are located

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​1.2 Exit Ticket