Explanation Framework

Learning Sequence for Teaching & Practicing Scientific Explanations

1. Make the framework explicit.

2. Model and critique explanations.

3. Provide a rationale for creating explanations.

4. Connect to everyday explanations.

5. Assess and provide feedback to students.

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Rubric for Learning the Cl-Ev-R Scientific Explanation

Claim

  1. Relevant The claim directly & clearly responds to the question.
  2. Stands-Alone The claim statement is complete (stands alone).

Evidence

  1. Appropriate Is this the right type of evidence for this claim?

(Discuss this in the “Reasoning” section.)

  1. Validity: Measurements & observations are relevant.
  2. Validity: Controlled variables focus attention on key factors.
  1. Sufficient Is there enough evidence?
  2. Reliability: Repeated trials will increase confidence.
  3. Full Range: Enough different conditions/values of variables?
  4. Full Range: The explanation cites enough examples to represent the whole data set without being tedious.

Reasoning

  1. Stands-Out Is the reasoning obvious, or hard-to-spot?
  2. DO NOT repeat the Claim or the Question.
  3. DO NOT repeat the Evidence.
  4. Link Why this data should count as evidence.
  5. Why it’s the right type of measurement/observation.
  6. How the controls help to validate the link.
  7. Science Concept Use scientific concepts to connect reasoning to claim:
  8. Is this the right science concept to connect the reasoning to the claim?
  9. Is the science concept clear and correctly used?

Note: A fuller scientific explanation will also contain a “Rebuttal,” which describes alternative Claims, plus the Evidence and/or Reasoning that refute the alternative Claim.

Writing Your Own Scientific Explanation

1. Examine the data table below.

2. Write a scientific explanation that answers the question:

Which zone of the schoolyard has the greatest biodiversity?

Animal / Zone A / Zone B / Zone C / Total
Pillbugs / 1 / 3 / 4 / 8
Ants / 4 / 6 / 10 / 20
Robins / 0 / 2 / 0 / 2
Squirrels / 0 / 2 / 2 / 4
Pigeons / 1 / 1 / 0 / 2
Animal Abundance / 6 / 14 / 16 / 36
Animal Richness / 3 / 5 / 3 / 5

Examining a Student Explanation Part 1

Tallie’s First Explanation

What strengths do you see in this scientific explanation?

What do you think are some key features/components of a quality scientific explanation?

Examining a Student Explanation Part 2

Tallie’s Second Explanation

What changes did Tallie make to her explanation?

In what ways did these changes make the explanation more clear?

If you were going to teach your students to write scientific explanations, how might you scaffold this for them?

Elementary Guide for Scientific Explanations
I Did It! / I’m Close / I Need Help / Oops
Claim
Answers the question / My claim directly & clearly responds to the question. / My claim responds directly or clearly to the question. / My claim does not respond to the question. / No claim statement.
Stands-Alone
(One sentence) / My claim stands alone as a complete statement. / My claim has a missing piece. / My claim is too vague or is missing pieces.
Evidence
This is the “right” evidence / My data is the right data to answer the question. / My data is mostly the right data to answer the question. / Most of my data is not the right data to answer the question. / No evidence cited.
There is enough evidence / I have just enough data but not so much that it is boring to read. / I have some evidence to support my claim but it doesn’t feel like enough. / I don’t have enough evidence to support my claim.
Reasoning
The reasoning is easy to spot / My reasoning statements are easy to find. / My reasoning statements are there but may be hard to find. / My reasoning just repeats the Claim, Question, or Evidence. / No reasoning statements.
Why this evidence counts / I explain why my evidence counts. / I hint at why my evidence counts. / I don’t explain why my evidence counts.
Uses a science concept / I use a science concept to explain why the evidence supports the claim. / I use a science concept but it may not explain why the evidence supports the claim. / I barely mention any science concepts.

Notes:

Making a Claim / I observed ______when ______.
I compared ______and ______.
I noticed ______, when ______.
The effect of ______on ______is ______.
Providing Evidence / The evidence I use to support ______is ______.
I believe ______(statement) because ______(justification).
I know that ______is ______because ______.
Based on ______, I think ______.
Based upon ______, my hypothesis is ______.
Asking for Evidence / I have a question about ______.
Does ______have more ______?
What causes ______to ______?
Can you show me where you found the information about ______?
Offering a Counter-Claim / I disagree with ______because ______.
The reason I believe ______is ______.
The facts that support my idea are ______.
In my opinion ______.
One difference between my idea and yours is ______.
Inviting Speculation / I wonder what would happen if ______.
I have a question about ______.
Let’s find out how we can test these samples for ______.
We want to test ______to find out if ______.
If I change ______, then I think ______will happen because ______.
I wonder why ______?
What caused ______?
How would this be different if ______?
What do you think will happen if ______/ next?
Reaching Consensus / I agree with ______because ______.
How would this be different if ______?
We all have the same idea about ______.

TALK MOVES

The above frames can be displayed on posters, table tents, worksheets, etc and should frequently be modeled in talk and writing by the teacher.

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