CER
This is the section of the CER that uses your observations, data you've collected during an explore, information you have gathered from various sources on a topic.
What is the evidence section?
It takes the Earth approximately 365.25 days to complete this movement entirely around the Sun
What is a revolution (orbit)?
When designing a solution to a problem, engineers must follow these clear limitations, which often include budgets, materials, or time limits.
What are constraints?
Liquid rock found beneath Earth's surface that cools slowly to form intrusive igneous rock with large crystals.
What is magma?
This state of matter has a definite volume but takes the exact shape of whatever container it is poured into.
What is a liquid?
In a formal scientific explanation, this is a direct, one-sentence statement that answers the original investigative question.
What is a claim?
This specific type of eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth's surface and temporarily blocking the sunlight.
What is a solar eclipse?
Engineers use this multi-step, repeating cycle to brainstorm, design, build, test, and improve solutions to real-world problems.
What is the engineering design process?
The specific type of tectonic plate boundary where two plates slide past each other horizontally, frequently causing earthquakes like those along the San Andreas Fault.
What is a tranform boundary?
If a block of wood has a mass of 20 grams and a volume of 40 cubic centimeters, this is its calculated density, which explains why it floats in water.
What is 0.5 g/cm³? (Mass divided by volume) ?
In the CER framework, this is the specific section where a student explains why their data supports their statement, often by applying a scientific law or principle.
What is the reasoning section?
Massachusetts experiences summer in July because our hemisphere is tilted in this direction relative to the Sun
What is tilted toward the Sun?
To find the precise mass of an object, students slide three different weights along the riders of this classic mechanical scale.
What is a triple beam balance?
New crust is continuously formed at mid-ocean ridges through this geologic process, pushing older seafloor outward toward subduction zones.
What is seafloor spreading?
This term describes a physical property of a material that allows heat to easily flow through it, a trait common to most metals.
What is thermal conductivity?
"The temperature of the liquid rose from 22 degrees Celsius to 45 degrees Celsius over 5 minutes" is a great example of this specific component of a CER response.
What is evidence?
This is the primary force responsible for keeping the Moon orbiting the Earth, rather than flying off into straight-line motion through space.
What is gravity?
When measuring liquid volume in a graduated cylinder, you must read the measurement from the bottom of this curved surface.
What is the meniscus?
This is the layer directly underneath. It is made of solid rock, but it is so hot that it flows slowly like thick pudding or warm asphalt, allowing the rigid plates to "float" and slide on top of it.
What is the Asthenosphere?
Dropping an irregular object like a marble into a graduated cylinder of water to measure how much the water level rises relies on this technique to find volume
What is water displacement?
To be trusted in a scientific argument, evidence must be qualitative observations or quantitative data, meaning it cannot be based on this.
What is an opinion (or belief/guess)?
When the visible, lit portion of the Moon appears to be growing larger night after night, it is described by this phase term.
What is waxing?
This famous scientist developed three laws of motion, including the idea that an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an outside force.
Who is Sir Isaac Newton?
Scientists use these specific fossils—which belonged to organisms that lived for only a short time but were found all over the world—to figure out the relative age of rock layers.
What are index fossils?
Copper is a prime example of a metal with this physical property, which allows it to be stretched and pulled into long, thin wires without breaking.
What is ductility?