NGSS Science Resources for Busy Middle School Teachers

Your Go-To Resource for Teaching Scientific Writing with Confidence

Say hello to the Claim Evidence Reasoning Practice Teacher Toolkit—a classroom favorite designed to make teaching scientific writing and argumentation way easier and way more engaging. Whether you're just getting started or you've been guiding students through CER for years, this all-in-one toolkit gives you everything you need to help your middle schoolers build strong, thoughtful CER paragraphs with confidence.

Inside, you’ll find printable posters, practice worksheets, sentence starters, a student-friendly flip book, and more—all crafted to help students grasp the Claim, Evidence, Reasoning process while boosting their writing and critical thinking skills.

From physical science to life science to earth science, this toolkit is a perfect fit for your curriculum and an easy win for student engagement.

What’s Inside This CER Toolkit:

✨ Mini Flip Book (CER Framework): A simple, step-by-step guide students can use independently or during guided lessons to build strong CER paragraphs with clarity and purpose.

✨ Science Posters (CER Visual Aids): Bright and bold posters that break down each part of the Claim Evidence Reasoning process—perfect for your classroom walls or anchor charts to keep CER front-of-mind during writing time.

✨ Writing Guides + Model Paragraphs: Students get to see exactly what great scientific writing looks like, with examples and clear steps to help them craft meaningful Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning responses.

✨ Quantitative + Qualitative Evidence Examples: Interactive activities and examples help students learn how to identify and apply both types of evidence in their writing, strengthening their scientific arguments.

✨ Complete CER Paragraph Practice: Students walk through the full CER process with scaffolded support to help develop critical thinking and logical reasoning while creating well-structured paragraphs.

✨ Science Reference Sheets: From physical to life to earth science, students get quick-access pages filled with essential definitions, rules, and principles they can refer to during writing.

✨ CER Sentence Starters + Word Banks: Let’s be real—staring at a blank page is the worst. That’s why we’ve included sentence starters, vivid verbs, and transition words to help students get their thoughts flowing with ease.

✨ CER Rubric (For Teachers + Students): A clear, easy-to-use rubric helps students understand what’s expected and gives you a simple tool for feedback and grading.

✨ CER Slide Deck + Practice Worksheet: Teach each step of the framework with a ready-to-use slide presentation and follow up with a student worksheet to practice and apply what they've learned.

How Teachers Use It:

• Start with a clear breakdown of Claim, Evidence, and Reasoning to lay the groundwork.

• Guide students with the mini flip book, then let them take the reins with independent writing.

• Keep CER front-and-center by displaying posters around your classroom.

• Use sentence starters and writing aids to support reluctant writers and build confidence.

• Reinforce scientific literacy through writing that goes beyond memorization and taps into real understanding.

This Claim Evidence Reasoning Toolkit isn’t just about checking a box in your lesson plan—it’s about helping students think deeper, write clearer, and grow more confident in science. It’s your secret weapon for turning “meh” writing into meaningful communication, and empowering students with skills they’ll carry well beyond the classroom.