Claims & Evidence

Go over the first example with students.

Have students fill out the claims chart. This activity can be done individually, in small groups, or collectively as a class.

If students are struggling, remind them that in science, a claim must be backed up by evidence.

Give students a chance to discuss the reasoning behind their selections. This discussion can take place in small groups or as a whole class.

Students may struggle to determine what is or isn’t evidence.

Paraphrase:

Evidence in science may come from:

• Interactions with the world around you. For example: Seeing a black dog gives evidence that not all dogs are brown.
• Data you collect yourself. For example: Measuring how high different dogs can jump.
• Data collected by other people. For example a company does a study to determine how fast a skateboarder can go.

Statements such as something is “the best,” “better,” or “more important” are not good claims.

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Students look at data charts to determine whether the data support the claim.

Answer:

• For claim #1 there is not evidence to support this claim. The data show that other sports have a higher injury rate than skateboarding.

Deeper thinking:

Encourage students to think about the data set and why it might not be complete.

Where did the numbers come from? Do skateboarders report their injuries less often than other sports?

Answer:

• For claim #2 there is evidence to support the claim. The graph shows more males get injured than females.

Deeper thinking:

Are there more males who skateboard than females? Would this difference affect the validity of the claim?

In discussing these claims, it is helpful to get the students to think critically about whether a study was done well and whether the data really show the whole picture.