Claim, Evidence, Reasoning, and Zombies

Writing CERs can be boring, but Zombies make it so, SO much more fun! This activity set takes 1-2 class days (depending on length of class, size of class, and level). It could take as little as 50 minutes, but could easily be spread into two full class days, depending on how you split up the time.

Included in the download:

-Teacher Instructions

-13-slide Zombified presentation

-CER document

-Printable PDF Zombie Evidence Catcher

-Zombie Source 1

-Zombie Source 2

-Zombie Source 3

-Zombie Source 4

How do we do it?

Before class, print enough of the Zombie Sources for each group to have. If you want to be extra, put it in a TOP SECRET ZOMBIE FILES manilla folder or something fun like that.

Print Zombie Evidence Catcher to take notes on the evidence they’re finding.

Start out class with the icebreaker, asking students to respond to the six minute write:

Have them share, and spot check how close their writing is to the CER format.

Go through each step of the slides, explaining the meaning of CER. This may take more or less time depending on the class and whether you want them to write down definitions as notes.

Hand out the Zombie sources AND the Zombie Evidence Catcher for them to gather their evidence. Demonstrate how to annotate evidence together on one, then give them time, as a group to dig through the evidence and highlight evidence both for and against the likelihood of a zombie apocalypse.

As a group, they should discuss the evidence that they found and come up with a single claim that they agree with.

Based on the claim they agreed with, students should share what they found, and see how much solid evidence they can come up with to support their argument. Depending on the group, it may take more or less time.

Instruct students to take their individual Zombie Evidence Catchers with them to start their CER. Instruct students to open the CER document. Together, ask someone to share a claim and piece of evidence, and walk them through how to create reasoning from their claim and evidence. Explain how to write a concluding sentence here as well.

Give students time to complete the document independently.