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School Projects
How to Make a Strong Claim-Evidence-Reasoning Conclusion
Grades 6-12 · 30 minutes
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A strong school project conclusion does more than repeat the topic. It uses the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning framework to show what you found, how you know it, and why it matters. This structure helps readers follow your thinking and trust your conclusion. It is useful in science labs, history arguments, literary analysis, research projects, and presentations.
Key Facts
- CER = Claim + Evidence + Reasoning.
- Claim = the answer or main conclusion you want the reader to accept.
- Evidence = specific facts, data, quotes, observations, or results that support the claim.
- Reasoning = the explanation that connects the evidence to the claim.
- Strong conclusion structure = restated claim + best evidence + explanation + final insight.
- A useful evidence rule is 2 or more specific pieces of evidence for one major claim.
Vocabulary
- Claim
- A claim is a clear statement that answers the question or gives the main conclusion.
- Evidence
- Evidence is the specific information used to support a claim, such as data, facts, observations, or quotations.
- Reasoning
- Reasoning is the explanation of how and why the evidence proves the claim.
- Conclusion
- A conclusion is the final part of a project or response that brings together the main claim, evidence, and explanation.
- Sentence frame
- A sentence frame is a starter phrase that helps a writer organize a complete academic sentence.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Writing a claim that is too vague, such as 'The project was good.' This is wrong because the reader cannot tell exactly what was proven or learned.
- Listing evidence without explaining it. Evidence alone does not prove a point unless the writer shows how it supports the claim.
- Using weak evidence such as opinions or general statements. Strong CER conclusions need specific facts, numbers, examples, quotes, or observations.
- Repeating the introduction word for word. A conclusion should synthesize the project by connecting the claim, strongest evidence, and reasoning in a final insight.
Practice Questions
- 1 A student has 5 pieces of evidence for a project but can only use the strongest 3 in the conclusion. If 2 pieces are data points, 2 are quotations, and 1 is a personal opinion, which 3 should the student choose and why?
- 2 Write a 6-sentence CER conclusion for this claim: 'Plants grew taller with more sunlight.' Use 1 claim sentence, 3 evidence sentences, 1 reasoning sentence, and 1 final insight sentence.
- 3 Compare these two conclusions: 'Recycling is important because I think it helps' and 'Recycling reduces waste because our class audit showed that 42 percent of trash could have been recycled, which means sorting materials can lower landfill use.' Explain which is stronger using claim, evidence, and reasoning.