This worksheet is one of the older ones in my collection, and was recently updated to include a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning section (instead of short response/essay). This a a great way to introduce the topic of life and how we define whether something is living or not.
In this scenario, a Martian is observing earth and decides that a car is one of the life forms on the planet. The car has several traits that make it seem alive, such as requiring energy and responding to the environment.
Students compile evidence for and against the car being a living organism. They make a CLAIM about whether the car is alive or not and use the evidence to support that claim. The Reasoning section of a CER can be tricky for younger students. Here, they must tie the evidence to the claim, or use established principles.
The fill-in-the-blank section uses deductive reasoning to tie the claim to the evidence. Advanced students may benefit from an introduction to inductive and deductive reasoning here.
Grade Level: 6-12
Time Required: 15-20 minutes