Can you win the

claim game?
Use your reasoning skills to compete against
your classmates!
Do Now: Caption this cartoon! Your caption should include whether or
not the penguin has good reasoning skills.

Agenda:

-This Slide (5 minutes)

-Challenge ( 35 minutes)
(4, 8 minute rotations)

-Debrief (5 minutes)

-Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

 Challenge: You will be assigned a claim about a hard-to-explain photo. Use your
superior reasoning to convince your group members of your claim. Can you guess
whose claim is actually true?

Parameters

1) Each group will be given a photograph that is hard to explain.

2) Within groups, each student will be randomly given a claim about the photo

3) Every student comes up with reasoning to defend their claim, based on the evidence in the photo and their
prior knowledge, and tries to persuade their group members.

4) At the timer, students all submit their guess as to which claim is correct, and rotate to the next photo.

5) Students get 1 bonus point for guessing the true claim and 2 points per person who believed their claim
 Essence: The strongest of claims are backed up by sound, clear
reasoning. The line from evidence to claim must be clear
enough for other scientists and learners to follow.

Materials

20 worksheets

1 copy of Each Photo

Claim cards (20)

Guess cards (1 per student)

Timer
The Mystery of The Bent Trees

Claims

1. The trees have a disease that makes them grow this

way.

2. This is a particular species of tree that naturally

grows this way.

3. These trees were bent by strong winds as they grew.

4. These trees were bent on purpose by

humans when they were young.
The Mystery of The Pink Lake

Claims

1. That’s not actually a lake, it’s a giant tent or building.

1. The lake has a type of bacteria in it that is very

pink.

1. The ‘lake’ is an artificial swimming pool with a pink

bottom.

1. People polluted the lake with a chemical that made it

pink.
The Mystery of The Tire Tree
Claims

1) The tire was there first, and the tree grew in the
middle of it.

1) Someone put a tire on top of the tree when it was

smaller.

1) The tire is ripped on the side behind the tree. Someone

just put it there to take the photo.

1) The tree was planted inside the tire as a joke.

The Mystery of The Mossy Sneakers
Claims
1) These shoes are made out of
moss.

1) The shoes were discovered

sitting in a tree that was
cut down.

1) The shoes were designed

with the moss pattern on
purpose.

1) The shoes are covered in

grass after someone played
in a mowed lawn.
The Mystery of The Balancing Rocks

Claims
1. This is actually an action shot. The stones were launched
and are in the middle of falling.

1. The “rope” is actually steel, just disguised to look like a

rope, It’s just a sculpture.

1. It’s photoshop! It’s all a Lie!

1. The upper rock is supported from above by hidden

wires/ropes.
Exit Ticket: Improve the reasoning skills our penguin friend. Fill in
in the speech bubble with a claim about what this squirrel is doing,
backed up by evidence and reasoning.