In my English 11 and AP Literature classroom, I come back again and again to the importance of being able to construct strong, evidence-based arguments. The Claim Evidence Reasoning (CER) paragraph structure is one of the best tools I have to teach this skill and reinforce it throughout the year.
Why CER Paragraphs Matter
CER paragraphs are not just another writing formula; they’re a powerful tool that helps students
- Organize their thoughts coherently
- Support their ideas with textual evidence
- Explain their reasoning clearly
This structure also aligns perfectly with Common Core standards RL.1, W.1, and W.9, which focus on citing textual evidence and constructing well-reasoned arguments.
Anyone whose taught for more than a few weeks knows that high school students often struggle to organize their ideas logically, back them up consistently, and fully (and clearly) explain their thinking. The CER paragraph is a way for me to help students improve in these areas. Coming back to it again and again is the BEST way I’ve found to improve their writing overall & get them ready for 12th grade, college, & beyond.
Implementing CER Across Your Curriculum
I use CER paragraphs with my students for various tasks:
- Answering reading questions for homework
- In-class written responses and group work
- Short-answer assessment questions on quizzes & tests
By consistently using this structure, students internalize the process of making claims, supporting them with evidence, and explaining their reasoning.
It’s also easy to differentiate with CER paragraph answers because I can write differently leveled prompts/questions for different students or groups, and nobody has to even know about the leveling as I’m in control of passing out the question sets or assessments to the right groups.
A Practical Approach: “The Raven” CER Mini-Lesson
To introduce and reinforce CER paragraph writing, I’ve developed a mini-lesson based on Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” This is one of the first real lessons I do each year with both my 11th-Grade English kids & my AP Literature and Composition kids.
What does the lesson aim to do?
- Provide clear instructions on crafting CER responses
- Offer model answers for students to analyze
- Supply students with practice questions for immediate application
While we use “The Raven” as our text for this first lesson, the skills students learn are transferable to any literary analysis or evidence-based writing task. We will use them again and again throughout the school year as we analyze literature & improve our written communication skills.
Results and Student Growth
Since implementing this CER approach & applying it to more and more activities and assignments (and assessments) in my classroom, I’ve seen significant improvements in my students’ analytical writing. They’re more confident in expressing their ideas and supporting them with relevant evidence. Their organization & structure is less “loosey goosey” & easier to follow, even in full-length essays. Also, they’re more likely to fully support their claims and explain their thinking on quiz & test answers. It’s been a huge “W,” for me and for the students!
If you’re looking to boost your students’ analytical writing skills, I highly recommend implementing CER paragraphs more often within your classroom. My “The Raven” CER mini-lesson is available on Teachers Pay Teachers – it’s a great starting point for incorporating this valuable skill into your curriculum.
Strong analytical writing is one of the most important skills I teach all year, and the CER paragraph answer is one of the best tools I have for teaching it!
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