Spontaneous Generation | CER & Nature of Science Activity
Looking for a print-and-go activity that builds reading, annotation, and evidence-based writing skills all at once? This resource uses the fascinating history of spontaneous generation — from Aristotle to Redi to Pasteur — to show your high schoolers how science actually works: evidence drives conclusions, and even long-held beliefs get revised when better evidence comes along.
Students read an original, teacher-written passage, annotate for key ideas, and build a CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) paragraph explaining how the rejection of spontaneous generation is the scientific method in action. Built-in margin questions keep them thinking as they read, and a peer review round plus a full rubric guide them from a first draft to a stronger second draft.
What's included (8 pages):
Instructor notes with NGSS alignment and teaching guidance
Information page: scientific method refresher, annotation guide, and CER graphic organizer
3-page illustrated passage (Redi, Needham, and Pasteur experiments) with margin prompts
Draft One writing page
Peer review sheet (1–4 scale)
Complete grading rubric
Draft Two writing page for revision
Why teachers love it:
100% print-and-go — no prep required
Emphasizes the Nature of Science and evidence-based reasoning, not just content recall
Perfect for a sub day, an intro-to-biology unit, or reinforcing the scientific method
Passage is written at an accessible high school reading level
Spontaneous Generation | CER & Nature of Science Activity
Looking for a print-and-go activity that builds reading, annotation, and evidence-based writing skills all at once? This resource uses the fascinating history of spontaneous generation — from Aristotle to Redi to Pasteur — to show your high schoolers how science actually works: evidence drives conclusions, and even long-held beliefs get revised when better evidence comes along.
Students read an original, teacher-written passage, annotate for key ideas, and build a CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) paragraph explaining how the rejection of spontaneous generation is the scientific method in action. Built-in margin questions keep them thinking as they read, and a peer review round plus a full rubric guide them from a first draft to a stronger second draft.
What's included (8 pages):
Instructor notes with NGSS alignment and teaching guidance
Information page: scientific method refresher, annotation guide, and CER graphic organizer
3-page illustrated passage (Redi, Needham, and Pasteur experiments) with margin prompts
Draft One writing page
Peer review sheet (1–4 scale)
Complete grading rubric
Draft Two writing page for revision
Why teachers love it:
100% print-and-go — no prep required
Emphasizes the Nature of Science and evidence-based reasoning, not just content recall
Perfect for a sub day, an intro-to-biology unit, or reinforcing the scientific method
Passage is written at an accessible high school reading level
