Is it okay to use your lunch box as a bowl?

Authors

  • Mare Sullivan Retired, Seattle Pacific University School of Education
  • Amy Steele Science teacher (grades 5-11), Cornerstone Christian School, Olympia WA

Abstract

This activity walks students through the process of creating a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER) argument. First the teams  explore data tables which document visible and invisible (macroscopic and microscopic) characteristics of lunch boxes to determine whether they are contaminated. Then the students use their data analyses to choose a statement that answers the overall question "Is it okay to use your lunch box as a bowl?" The statement acts as the team's answer to the question (claim). Teams then use their data (evidence) to support their claim, explaining how the evidence supports or refutes the claim (reasoning).

Level: Middle School, High School
Setting: Classroom
Activity Type: Learning Cycle
Discipline: Science
Course: Life Science, Earth & Space Science, Physical Science
Keywords: CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) arguments, bacteria, macroscopic, microscopic

Author Biographies

Mare Sullivan, Retired, Seattle Pacific University School of Education

Retired adjunct faculty at SPU School of Education, supervising secondary STEM teaching interns and facilitating two POGIL-related courses

Formerly taught for 25 years (5 years elementary science; 20 years secondary science)

Involved with The POGIL Project since 2005; facilitated dozens of workshops locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally since 2007; served on POGIL Steering Committee; wrote four collections of secondary POGIL science activitues (with Amy Steele and Lori Stanton), a collection of secondary art activities (with Gwen C. Katz), and a collection of college microeconomics activities (with Neal MacDougall).

Amy Steele, Science teacher (grades 5-11), Cornerstone Christian School, Olympia WA

Amy is a POGIL PEACH Award winner

ToC Image: Swabbing lunch box bacteria

Downloads

Published

2026-07-17

How to Cite

Sullivan, M., & Steele, A. (2026). Is it okay to use your lunch box as a bowl?. POGIL Activity Clearinghouse, 7(1). Retrieved from https://pac.pogil.org/index.php/pac/article/view/559

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Activities for Review

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Mare Sullivan, Amy Steele

Copyright of this work and the permissions granted to users of the PAC are defined in the PAC Activity User License.