Build the evidence board
Construct a team evidence board linking all evidence streams to a tentative conclusion.
Individual notebook entry: sketch or description of your team's evidence board, the tentative cause-of-death claim, one corroborating link you found most convincing, and one gap your team could not fill.
- 1Do thisConstruct a team evidence board linking all evidence streams to a tentative conclusion.
- 2Use this resource
- 3Submit thisNotebook check: Individual notebook entry: sketch or description of your team's evidence board, the tentative cause-of-death claim, one corroborating link you found most convincing, and one gap your team could not fill.
- 4Submit it here
- 1CMSD website. Go to clevelandmetroschools.org and click the Clever button.
- 2Clever. Clever opens. Sign in if it asks.
- 3Microsoft (district) login. Use your district Microsoft account (the one for school).
- 4Schoology. Open Schoology, then your class, then Assignments, and find the file named below.
The file to submit is named: Principles of Biomedical Technology (Principles of Biomedical Science) › Unit 1.3 Open Investigation: Virtual/open case investigation; synthesize scene, lab, suspect, and autopsy evidence. › Notebook checkOpen Schoology
- CER:
- Claim, Evidence, Reasoning — make a claim, back it with evidence, explain your reasoning.
- SOP:
- Standard Operating Procedure — the exact steps to follow (especially in a lab).
- Tracker:
- Your PLTW progress log where you record completed evidence.
- myPLTW:
- The PLTW course site where you do the online activities — you open it through Schoology.
Minute-by-minute · 80-minute block
💡 Big idea: An evidence board makes the logical structure of an investigation visible, exposing both the strength of converging evidence and the danger of gaps.
- 0:00Distribute planning sheets from Tuesday; assign team roles (evidence organizer, link drawer, gap-flagging, scribe)
- 0:10Post all evidence items by stream (sticky notes, index cards, or shared digital board)
- 0:28Draw linking arrows: green = corroborates, red = conflicts; annotate conflicts with a question mark
- 0:48Flag gaps; note each stream's key limitation beside its cluster
- 1:02Draft and post tentative cause-of-death claim; team reaches consensus or notes dissent
- 1:05Gallery walk: teams briefly view two other boards; note one strength and one gap in each
- 1:15Return to own board; revise if needed; preview Thursday report writing
- • Today your team builds the evidence board. Think of it as the physical representation of your argument. Every piece of evidence gets a spot, and every link between pieces gets drawn.
- • Real detectives and forensic scientists use evidence boards because they make the structure of the argument visible. You can see whether your evidence is converging on one conclusion or scattering in three directions.
- • When you find a conflict, do not hide it. Flag it. A board that shows one conflict with a resolution note is stronger than a board that pretends the conflict does not exist.
- • By the end of class you will have a tentative cause-of-death claim posted on the board. Tomorrow you turn that claim into a full written CER report.
- 1As a team, post each evidence item to the board by stream.
- 2Draw links showing how items corroborate or conflict.
- 3Flag gaps where evidence is missing or weak.
- 4Draft a tentative cause-of-death claim the board supports.
- 5Note each stream's limitations beside its evidence cluster.
- • I can build an evidence board that links streams.
- • I can identify gaps and conflicts in the evidence.
- • Corroborating evidence is when two independent streams point to the same conclusion; conflicting evidence is when streams disagree and must be reconciled or acknowledged.
- • Evidence gaps are as important to document as evidence present; an unexplained gap is a weakness in any conclusion.
- • A tentative cause-of-death claim at this stage is a working hypothesis, not a final verdict; it is refined as gaps are addressed.
Your PLTW work today
Unit 1.3 Open Investigation: Virtual/open case investigation; synthesize scene, lab, suspect, and autopsy evidence. · Build the evidence board
Day 3 of this lesson. Open this exact section in myPLTW (reached through Schoology), then do the work below.
Do this: In myPLTW, record your team's tentative cause-of-death claim and the number of corroborating and conflicting evidence links in the Lesson 1.3 Open Investigation activity.
Mark the Lesson 1.3 evidence-board task started in myPLTW.
You completed the planning task Tuesday. Today the board should be complete with a tentative claim posted before the gallery walk.
Photo of the completed evidence board submitted to the tracker, plus myPLTW entry with the tentative claim.
All PLTW activities are completed inside the PLTW course environment — this page only gives direction. Submit producibles on Schoology.
Today's PLTW tracker
Check things off as you work, then submit. This tells Mr. Mendoza how you're doing so he can help the class. It does not replace turning in your producible on Schoology.
Use the code Mr. Mendoza gave you, not your name. Saved on this device.
Unit 1.3 Open Investigation: Virtual/open case investigation; synthesize scene, lab, suspect, and autopsy evidence. · Build the evidence board
In myPLTW, record your team's tentative cause-of-death claim and the number of corroborating and conflicting evidence links in the Lesson 1.3 Open Investigation activity.
You completed the planning task Tuesday. Today the board should be complete with a tentative claim posted before the gallery walk.
This is how Mr. Mendoza sees the class keeping pace with PLTW. Be honest, it only helps if it is accurate.
🎯 Construct a team evidence board linking all evidence streams to a tentative conclusion.
- As a team, post each evidence item to the board by stream.
- Draw links showing how items corroborate or conflict.
- Flag gaps where evidence is missing or weak.
- Draft a tentative cause-of-death claim the board supports.
- Note each stream's limitations beside its evidence cluster.
Notebook check: Individual notebook entry: sketch or description of your team's evidence board, the tentative cause-of-death claim, one corroborating link you found most convincing, and one gap your team could not fill.
Submit on SchoologyUpload by 11:29 PM for full credit.
| Task | Who |
|---|---|
| As a team, post each evidence item to the board by stream. | _______ |
| Draw links showing how items corroborate or conflict. | _______ |
| Flag gaps where evidence is missing or weak. | _______ |
| Draft a tentative cause-of-death claim the board supports. | _______ |
| Note each stream's limitations beside its evidence cluster. | _______ |
Working solo? Put your own name in "Who" for every row.
- I can build an evidence board that links streams.
- I can identify gaps and conflicts in the evidence.
Resources & readings
Hand-picked materials for this lesson. Class file items open the document directly; the rest are vetted readings and interactives from other biomedical programs.
WebXam practice
Cumulative WebXam review
A quick mixed-review pulling questions from earlier units plus today, so the WebXam material stays fresh.
Where this leads — careers
What today's skills lead to. These are real health-science careers this course builds toward. Tap one to see, on the US Department of Labor's O*NET site, what the job actually involves, what it pays, and how fast it is growing.
What to do if you were absent
With your team, build a shared digital evidence board mapping scene, lab, suspect, and autopsy evidence to a tentative conclusion, marking gaps and limitations.
usability.gov Card SortingThen submit your Notebook check on Schoology.
Class still runs. Complete the online activity above (it's self-guided). Need the concept taught without a teacher? Use this authoritative explainer:
Khan Academy Biology Library- CompleteEvery required part of the artifact is present, nothing left blank.
- AccurateThe science and the data are correct and match the evidence.
- Scientific reasoningYou explain your claim with evidence and reasoning (CER), not just an answer.
- Professional communicationClear, organized, labeled, and written the way a clinician or scientist would.
- SubmittedTurned in the right way (Schoology for routine work) and confirmed.
Drop your Thu, Sep 24, 2026 · Build the evidence board here. Use a clear file name (your initials + project). Routine work still goes to Schoology (via the CMSD portal).
Upload a project