Grade 7 ELA Connecticut Standards

Conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems.

Create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text.

Analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing.

Construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.

Participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions.

Adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing.

Speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics.

Make accurate use of standard English to communicate in grade appropriate speech and writing.

Construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.

Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.

Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives (e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not He wore an old[,] green shirt).

Spell correctly.

Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and mythological allusions) in context.

Use the relationship between particular words (e.g., synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand each of the words.

Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic, condescending).

Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.

Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).

Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).

Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.

Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.

Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Determine two or more central ideas in a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze the interactions between individuals, events, and ideas in a text (e.g., how ideas influence individuals or events, or how individuals influence ideas or events).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.

Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to the development of the ideas.

Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.

Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing each medium's portrayal of the subject (e.g., how the delivery of a speech affects the impact of the words).

Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts.

Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.

Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.

Analyze how a drama's or poem's form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.

Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.

Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).

Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.

By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend science/technical texts in the grades 6—8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; provide an accurate summary of the text distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.

Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing technical tasks.

Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 6—8 texts and topics.

Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.

Analyze the author's purpose in providing an explanation, describing a procedure, or discussing an experiment in a text.

Integrate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text with a version of that information expressed visually (e.g., in a flowchart, diagram, model, graph, or table).

Distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text.

Compare and contrast the information gained from experiments, simulations, video, or multimedia sources with that gained from reading a text on the same topic.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Pose questions that elicit elaboration and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed.

Acknowledge new information expressed by others and, when warranted, modify their own views.

Analyze the main ideas and supporting details presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how the ideas clarify a topic, text, or issue under study.

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, details, and examples; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize salient points.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), reasons, and evidence.

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content

Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.

Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.

Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources.

Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history").

Apply grade 7 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g. "Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims").

Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.

Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.

Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

Establish and maintain a formal style.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented.

Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/experiments, or technical processes.

Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.

Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.

Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.

Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Text Types and Purposes

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Knowledge of Language

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Text Types and Purposes

Range of Writing

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Speaking and Listening

Reading Standards for Literature

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Conventions of Standard English

Key Ideas and Details

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Key Ideas and Details

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Range of Writing

Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6—12

Reading Standards for Informational Text

Production and Distribution of Writing

Key Ideas and Details

Craft and Structure

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Craft and Structure

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Range of Writing

Production and Distribution of Writing

Text Types and Purposes

Craft and Structure

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Language

Comprehension and Collaboration

Conventions of Standard English

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Comprehension and Collaboration

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading

Writing Standards

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Knowledge of Language

Craft and Structure

Key Ideas and Details

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6—12

Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6—12

Language Standards

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

(Not applicable to literature)

Speaking and Listening Standards

Craft and Structure

Key Ideas and Details

Production and Distribution of Writing

An EL can construct meaning from oral presentations and literary and informational text through grade-appropriate listening, reading, and viewing.

An EL can make accurate use of standard English to communicate in gradeappropriate speech and writing.

An EL can participate in grade-appropriate oral and written exchanges of information, ideas, and analyses, responding to peer, audience, or reader comments and questions.

An EL can speak and write about grade-appropriate complex literary and informational texts and topics.

An EL can construct grade-appropriate oral and written claims and support them with reasoning and evidence.

An EL can conduct research and evaluate and communicate findings to answer questions or solve problems.

An EL can analyze and critique the arguments of others orally and in writing.

An EL can adapt language choices to purpose, task, and audience when speaking and writing.

An EL can determine the meaning of words and phrases in oral presentations and literary and informational text.

An EL can create clear and coherent grade-appropriate speech and text.

with prompting and supports, recognize and use a small number of frequently occurring nouns, noun phrases, and verbs and understand and respond to simple questions

with prompting and supports, communicate basic information about an event or topic and use a narrow range of vocabulary and syntactically simple sentences acquired from conversations, reading, and being read to

relying on context, visual aids, and knowledge of morphology in the native language, recognize the meaning of a few frequently occurring words and phrases, and formulaic expressions in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events

with prompting and supports, use frequently occurring words and phrases and recognize the meaning of some words learned through conversations, reading, and being read to

with prompting and supports, identify a point an author or a speaker makes

with prompting and supports, conduct short individual or shared research projects to answer a question and gather information from a few provided sources and label collected information

with prompting and supports, verbally or nonverbally express an opinion about a familiar topic using a limited number words and phrases acquired in conversations, reading, and being read to

with prompting and supports, communicate basic information using words and phrases acquired in conversations, reading, and being read to about familiar texts, topics, and experiences

with prompting and supports actively listen to others and participate in short conversational and written exchanges on familiar topics using academic and domain specific vocabulary and present basic information and respond verbally and nonverbally to simple questions and some whquestions

with prompting and supports, use a very limited set of strategies to identify a few key words and phrases in oral communications and simple written texts

with prompting and supports, use frequently occurring nouns, pronouns, verbs, prepositions, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, and prepositional phrases and produce simple and compound sentences

with prompting and supports, introduce an informational topic and explain a brief sequence of events, process, description, or compare and contrast and present one or two facts about the topic and use some commonly occurring linking words (e.g., next, because, and, also) and provide a concluding statement

using context, visual aids, reference materials, and knowledge of morphology in the native language, determine the meaning of frequently occurring words, phrases, and expressions in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events

with prompting and supports, adapt language choices according to task and audience and begin to use frequently occurring general academic and content specific words and phrases in conversations and discussions

with prompting and supports, identify the main argument an author or a speaker makes identify one reason an author or a speaker gives to support the argument

with prompting and supports, conduct short individual or shared research projects to answer a question and gather information from provided sources and record some data and information

with prompting and supports, construct a claim about a familiar topic or event and give a reason to support the claim and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

with prompting and supports, deliver short oral presentations and compose written narratives or informational texts and use academic and domain specific vocabulary and include key details about familiar texts, topics, experiences, or events

with prompting and supports, actively listen to others and participate in short conversational and written exchanges on familiar topics and texts using academic and domain specific vocabulary and present information and ideas and respond to simple questions and whquestions

with prompting and supports, use an emerging set of strategies to identify the main topic in oral communication and simple written texts and retell a few key details

with guidance and supports, use relative pronouns (e.g., who, whom, which, that), relative adverbs (e.g., where, when, why), subordinating conjunctions, and prepositional phrases and recognize phrases and clauses within a sentence and produce and expand simple, compound, and a few complex sentences

with guidance and supports, introduce and develop an informational topic with a few facts and details and explain a short sequence of events, process, description, comparison and contrast, or analysis and use common transitional words and phrases to connect events, ideas, and opinions (e.g., after a while, for example, in order to, as a result) and provide a concluding statement or section

using context, visual aids, reference materials, and a developing knowledge of English morphology (e.g. affixes and roots words), determine the meaning of general academic and content-specific words and phrases and frequently occurring expressions in texts about familiar topics, experiences, or events

with guidance and supports, adapt language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience and use an increasing number of general academic and content-specific words and phrases in speech and short written texts and show developing control of style and tone in oral or written text

with guidance and supports, explain the argument an author or a speaker makes distinguish between claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from those that are not

with guidance and supports, conduct short research projects to answer a question and gather information from a variety of provided print and digital sources and summarize or paraphrase observations, ideas, and information, with labeled illustrations, diagrams, or other graphics, as appropriate and present findings to a small or large group in an oral or written text and cite sources

with guidance and supports, construct a claim about familiar topics, texts, or events and introduce the topic and provide several supporting reasons or facts in a logical order and provide a concluding statement and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

with guidance and supports, deliver short oral presentations and compose written narratives or informational texts and integrate graphics or multimedia, when useful and use academic and domain specific vocabulary and include relevant general and some specific details about familiar texts, topics, or events

with guidance and supports, participate in conversations, discussions, and written exchanges on familiar topics and texts using academic and domain specific vocabulary and build on the ideas of others and express his or her own ideas and ask and answer relevant questions and add relevant information

with guidance and supports, use a developing set of strategies to determine the central idea or theme in simple oral presentations or written text and explain how the central idea or theme is supported by specific details and summarize part of the text

use an increasing number of intensive/reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves) and verbs in the active and passive voices and recognize and explain the function on phrases and clauses within a sentence and recognize and correct most misplaced and dangling modifiers and produce and expand simple, compound, and complex sentences

introduce and develop an informational topic with facts and details and explain a detailed sequence of events, process, description, comparison and contrast, or analysis and use a variety of transitional words and phrases to connect events, ideas, and opinions (e.g., however, on the other hand, from that moment on) and provide a concluding section

using context, reference materials, and an increasing knowledge of English morphology, determine the meaning of general academic and contentspecific words and phrases, and a growing number of idiomatic expressions in texts about a variety of topics, experiences, or events

adapt language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience and use a wide range of general academic and content-specific academic words and phrases and maintain consistency in style and tone throughout most of oral or written text

analyze the argument and specific claims made in texts or speech and determine whether the evidence is sufficient to support the claims and cite textual evidence to support the analysis

conduct short research projects to answer a question and gather information from multiple print and digital sources and use search terms effectively and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others, using charts, diagrams, or other graphics, as appropriate and present findings in an organized oral or written text and cite sources and use a standard format for citations

construct a claim about a variety of topics, texts, or events and introduce the topic and provide sufficient evidence, reasons, or facts to support the claim and acknowledge opposing ideas and provide a concluding statement or section and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

including relevant general and specific details, deliver oral presentations and compose written narratives or informational texts and integrate graphics or multimedia, when useful and use academic and domain specific vocabulary about a variety of texts, topics, and events

participate in conversations, discussions, and written exchanges on a variety of topics, texts, and issues using academic and domain specific vocabulary and build on the ideas of others and express his or her own ideas and ask and answer relevant questions and add relevant information and evidence and paraphrase the key ideas expressed

use an increasing range of strategies to determine two or more central ideas or themes in oral presentations or written text and explain how the central ideas/themes are supported by specific textual details and summarize a text

use intensive/reflexive pronouns and use verbs in the active and passive voices and place phrases and clauses within a sentence and recognize and correct misplaced and dangling modifiers and (at Grade 8) use verbals (e.g. gerunds, participles, and infinitives) and produce and expand simple, compound, and complex sentences

introduce and effectively develop an informational topic with facts and details explain a coherent and detailed sequence of events, process, description, comparison and contrast, or analysis and use a wide variety of transitional words and phrases to show logical relationships between events and ideas and provide a concluding section

using context, reference materials, and knowledge of English morphology, determine the meanings of general academic and contentspecific words and phrases, idiomatic expressions, and figurative and connotative language (e.g., metaphor, personification) in texts about a variety of topics, experiences, or events

adapt language choices and style according to purpose, task, and audience, and use a wide variety of complex general academic and contentspecific academic words to precisely express ideas and maintain an appropriate and consistent style and tone throughout an oral or written text

analyze and evaluate the argument and specific claims made in texts or speech/ presentations and determine whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims and cite textual evidence to support the analysis

conduct short research projects to answer a question and gather information from multiple print and digital sources and use search terms effectively and (at Grade 8) evaluate the credibility of each source and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others using charts, diagrams, or other graphics, as appropriate and integrate information into an organized oral or written report and cite sources and use a standard format for citations

construct a claim about a variety of topics, texts, or events and introduce the topic and provide compelling and logically ordered evidence, reasons, or facts that effectively support the claim and establish a formal style and address the counterargument and provide a concluding section and use academic and domain specific vocabulary

including relevant details and examples to fully develop a topic, deliver oral presentations and compose written narratives or informational texts and integrate graphics or multimedia, when useful and use academic and domain specific vocabulary about a variety of texts, topics, and events

participate in extended conversations, discussions, and written exchanges about a variety of topics, texts, and issues using academic and domain specific vocabulary and build on the ideas of others and express his or her own ideas clearly • pose and respond to relevant questions and add relevant and specific evidence and summarize the key ideas and reflect on the key ideas expressed

use a wide range of strategies to determine central ideas or themes in oral presentations or written text and explain how the central ideas/themes are developed by supporting ideas or evidence and summarize a text