The Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements are copyrighted by the University of Kansas
Center for Research. They are based substantially on an earlier version that was copyrighted
by Edvantia. The Essential Elements may be reprinted or used, with appropriate citation, in
part or entirety by anyone in the DLM Consortium states. However, no text in the document
may be modified. Comments, explanations, or other additional materials may be interspersed
as long as they clearly indicate that they are not part of the Essential Elements and are not
the opinions of the DLM Consortium or the University of Kansas Center for Research. Others
may use the contents with written permission from the Center for Educational Testing and
Evaluation. Appropriate citations follow.
Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium. (2013). Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements for
English language arts. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas.
and
Dynamic Learning Maps Consortium. (2013). Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements for
mathematics. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas.
Page 3 of 147
Contents
BACKGROUND ON THE DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS ....................................................... 5
A
LIGNMENT OF THE DLM EES TO THE DLM LEARNING MAPS ......................................................................... 6
T
HE ALIGNMENT PROCESS ............................................................................................................................ 6
C
LAIMS AND CONCEPTUAL AREAS ................................................................................................................. 7
A
CCESS TO INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT ............................................................................................... 10
G
UIDANCE AND SUPPORT............................................................................................................................ 12
C
ONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................................. 13
APPE
NDIX ................................................................................................................................................ 14
D
YNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN ............................................................ 16
K
INDERGARTEN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE)......................................... 16
K
INDERGARTEN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) .......................... 18
K
INDERGARTEN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS)......................... 19
K
INDERGARTEN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING ............................................................... 21
K
INDERGARTEN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ..................................... 23
K
INDERGARTEN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ............................................................ 24
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FIRST GRADE ................................................................ 26
F
IRST GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ............................................ 26
F
IRST GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ............................. 27
F
IRST GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS) ............................ 28
F
IRST GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .................................................................. 31
F
IRST GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ........................................ 32
F
IRST GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ............................................................... 33
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SECOND GRADE ............................................................ 36
S
ECOND GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE)........................................ 36
S
ECOND GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ......................... 38
S
ECOND GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS) ....................... 40
S
ECOND GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .............................................................. 41
S
ECOND GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING .................................... 43
S
ECOND GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ........................................................... 44
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR THIRD GRADE ............................................................... 47
T
HIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ........................................... 47
T
HIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ............................. 49
T
HIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS) ........................... 51
T
HIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .................................................................. 52
T
HIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ........................................ 55
T
HIRD GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE .............................................................. 57
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FOURTH GRADE ............................................................ 60
F
OURTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ........................................ 60
F
OURTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ......................... 62
F
OURTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS) ........................ 64
F
OURTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .............................................................. 65
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F
OURTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING .................................... 68
F
OURTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ........................................................... 70
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FIFTH GRADE ................................................................ 73
F
IFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ............................................ 73
F
IFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ............................. 75
F
IFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS) ............................ 77
F
IFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .................................................................. 78
F
IFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ........................................ 81
F
IFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ............................................................... 83
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SIXTH GRADE ................................................................ 86
S
IXTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ........................................... 86
S
IXTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ............................. 88
S
IXTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .................................................................. 90
S
IXTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ........................................ 94
S
IXTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE .............................................................. 96
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SEVENTH GRADE .......................................................... 98
S
EVENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ...................................... 98
S
EVENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ...................... 100
S
EVENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING ........................................................... 102
S
EVENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ................................. 106
S
EVENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ....................................................... 108
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR EIGHTH GRADE ........................................................... 110
E
IGHTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ....................................... 110
E
IGHTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ......................... 112
E
IGHTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING ............................................................. 114
E
IGHTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING .................................... 118
E
IGHTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE .......................................................... 120
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR NINTH-TENTH GRADE ................................................. 122
N
INTH-TENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) .............................. 122
N
INTH-TENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ............... 124
N
INTH-TENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING .................................................... 126
N
INTH-TENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING .......................... 131
N
INTH-TENTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ................................................. 133
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR ELEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE ....................................... 135
E
LEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (LITERATURE) ................... 135
E
LEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: READING (INFORMATIONAL TEXT) ..... 136
E
LEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: WRITING ......................................... 139
E
LEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: SPEAKING AND LISTENING ................ 144
E
LEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS: LANGUAGE ...................................... 146
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Background on the Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements
The Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements are specific statements of knowledge
and skills linked to the grade-level expectations identified in the Common Core State Standards.
The purpose of the Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements is to build a bridge from the
content in the Common Core State Standards to academic expectations for students with the
most significant cognitive disabilities. The initial draft of the Dynamic Learning Maps Essential
Elements (then called the Common Core Essential Elements) was released in the spring of
2012.
The initial version of the Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements (DLM EEs) was
developed by a group of educators and content specialists from the 12 member states of the
Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment Consortium (DLM) in the spring of 2011. Led by
Edvantia, Inc., a sub-contractor of DLM, representatives from each state education agency and
the educators and content specialists they selected developed the original DLM EEs draft.
Experts in mathematics and English language arts, as well as individuals with expertise in
instruction for students with significant cognitive disabilities, reviewed the draft documents.
Edvantia then compiled the information into the version released in the spring of 2012.
Concurrent with the development of the DLM EEs, the DLM consortium was actively
engaged in building learning maps in mathematics and English language arts. The DLM learning
maps are highly connected representations of how academic skills are acquired, as reflected in
research literature. In the case of the DLM project, the Common Core State Standards helped to
specify academic targets, while the surrounding map content clarified how students could reach
the specified standard. Learning maps of this size had not been previously developed, and as a
result, alignment between the DLM EEs and the learning maps was not possible until the fall of
2012, when an initial draft of the learning maps was available for review.
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Alignment of the DLM EEs to the DLM Learning Maps
Teams of content experts worked together to revise the initial version of the DLM EEs
and the learning maps to ensure appropriate alignment of these two critical elements of the
project. Alignment involved horizontal alignment of the DLM EEs with the Common Core State
Standards and vertical alignment of the DLM EEs with meaningful progressions in the learning
maps. The alignment process began when researchers Caroline Mark and Kelli Thomas
compared the learning maps with the initial version of the DLM EEs to determine how the map
and the DLM EEs should be adjusted to improve their alignment. The teams of content experts
most closely involved with this alignment work included:
Mathematics
English Language Arts
Kelli Thomas, Ph.D. (co-lead)
Caroline Mark, Ph.D. (lead)
Angela Broaddus, Ph.D. (co-lead)
Jonathan Schuster, Ph.D.
Perneet Sood
Russell Swinburne Romine, Ph.D.
Kristin Joannou
Suzanne Peterson
Bryan Candea Kromm
These teams worked in consultation with Sue Bechard, Ph.D. and Karen Erickson, Ph.D.,
who offered guidance based on their experience in the alternate assessment of students with
significant cognitive disabilities.
The Alignment Process
The process of aligning the learning map and the DLM EEs began by identifying nodes in
the maps that represented the essential elements in mathematics and English language arts.
This process revealed areas in the maps where additional nodes were needed to account for
incremental growth reflected from an essential element in one grade to the next. Areas were
also identified in which an essential element was out of place developmentally, according to
research, with other essential elements. For example, adjustments were made when an
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essential element related to a higher-grade map node appeared earlier on the map than an
essential element related to a lower-grade map node (e.g., a fifth-grade skill preceded a third-
grade skill). Finally, the alignment process revealed DLM EEs that were actually written as
instructional tasks rather than learning outcomes.
This initial review step provided the roadmap for subsequent revision of both the learning
maps and the DLM EEs. The next step in the DLM project was to develop the claims document,
which served as the basis for the evidence-centered design of the DLM project and helped to
further refine both the modeling of academic learning in the maps and the final revisions to the
DLM EEs.
Claims and Conceptual Areas
The DLM system uses a variant of evidence-centered design (ECD) as the framework for
developing the DLM Alternate Assessment System. While ECD is multifaceted, it starts with a
set of claims regarding important knowledge in the domains of interest (mathematics and
English language arts), as well as an understanding of how that knowledge is acquired. Two
sets of claims have been developed for DLM that identify the major domains of interest within
mathematics and English language arts for students with significant cognitive disabilities. These
claims are broad statements about expected student learning that serve to focus the scope of
the assessment. Because the learning map identifies particular paths to the acquisition of
academic skills, the claims also help to organize the structures in the learning map for this
population of students. Specifically, conceptual areas within the map further define the
knowledge and skills required to meet the broad claims identified by DLM.
The claims are also significant because they provide another means through which to
evaluate alignment between the DLM EEs and the learning map nodes, and serve as the
foundation for evaluating the validity of inferences made from test scores. DLM EEs related to a
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particular claim and conceptual area must clearly link to one another, and the learning map must
reflect how that knowledge is acquired. Developing the claims and conceptual areas for DLM
provided a critical framework for organizing nodes on the learning maps and, accordingly, the
DLM EEs that align with each node. The table below shows the major ELA claims in DLM and
the conceptual areas within each claim.
Table 1. DLM – ELA Major Claims
DLM – ELA Major Claims
ELA C1: Students can comprehend text in increasingly complex ways.
Conceptual Areas in the Dynamic Learning Map:
ELA.C1.1 Determine Critical Elements of Text
ELA.C1.2 Construct Understandings of Text
ELA.C1.3 Integrate Ideas and Information from Text
ELA C2: Students can produce writing for a range of purposes and audiences.
Conceptual Areas in the Dynamic Learning Map:
ELA.C2.1 Use Writing to Communicate
ELA.C2.2 Integrate Ideas and Information in Writing
ELA C3: Students can communicate for a range of purposes and audiences.
Conceptual Areas in the Dynamic Learning Map:
ELA.C3.1 Use Language to Communicate with Others
ELA.C3.2 Clarify and Contribute in Discussion
ELA C4: Students can engage in research/inquiry to investigate topics and present
information.
Conceptual Areas in the Dynamic Learning Map:
ELA.C4.1 Use Sources and Information
ELA.C4.2 Collaborate and Present Ideas
Clearly articulated claims and conceptual areas for DLM served as an important
evidence-centered framework within which this version of the DLM EEs was developed. With
the claims and conceptual areas in place, the relationship between DLM EEs within a claim and
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conceptual area or across grade levels is easier to track and strengthen. The learning maps, as
well as the claims and conceptual areas, were not yet developed when the original versions of
the DLM EEs were created. As such, the relationship of DLM EEs within and across grade
levels was more difficult to evaluate at that time.
Resulting Changes to the DLM Essential Elements
The development of the entire DLM Alternate Assessment System guided a final round of
revisions to the DLM EEs, which can be organized into four broad categories: alignment across
grade levels, language specificity, common core alignment, and defining learning expectations
(rather than instructional tasks). The first type of revision was required to align the DLM EEs
across grade levels, both vertically and horizontally. The maps, and the research supporting
them, were critical in determining the appropriate progression of skills and understandings from
grade to grade. This alignment across grade levels was important within and across standards,
strands, and domains. For example, in determining when it was appropriate to introduce
concepts in mathematics regarding the relative position of objects, we had to consider the grade
level at which prepositions that describe relative position were introduced in English language
arts. Examining the research-based skill development outlined in the learning map aided in
these kinds of determinations.
The articulation of the claims and conceptual areas reinforced the need for specific
language in the DLM EEs to describe learning within an area. Because teams assigned to grade
bands developed the first round of DLM EEs, the language choices from one grade to the next
were not consistent. Even when closely related skills, concepts, or understandings were
targeted, the same terms were not always selected to describe the intended learning outcome.
The teams of content experts who worked on this revised version of the DLM EEs were very
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intentional in selecting a common set of terms to reflect the claims and conceptual areas and
applied them consistently across the entire set of DLM EEs.
Another important change in this version of the DLM EEs involved alignment to the
Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Given that the DLM EEs are intended to clarify the
bridge to the CCSS expectations for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, it is
critical that alignment be as close as possible without compromising learning and development
over time. While there was never a one-to-one correspondence between the CCSS and the
DLM EEs, the revisions have made the alignment between the two more precise than it was in
the first version.
Finally, revisions to the DLM EEs involved shifting the focus of a small number of DLM
EEs that were written in the form of instructional tasks rather than learning expectations, and
adding “With guidance and support” to the beginning of a few of the DLM EEs in the primary
grades in English language arts to reflect the expectations articulated in the CCSS.
Members of the DLM consortium reviewed each of the changes to the original version of
the DLM EEs. Four states provided substantive feedback on the revisions, and this document
incorporates the changes those teams suggested.
Access to Instruction and Assessment
The DLM EEs specify learning targets for students with significant cognitive disabilities;
however, they do not describe all of the ways that students can engage in instruction or
demonstrate understanding through an assessment. Appropriate modes of communication, both
for presentation or response, are not stated in the DLM EEs unless a specific mode is an
expectation. Where no limitation has been stated, no limitation should be inferred. Students’
opportunities to learn and to demonstrate learning during assessment should be maximized by
providing whatever communication, assistive technologies, augmentative and alternative
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communication (AAC) devices, or other access tools that are necessary and routinely used by
the student during instruction.
Students with significant cognitive disabilities include a broad range of students with
diverse disabilities and communication needs. For some students with significant cognitive
disabilities, a range of assistive technologies is required to access content and demonstrate
achievement. For other students, AAC devices or accommodations for hearing and visual
impairments are needed. During instruction, teams should meet individual student needs using
whatever technologies and accommodations are required. Examples of some of the ways that
students may use technology while learning and demonstrating learning are topics for
professional development, and include:
• communication devices that compensate for a student’s physical inability to produce
independent speech.
• alternate access devices that compensate for a student’s physical inability to point to
responses, turn pages in a book, or use a pencil or keyboard to answer questions or
produce writing.
Many students with significant cognitive disabilities have difficulty with or cannot use
speech to communicate and/or are supported by the use of communication symbols (e.g.,
communication boards, voice output communication devices) and supports to augment their
speech and other means of communication. Students who require symbols and other AAC
supports require frequent modeling in the use of those symbols to interact and respond during
instruction. Students who use symbols and other communication supports need as much
modeling as children who use speech to communicate. Modeling in this way is not viewed as a
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means of prompting, guidance, or support, just as having a teacher talk serves those purposes
for a student who communicates using speech.
When modeling the use of symbols and other communication supports, teachers use the
symbols and supports themselves, hand them to students without communication impairments
to use, and involve the students who need to use them every day. Each of these steps can play
an important role in validating the use of symbols and communication supports and
demonstrating multiple levels of expertise in their use.
Guidance and Support
The authors of the CCSS use the words “prompting and support” at the earliest grade
levels to indicate when students are not expected to achieve standards completely
independently. Generally, “prompting” refers to “the action of saying something to persuade,
encourage, or remind someone to do or say something” (McKean, 2005). However, in special
education, prompting is often used to mean a system of structured cues to elicit desired
behaviors that otherwise would not occur. In order to clearly communicate that teacher
assistance is permitted during instruction of the DLM EEs and is not limited to structured
prompting procedures, the decision was made by the stakeholder group to use the more general
term guidance throughout the DLM EEs.
Guidance and support during instruction should be interpreted as teacher
encouragement, general assistance, and informative feedback to support the student in
learning. Some examples of the kinds of teacher behaviors that would be considered guidance
and support include verbal supports, such as
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• getting the student started (e.g., “Tell me what to do first.”),
• providing a hint in the right direction without revealing the answer (e.g., Student wants
to write dog but is unsure how, so the teacher might say, “See if you can write the first
letter in the word, /d/og [phonetically pronounced].”),
• using structured technologies such as task-specific word banks, or
• providing structured cues such as those found in prompting procedures (e.g., least-to-
most prompts, simultaneous prompting, and graduated guidance).
Guidance and support as described above apply to instruction and is also linked to
demonstrating learning relative to DLM EEs, where guidance and support is specifically called
out within the standards.
Conclusion
Developing the research-based model of knowledge and skill development represented
in the DLM Learning Maps supported the articulation of assessment claims for mathematics and
English language arts. This articulation subsequently allowed for a careful revision of the DLM
EEs to reflect both horizontal alignment with the CCSS and vertical alignment across the
grades, with the goal of moving students toward more sophisticated understandings in both
domains. Though the contributions made by Edvantia and our state partners in developing the
initial set of DLM EEs were a critical first step, additional revisions to the DLM EEs were
required to ensure consistency across all elements of the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate
Assessment System.
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APPENDIX
Development of the Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements has been a collaborative effort among
practitioners, researchers, and our state representatives. Listed below are the reviews and the
individuals involved with each round of improvements to the Dynamic Learning Maps Essential
Elements. Thank you to all of our contributors.
Review of Draft Two of Dynamic Learning Maps Essential Elements
A special thanks to all of the experts nominated by their state to review draft two of the Dynamic Learning
Maps Essential Elements. We are grateful for your time and efforts to improve these standards for
students with significant cognitive disabilities. Your comments have been incorporated into this draft. The
states with teams who reviewed draft two include:
Illinois
Oklahoma
Iowa
Utah
Kansas
Virginia
Michigan
West Virginia
Missouri
Wisconsin
Development of the Original Dynamic Learning Maps Common Core Essential Elements
A special thanks to Edvantia and the team of representatives from Dynamic Learning Maps consortium
states who developed the original Common Core Essential Elements upon which the revised Dynamic
Learning Maps Essential Elements are based. The team from Edvantia who led the original effort
included:
Jan Sheinker, Sheinker Educational Services, Inc.
Beth Judy, Director, Assessment, Alignment, and Accountability Services
Nathan Davis, Information Technology Specialist
Kristen Deitrick, Corporate Communications Specialist
Linda Jones, Executive Assistant
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Representatives from Dynamic Learning Maps consortium states included:
IOWA
SEA Representatives: Tom Deeter, Emily Thatcher
Stakeholders: Peggy Akins, Judy Hamer, Kathleen Kvamme-Promes, Donna Shaw
KANSAS
SEA Representatives: Debbie Matthews, Kris Shaw
Stakeholders: Debby Byrne, Holly Draper, Dawn Gresham, Linda Hickey
MICHIGAN
SEA Representatives: Joanne Wilkelman, Adam Wyse
Stakeholders: Debra Susan Asano, Thomai Gersh, Marcia O’Brian, Terri Portice
MISSOURI
SEA Representatives: Lynn Everett, Jane VanDeZande
Stakeholders: Melia Franklin, Lou Ann Hoover, Debbie Jameson, Kate Sadler
NEW JERSEY
SEA Representatives: Melanie O’Dea
Stakeholders: Brenda Berrios, Neal Webster, Tina Yurcho
NORTH CAROLINA
SEA Representatives: Claire Greer, Sarah Reives
Stakeholders: Emma Hatfield-Sidden, Judy Jennings, Jennifer Michalenok
OKLAHOMA
SEA Representatives: Jennifer Burnes, Amy Dougherty
Stakeholders: Pam Cox, Dianna Daubenspeck, Sondra LeGrande, Christie Stephenson
UTAH
SEA Representatives: Wendy Carver, Kurt Farnsworth
Stakeholders: James Brey, Janice Hill, Linda Stallviere, Ryan Webb
VIRGINIA
SEA Representative: John Eisenberg
Stakeholders: Maria Beck, Daniel Blegun, Al Klugh, Cheryl Ann Prevatte
WASHINGTON
SEA Representatives: Judy Kraft, Janice Tornow
Stakeholders: Annalisa Brewster, Kim Cook, Jeffrey Dunn, Kimberly Perisho
WEST VIRGINIA
SEA Representatives: Beth Cipoletti, Melissa Gholson
Stakeholders: Robert Bartlett, Gerald Hartley, Angel Harris, Angela See
WISCONSIN
SEA Representatives: Emilie Amundson, Kristen Burton
Stakeholders: Lori Hillyer, Tamara Maxwell, Connie Persike, Sara Vold
Page 16 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN
Kindergarten English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer
questions about key details in a text.
ELA.EE.RL.K.1 With guidance and support, identify details in
familiar stories.
RL.K.2 With prompting and support, retell familiar stories,
including key details.
ELA.EE.RL.K.2 With guidance and support, identify major
events in familiar stories.
RL.K.3 With prompting and support, identify characters,
settings, and major events in a story.
ELA.EE.RL.K.3 With guidance and support, identify
characters and settings in a familiar story.
Craft and Structure
RL.K.4 Ask and answer questions about unknown words in
a text.
ELA.EE.RL.K.4 With guidance and support, indicate when an
unknown word is used in a text.
RL.K.5 Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks,
poems).
ELA.EE.RL.K.5 With guidance and support, recognize familiar
texts (e.g., storybooks, poems).
RL.K.6 With prompting and support, name the author and
illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the
story.
ELA.EE.RL.K.6 With guidance and support, distinguish
between words and illustrations in a story.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the
relationship between illustrations and the story in which they
appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).
ELA.EE.RL.K.7 With guidance and support, identify
illustrations or objects/tactual information that go with a
familiar story.
RL.K.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.K.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.K.9 With prompting and support, compare and contrast
the adventures and experiences of characters in familiar
stories.
ELA.EE.RL.K.9 With guidance and support, identify the
adventures or experiences of a character in a familiar story.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with
purpose and understanding.
ELA.EE.RL.K.10 With guidance and support, actively engage
in shared reading.
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Kindergarten English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards
DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.K.1 With prompting and support, ask and answer
questions about key details in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.K.1 With guidance and support, identify a detail in a
familiar text.
RI.K.2 With prompting and support, identify the main topic
and retell key details of a text.
ELA.EE.RI.K.2 With guidance and support, identify the topic of
a familiar text.
RI.K.3 With prompting and support, describe the
connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or
pieces of information in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.K.3 With guidance and support, identify individuals,
events, or details in a familiar informational text.
Craft and Structure
RI.K.4 With prompting and support, ask and answer
questions about unknown words in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.K.4 With guidance and support, indicate when an
unknown word is used in a text.
RI.K.5 Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of
a book.
ELA.EE.RI.K.5 With guidance and support, identify the front
cover of a book.
RI.K.6 Name the author and illustrator of a text and define
the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a
text.
ELA.EE.RI.K.6 With guidance and support, distinguish between
words and illustrations in an informational text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the
relationship between illustrations and the text in which they
appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text
an illustration depicts).
ELA.EE.RI.K.7 With guidance and support, identify illustrations
or objects/tactual information that go with a familiar text.
RI.K.8 With prompting and support, identify the reasons an
author gives to support points in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.K.8 With guidance and support, identify points the
author makes in an informational text.
RI.K.9 With prompting and support, identify basic
similarities in and differences between two texts on the
same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or
procedures).
ELA.EE.RI.K.9 With guidance and support, match similar parts
of two familiar texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.K.10 Actively engage in group reading activities with
purpose and understanding.
ELA.EE.RI.K.10 With guidance and support, actively engage in
shared reading of informational text.
Page 19 of 147
Kindergarten English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Foundational Skills)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Print Concepts
RF.K.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization
and basic features of print.
a. Follow words from left to right, top to bottom, and
page by page.
b. Recognize that spoken words are represented in
written language by specific sequences of letters.
c. Understand that words are separated by spaces in
print.
d. Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase
letters of the alphabet.
ELA.EE.RF.K.1 Demonstrate emerging understanding of the
organization of print.
a. With guidance and support during shared reading,
demonstrate understanding that books are read one page
at a time from beginning to end.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
Phonological Awareness
RF.K.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words,
syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
a. Recognize and produce rhyming words.
b. Count, pronounce, blend, and segment syllables in
spoken words.
c. Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-
syllable spoken words.
d. Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and
final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme
(consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.* (This
does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)
e. Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in
simple, one-syllable words to make new words.
ELA.EE.RF.K.2 Demonstrate emerging understanding of spoken
words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
a. With guidance and support, recognize rhyming words.
b. With guidance and support, recognize the number of
words in a spoken message.
c. With guidance and support, identify single-syllable spoken
words with the same onset (beginning sound) as a familiar
word.
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
Page 20 of 147
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.K.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word
analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-
sound correspondences by producing the primary or
many of the most frequent sound for each
consonant.
b. Associate the long and short sounds with common
spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
c. Read common high-frequency words by sight (e.g.,
the, of, to, you, she, my, is, are, do, does).
d. Distinguish between similarly spelled words by
identifying the sounds of the letters that differ.
ELA.EE.RF.K.3 Demonstrate emerging awareness of print.
a. With guidance and support, recognize first letter of own
name in print.
b. Not applicable
c. With guidance and support, recognize environmental
print.
d. Not applicable
Fluency
RF.K.4 Read emergent-reader texts with purpose and
understanding.
ELA.EE.RF.K.4 Engage in purposeful shared reading of familiar
text.
Page 21 of 147
Kindergarten English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and
writing
to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the
topic or the name of the book they are writing about and
state an opinion or preference about the topic or book
(e.g., My favorite book is . . .).
ELA.EE.W.K.1 With guidance and support, select a familiar
book and use drawing, dictating, or writing to state an opinion
about it.
W.K.2 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing
to compose informative/explanatory texts in which they
name what they are writing about and supply some
information about the topic.
ELA.EE.W.K.2 With guidance and support, select a familiar
topic and use drawing, dictating, or writing to share information
about the topic.
W.K.3 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing
to narrate a single event or several loosely linked events,
tell about the events in the order in which they occurred,
and provide a reaction to what happened.
ELA.EE.W.K.3 With guidance and support, select an event and
use drawing, dictating, or writing and share information about it.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.K.4 (Begins in grade 3)
ELA.EE.W.K.4 (Begins in grade 3)
W.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, respond to
questions and suggestions from peers and add details to
strengthen writing as needed.
ELA.EE.W.K.5 (Begins in grade 1)
W.K.6 With guidance and support from adults, explore a
variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing,
including in collaboration with peers.
ELA.EE.W.K.6 With guidance and support from adults, explore
a variety of digital tools to produce individual or group writing.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.K.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects
(e.g., explore a number of books by a favorite author and
express opinions about them).
ELA.EE.W.K.7 With guidance and support, participate in shared
research and writing objects.
W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall
information from experiences or gather information from
provided sources to answer a question.
ELA.EE.W.K.8 With guidance and support from adults, identify
information, objects, or events that relate to personal
experiences.
Page 22 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.K.9 (Begins in grade 4)
ELA.EE.W.K.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.K.10 (Begins in grade 3)
ELA.EE.W.K.10 (Begins in grade 3)
Page 23 of 147
Kindergarten English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.K.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with
diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with
peers and adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g.,
listening to others and taking turns speaking about
the topics and texts under discussion).
b. Continue a conversation through multiple
exchanges.
ELA.EE.SL.K.1 Participate in conversations with others.
a. Communicate directly with supportive adults or peers.
b. Participate in multiple-turn communication exchanges
with support from adults.
SL.K.2 Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media by
asking and answering questions about key details and
requesting clarification if something is not understood.
ELA.EE.SL.K.2 Demonstrate an emerging understanding of a
familiar text read aloud or information presented orally or
through other media by answering questions.
SL.K.3 Ask and answer questions in order to seek help,
get information, or clarify something that is not understood.
ELA.EE.SL.K.3 Ask for help when needed.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.K.4 Describe familiar people, places, things, and
events and, with prompting and support, provide additional
detail.
ELA.EE.SL.K.4 With guidance and support, identify familiar
people, places, things, and events.
SL.K.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to
descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.
ELA.EE.SL.K.5 With guidance and support, add or select
drawings or other visual or tactual displays that relate to familiar
people, places, things, and events.
SL.K.6 Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and
ideas clearly.
ELA.EE.SL.K.6 With guidance and support, communicate
thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
Page 24 of 147
Kindergarten English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English.
L.K.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Print many upper- and lowercase letters.
b. Use frequently occurring nouns and verbs.
c. Form regular plural nouns orally by adding /s/ or /es/
(e.g., dog, dogs; wish, wishes).
d. Understand and use question words (interrogatives)
(e.g., who, what, where, when, why, how).
e. Use the most frequently occurring prepositions (e.g.,
to, from, in, out, on, off, for, of, by, with).
f. Produce and expand complete sentences in shared
language activities.
ELA.EE.L.K.1 Demonstrate emerging understanding of letter
and word use.
a. With guidance and support, distinguish between letters
and other symbols or shapes.
b. With guidance and support, use frequently occurring
nouns in communication.
c. With guidance and support, use frequently occurring
plural nouns.
d. With guidance and support, identify answers to simple
questions (e.g., who, what) from an array of choices.
e. With guidance and support, demonstrate understanding
of common prepositions: on, off, in, out.
f. With guidance and support, link two or more words
together in communication.
L.K.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize the first word in a sentence and the
pronoun I.
b. Recognize and name end punctuation.
c. Write a letter or letters for most consonant and short-
vowel sounds (phonemes).
d. Spell simple words phonetically, drawing on
knowledge of sound-letter relationships.
Not applicable
Knowledge of Language
L.K.3 (Begins in grade 2) ELA.EE.L.K.3 (Begins in grade 2)
Page 25 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.K.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on
kindergarten reading and content.
a. Identify new meanings for familiar words and apply
them accurately (e.g., knowing duck is a bird and
learning the verb to duck).
b. Use the most frequently occurring inflections and
affixes (e.g., -ed, -s, re-, un-, pre-, -ful, -less) as a
clue to the meaning of an unknown word.
ELA.EE.L.K.4 Demonstrate emerging knowledge of word
meanings.
a. With guidance and support, demonstrate understanding
of words used in every day routines.
b. Not applicable
L.K.5 With guidance and support from adults, explore
word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
a. Sort common objects into categories (e.g., shapes,
foods) to gain a sense of the concepts the
categories represent.
b. Demonstrate understanding of frequently occurring
verbs and adjectives by relating them to their
opposites (antonyms).
c. Identify real-life connections between words and
their use (e.g., note places at school that are
colorful).
d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs
describing the same general action (e.g., walk,
march, strut, prance) by acting out the meanings.
ELA.EE.L.K.5 Demonstrate emerging understanding of word
relationships.
a. With guidance and support, sort common objects into
familiar categories.
b. With guidance and support, demonstrate understanding
of frequently occurring opposites.
c. With guidance and support, use words to communicate in
real-life situations.
d. With guidance and support, demonstrate an
understanding of common verbs.
L.K.6 Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts.
ELA.EE.L.K.6 With guidance and support, use words acquired
through conversations, being read to, and during shared
reading activities.
Page 26 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FIRST GRADE
First Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text.
ELA.EE.RL.1.1 Identify details in familiar stories.
RL.1.2 Retell stories, including key details, and
demonstrate understanding of their central message or
lesson.
ELA.EE.RL.1.2 With guidance and support, recount major
events in familiar stories.
RL.1.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in
a story, using key details.
ELA.EE.RL.1.3 Identify characters and settings in a familiar
story.
Craft and Structure
RL.1.4 Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that
suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
ELA.EE.RL.1.4 With guidance and support, identify sensory or
feeling words in a familiar story.
RL.1.5 Explain major differences between books that tell
stories and books that give information, drawing on a wide
reading of a range of text types.
ELA.EE.RL.1.5 With guidance and support, identify a text as
telling a story.
RL.1.6 Identify who is telling the story at various points in a
text.
ELA.EE.RL.1.6 With guidance and support, identify a speaker
within a familiar story.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.1.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe
its characters, setting, or events.
ELA.EE.RL.1.7 Identify illustrations or objects/tactual
information that go with a familiar story.
RL.1.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.1.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.1.9 Compare and contrast the adventures and
experiences of characters in stories.
ELA.EE.RL.1.9 With guidance and support identify adventures
or experiences of characters in a story as same or different.
Page 27 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.1.10 With prompting and support, read prose and
poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1.
ELA.EE.RL.1.10 With guidance and support, actively engage in
shared reading for a clearly stated purpose.
First Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.1.1 Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.1 Identify details in familiar text.
RI.1.2 Identify the main topic and retell key details of a
text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.2 With guidance and support, identify details
related to the topic of a text.
RI.1.3 Describe the connection between two individuals,
events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.3 Identify individuals, events, or details in a
familiar informational text.
Craft and Structure
RI.1.4 Ask and answer questions to help determine or
clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.4 With guidance and support, ask a reader to
clarify the meaning of a word in a text.
RI.1.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., headings,
tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to
locate key facts or information in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.5 Locate the front cover, back cover, and title page
of a book.
RI.1.6 Distinguish between information provided by
pictures or other illustrations and information provided by
the words in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.6 Distinguish between words and illustrations in a
text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.1.7 Use the illustrations and details in a text to describe
its key ideas.
ELA.EE.RI.1.7 Identify illustrations or objects/tactual information
that go with a familiar text.
RI.1.8 Identify the reasons an author gives to support
points in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.1.8 Identify points the author makes in a familiar
informational text.
Page 28 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.1.9 Identify basic similarities in and differences between
two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations,
descriptions, or procedures).
ELA.EE.RI.1.9 With guidance and support, match similar parts
of two texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.1.10 With prompting and support read informational
texts appropriately complex for grade 1.
ELA.EE.RI.1.10 Actively engage in shared reading of
informational text.
First Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Foundational Skills)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Print Concepts
RF.1.1 Demonstrate understanding of the organization and
basic features of print.
a. Recognize the distinguishing features of a sentence
(e.g., first word, capitalization, ending punctuation).
ELA.EE.RF.1.1 Demonstrate emerging understanding of the
organization of print.
a. Demonstrate understanding of the organization and
basic features of print (e.g., left-to-right, top-to-bottom
orientation of print, one-to-one correspondence between
written and spoken word).
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
Page 29 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Phonological Awareness
RF.1.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words,
syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
a. Distinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken
single-syllable words.
b. Orally produce single-syllable words by blending
sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.
c. Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final
sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.
d. Segment spoken single-syllable words into their
complete sequence of individual sounds (phonemes).
ELA.EE.RF.1.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words,
syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
a. Recognize rhyming words.
b. With guidance and support, match orally presented
segmented phonemes (e.g., C-A-T) to pictures or words
illustrating the corresponding word.
c. Identify a single syllable spoken word with the same
onset (beginning sound) as a familiar word.
d. With guidance and support, substitute individual sounds
(phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new
words.
Page 30 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.1.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word
analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Know the spelling-sound correspondences for
common consonant digraphs.
b. Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
c. Know final -e and common vowel team conventions
for representing long vowel sounds.
d. Use knowledge that every syllable must have a
vowel sound to determine the number of syllables in
a printed word.
e. Decode two-syllable words following basic patterns
by breaking the words into syllables.
f. Read words with inflectional endings.
g. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly
spelled words.
ELA.EE.RF.1.3 Demonstrate emerging letter and word
identification skills.
a. Identify upper case letters of the alphabet.
b. With guidance and support, recognize familiar words
that are used in every day routines.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
g. Not applicable
Fluency
RF.1.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate
rate, and expression on successive readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word
recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
ELA.EE.RF.1.4 Begin to attend to words in print.
a. Engage in sustained, independent study of books.
b. Participate in shared reading of a variety of reading
materials reflecting a variety of text genre.
c. Not applicable
Page 31 of 147
First Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.1.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic or
name the book they are writing about,state an opinion, supply a
reason for the opinion, and provide some sense of closure.
ELA.EE.W.1.1 Select a familiar book and use drawing,
dictating, or writing to state an opinion about it.
W.1.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they name a
topic, supply some facts about the topic, and provide some sense
of closure.
ELA.EE.W.1.2 Select a familiar topic and use drawing,
dictating, or writing to share information about it.
W.1.3 Write narratives in which they recount two or more
appropriately sequenced events, include some details regarding
what happened, use temporal words to signal event order, and
provide some sense of closure.
ELA.EE.W.1.3 Select an event and use drawing,
dictating, or writing to share information about it.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.1.4 (Begins in grade 3)
ELA.EE.W.1.4 (Begins in grade 3)
W.1.5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic,
respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details
to strengthen writing as needed.
ELA.EE.W.1.5 With guidance and support from adults,
add more information to own drawing, dictation, or
writing to strengthen it.
W.1.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of
digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.
ELA.EE.W.1.6 With guidance and support from adults,
explore a variety of digital tools to produce individual or
group writing.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.1.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects (e.g.,
explore a number of “how-to” books on a given topic and use them
to write a sequence of instructions).
ELA.EE.W.1.7 With guidance and support, participate in
shared research and writing projects.
W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults, recall information
from experiences or gather information from provided sources to
answer a question.
ELA.EE.W.1.8 With guidance and support from adults,
identify information related to personal experiences and
answer simple questions about those experiences.
W.1.9 (Begins in grade 4)
ELA.EE.W.1.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.1.10 (Begins in grade 3)
ELA.EE.W.1.10 (Begins in grade 3)
Page 32 of 147
First Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration.
SL.1.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with
diverse partners about grade 1 topics and texts with peers
and adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g.,
listening to others with care, speaking one at a time
about the topics and texts under discussion).
b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by responding
to the comments of others through multiple
exchanges.
c. Ask questions to clear up any confusion about the
topics and texts under discussion.
ELA.EE.SL.1.1 Participate in conversations with adults.
a. Engage in multiple-turn exchanges with supportive
adults.
b. Build on comments or topics initiated by an adult.
c. Uses one or two words to ask questions related to
personally relevant topics.
SL.1.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a
text read aloud or information presented orally or through
other media.
ELA.EE.SL.1.2 During shared reading activities, answer
questions about details presented orally or through other media.
SL.1.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker
says in order to gather additional information or clarify
something that is not understood.
ELA.EE.SL.1.3 Communicate confusion or lack of
understanding ("I don't know.").
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.1.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with
relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
ELA.EE.SL.1.4 Identify familiar people, places, things, and
events.
SL.1.5 Add drawings or other visual displays to
descriptions when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts,
and feelings.
ELA.EE.SL.1.5 Add or select drawings or other visual or tactual
displays that relate to familiar people, places, things, and
events.
SL.1.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to
task and situation.
ELA.EE.SL.1.6 With guidance and support, provide more
information to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.
Page 33 of 147
First Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.1.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Print all upper- and lowercase letters.
b. Use common, proper, and possessive nouns.
c. Use singular and plural nouns with matching verbs in
basic sentences (e.g., He hops; We hop).
d. Use personal, possessive, and indefinite pronouns
(e.g., I, me, my; they, them, their; anyone,
everything).
e. Use verbs to convey a sense of past, present, and
future (e.g., Yesterday I walked home; Today I walk
home; Tomorrow I will walk home).
f. Use frequently occurring adjectives.
g. Use frequently occurring conjunctions (e.g., and, but,
or, so, because).
h. Use determiners (e.g., articles, demonstratives).
i. Use frequently occurring prepositions (e.g., during,
beyond, toward).
j. Produce and expand complete simple and
compound declarative, interrogative, imperative, and
exclamatory sentences in response to prompts.
ELA.EE.L.1.1 Demonstrate emerging understanding of letter
and word use.
a. Write letters from own name.
b. Use frequently occurring nouns in communication.
c. Use frequently occurring plural nouns in communication.
d. With guidance and support, use familiar personal
pronouns (e.g., I, me, and you).
e. Use familiar present tense verbs.
f. With guidance and support, use familiar frequently
occurring adjectives (e.g., big, hot).
g. Not applicable
h. Not applicable
i. With guidance and support, use common
prepositions(e.g., on, off, in, out).
j. With guidance and support, use simple question words
(interrogatives) (e.g., who, what).
Page 34 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.1.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize dates and names of people.
b. Use end punctuation for sentences.
c. Use commas in dates and to separate single words
in a series.
d. Use conventional spelling for words with common
spelling patterns and for frequently occurring
irregular words.
e. Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on
phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
ELA.EE.L.1.2 Demonstrate emerging understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. Not applicable
b. With guidance and support during shared writing, put a
period at the end of a sentence.
c. Not applicable
d. With guidance and support, use letters to create words.
e. With guidance and support during shared writing,
identify the letters that represent sounds needed to spell
words.
Knowledge of Language
L.1.3 (Begins in grade 2) ELA.EE.L.1.3 (Begins in grade 2)
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.1.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 1
reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase.
b. Use frequently occurring affixes as a clue to the
meaning of a word.
c. Identify frequently occurring root words (e.g., look)
and their inflectional forms (e.g., looks, looked,
looking).
ELA.EE.L.1.4 Demonstrate emerging knowledge of word
meanings.
a. Demonstrate understanding of words used in every day
routines.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
Page 35 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.1.5 With guidance and support from adults, demonstrate
understanding of word relationships and nuances in word
meanings.
a. Sort words into categories (e.g., colors, clothing) to
gain a sense of the concepts the categories
represent.
b. Define words by category and by one or more key
attributes (e.g., a duck is a bird that swims; a tiger is
a large cat with stripes).
c. Identify real-life connections between words and
their use (e.g., note places at home that are cozy).
d. Distinguish shades of meaning among verbs
differing in manner (e.g., look, peek, glance, stare,
glare, scowl) and adjectives differing in intensity
(e.g., large, gigantic) by defining or choosing them or
by acting out the meanings.
ELA.EE.L.1.5 Demonstrate emerging understanding of word
relationships.
a. With guidance and support, sort common objects into
familiar categories.
b. With guidance and support, identify attributes of familiar
words.
c. With guidance and support, demonstrate understanding
of words by identifying real-life connections between
words and their use.
d. Not applicable
L.1.6 Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts, including using frequently occurring conjunctions to
signal simple relationships (e.g., because).
ELA.EE.L.1.6 With guidance and support, use words acquired
through conversations, being read to, and during shared
reading activities.
Page 36 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SECOND GRADE
Second Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what,
where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
of key details in a text.
ELA.EE.RL.2.1 Answer who and where questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a familiar text.
RL.2.2 Recount stories, including fables and folktales from
diverse cultures, and determine their central message,
lesson, or moral.
ELA.EE.RL.2.2 Using details from the text, recount events
from familiar stories from diverse cultures.
RL.2.3 Describe how characters in a story respond to major
events and challenges.
ELA.EE.RL.2.3 Identify the actions of the characters in a story.
Craft and Structure
RL.2.4 Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular
beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm
and meaning in a story, poem, or song.
ELA.EE.RL.2.4 Use rhyming or repetition to identify words that
meaningfully complete a familiar story, poem, or song.
RL.2.5 Describe the overall structure of a story, including
describing how the beginning introduces the story and the
ending concludes the action.
ELA.EE.RL.2.5 Determine the beginning and ending of a
familiar story with a logical order.
RL.2.6 Acknowledge differences in the points of view of
characters, including by speaking in a different voice for
each character when reading dialogue aloud.
ELA.EE.RL.2.6 Identify the speakers in a dialogue.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.2.7 Use information gained from the illustrations and
words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding
of its characters, setting, or plot.
ELA.EE.RL.2.7 Identify illustrations or objects/tactual
information in print or digital text that depict characters.
RL.2.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.2.8 (Not applicable to literature)
Page 37 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RL.2.9 Compare and contrast two or more versions of the
same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or
from different cultures.
ELA.EE.RL.2.9 Identify similarities between two episodes in a
story.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.2.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories and poetry, in the grades 2–3
text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as
needed at the high end of the range.
ELA.EE.RL.2.10 Actively engage in shared reading of stories
and poetry for clearly stated purposes.
Page 38 of 147
Second Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.2.1 Ask and answer such questions as who, what,
where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding
of key details in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.2.1 Answer who and what questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a familiar text.
RI.2.2 Identify the main topic of a multi-paragraph text as
well as the focus of specific paragraphs within the text.
ELA.EE.RI.2.2 Identify the topic of the text.
RI.2.3 Describe the connection between a series of
historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in
technical procedures in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.2.3 Identify individuals, events, or details in an
informational text.
Craft and Structure
RI.2.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a
text relevant to a grade 2 topic or subject area.
ELA.EE.RI.2.4 Identify words related to a topic of a text.
RI.2.5 Know and use various text features (e.g., captions,
bold print, subheadings, glossaries, indexes, electronic
menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text
efficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.2.5 Identify details in informational text or its
graphic representations.
RI.2.6 Identify the main purpose of a text, including what
the author wants to answer, explain, or describe.
ELA.EE.RI.2.6 Identify the role of the author and the illustrator.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.2.7 Explain how specific images (e.g., a diagram
showing how a machine works) contribute to and clarify a
text.
ELA.EE.RI.2.7 Identify illustrations or objects/tactual
information that go with a text.
RI.2.8 Describe how reasons support specific points the
author makes in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.2.8 Identify points the author makes in an
informational text.
RI.2.9 Compare and contrast the most important points
presented by two texts on the same topic.
ELA.EE.RI.2.9 Identify a common element between two texts
on the same topic.
Page 39 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.2.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend
informational texts, including history/social studies, science,
and technical texts, in the grades 2–3 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
ELA.EE.RI.2.10 Actively engage in shared reading of
informational text including history/SS, science, and technical
texts.
Page 40 of 147
Second Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Foundational Skills)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Phonics and Word Recognition.
RF.2.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word
analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Distinguish long and short vowels when reading
regularly spelled one-syllable words.
b. Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional
common vowel teams.
c. Decode regularly spelled two-syllable words with
long vowels.
d. Decode words with common prefixes and suffixes.
e. Identify words with inconsistent but common
spelling-sound correspondences.
f. Recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly
spelled words.
ELA.EE.RF.2.3 Demonstrate emerging use of letter-sound
knowledge to read words.
a. Identify the lower case letters of the alphabet.
b. Identify letter sound correspondence for single
consonants.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
f. Recognize 10 or more written words.
Fluency
RF.2.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level text orally with accuracy, appropriate
rate, and expression on successive readings.
Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and
understanding, rereading as necessary.
ELA.EE.RF.2.4 Attend to words in print.
a. Read familiar text comprised of known words.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
Page 41 of 147
Second Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.2.1 Write opinion pieces in which they introduce the topic
or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply
reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g.,
because, and, also) to connect opinion and reasons, and
provide a concluding statement or section.
ELA.EE.W.2.1 Select a book and write, draw, or dictate to
state an opinion about it.
W.2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they
introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop
points, and provide a concluding statement or section.
ELA.EE.W.2.2 Select a topic and use drawing, dictating, or
writing to compose a message with one fact about the topic.
W.2.3 Write narratives in which they recount a well-
elaborated event or short sequence of events, include
details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use
temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense
of closure.
ELA.EE.W.2.3 Select an event or personal experience and use
drawing, writing, or dictating to compose a message about it.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.2.4 (Begins in grade 3)
ELA.EE.W.2.4 (Begins in grade 3)
W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and peers,
focus on a topic and strengthen writing as needed by
revising and editing.
ELA.EE.W.2.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, add more information to own drawing, dictation, or
writing to strengthen the message.
W.2.6 With guidance and support from adults, use a variety
of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in
collaboration with peers.
ELA.EE.W.2.6 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, use technology (including assistive technologies) to
produce and publish writing.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing projects
(e.g., read a number of books on a single topic to produce a
report; record science observations).
ELA.EE.W.2.7 Participate in shared research and writing
projects.
W.2.8 Recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question.
ELA.EE.W.2.8 Identify information related to personal
experiences and answer simple questions about those
experiences.
W.2.9 (Begins in grade 4)
ELA.EE.W.2.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Page 42 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Range of Writing
W.2.10 (Begins in grade 3)
ELA.EE.W.2.10 (Begins in grade 3)
Page 43 of 147
Second Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.2.1 Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse
partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers and
adults in small and larger groups.
a. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g.,
gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to others
with care, speaking one at a time about the topics and
texts under discussion).
b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by linking their
comments to the remarks of others.
c. Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed
about the topics and texts under discussion.
ELA.EE.SL.2.1 Participate in conversations with adults and
peers.
a. Engage in multiple-turn exchanges with peers with
support from an adult.
b. Build on others’ talk in conversations by linking their
comments to the remarks of others.
c. Ask for clarification and further explanation as needed
about the topics and texts under discussion.
SL.2.2 Recount or describe key ideas or details from a text
read aloud or information presented orally or through other
media.
ELA.EE.SL.2.2 During shared reading activities, ask and
answer questions about details presented orally or through
other media.
SL.2.3 Ask and answer questions about what a speaker
says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional
information, or deepen understanding of a topic or issue.
ELA.EE.SL.2.3 Answer questions about the details provided by
the speaker.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas.
SL.2.4 Tell a story or recount an experience with appropriate
facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking audibly in
coherent sentences.
ELA.EE.SL.2.4 Identify a photograph or object that reflects a
personal experience and tell one detail about it.
SL.2.5 Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add
drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of
experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and
feelings.
ELA.EE.SL.2.5 Select visual, audio, or tactual representations
to depict a personal experience.
SL.2.6 Produce complete sentences when appropriate to
task and situation in order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
ELA.EE.SL.2.6 Combine words when communicating to
provide clarification.
Page 44 of 147
Second Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.2.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Use collective nouns (e.g., group).
b. Form and use frequently occurring irregular plural
nouns (e.g., feet, children, teeth, mice, fish).
c. Use reflexive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).
d. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring
irregular verbs (e.g., sat, hid, told).
e. Use adjectives and adverbs, and choose between
them depending on what is to be modified.
f. Produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple
and compound sentences (e.g., The boy watched
the movie; The little boy watched the movie; The
action movie was watched by the little boy).
ELA.EE.L.2.1 Demonstrate understanding of letter and word
use.
a. Produce all upper case letters.
b. Use common nouns (e.g., mom, dad, boy, girl) in
communication.
c. Use frequently occurring pronouns to refer to self and
others (e.g., we, they, him, her, them).
d. Use frequently occurring verbs.
e. Use frequently occurring adjectives.
f. Combine two or more words together in communication.
L.2.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic
names.
b. Use commas in greetings and closings of letters.
c. Use an apostrophe to form contractions and
frequently occurring possessives.
d. Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing
words (e.g., cage → badge; boy → boil).
e. Consult reference materials, including beginning
dictionaries, as needed to check and correct
spellings.
ELA.EE.L.2.2 Demonstrate emerging understanding of
conventions of standard English.
a. With guidance and support, capitalize the first letter of
familiar names.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Identify printed rhyming words with the same spelling
pattern.
e. Consult print in the environment to support reading and
spelling.
Page 45 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Knowledge of Language
L.2.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions
when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Compare formal and informal uses of English.
ELA.EE.L.2.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Use symbolic language when communicating.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.2.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 2
reading and content, choosing flexibly from an array of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase.
b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed
when a known prefix is added to a known word (e.g.,
happy/unhappy, tell/retell).
c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of
an unknown word with the same root (e.g., addition,
additional).
d. Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to
predict the meaning of compound words (e.g.,
birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly; bookshelf,
notebook, bookmark).
e. Use glossaries and beginning dictionaries, both print
and digital, to determine or clarify the meaning of
words and phrases.
ELA.EE.L.2.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Demonstrate knowledge of new vocabulary drawn from
reading and content areas.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Identify the words comprising compound words.
e. Not applicable
L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and
nuances in word meanings.
a. Identify real-life connections between words and
their use (e.g., describe foods that are spicy or juicy).
b. Distinguish shades of meaning among closely
related verbs (e.g., toss, throw, hurl) and closely
related adjectives (e.g., thin, slender, skinny,
scrawny).
ELA.EE.L.2.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify real-life connections between words and their
use (e.g., happy: “I am happy.”).
b. Demonstrate understanding of the meaning of common
verbs.
Page 46 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.2.6 Use words and phrases acquired through
conversations, reading and being read to, and responding
to texts, including using adjectives and adverbs to describe
(e.g., When other kids are happy that makes me happy).
ELA.EE.L.2.6 Use words acquired through conversations,
being read to, and during shared reading activities.
Page 47 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR THIRD GRADE
Third Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate
understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the
basis for the answers.
ELA.EE.RL.3.1 Answer who and what questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a text.
RL.3.2 Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and
myths from diverse cultures; determine the central
message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed
through key details in the text.
ELA.EE.RL.3.2 Associate details with events in stories from
diverse cultures.
RL.3.3 Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits,
motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions
contribute to the sequence of events.
ELA.EE.RL.3.3 Identify the feelings of characters in a story.
Craft and Structure.
RL.3.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, distinguishing literal from non-literal
language.
ELA.EE.RL.3.4 Determine words and phrases that complete
literal sentences in a text.
RL.3.5 Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems when
writing or speaking about a text, using terms such as
chapter, scene, and stanza; describe how each successive
part builds on earlier sections.
ELA.EE.RL.3.5 Determine the beginning, middle, and end of a
familiar story with a logical order.
RL.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the
narrator or those of the characters.
ELA.EE.RL.3.6 Identify personal point of view about a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.3.7 Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations
contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g.,
create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).
ELA.EE.RL.3.7 Identify parts of illustrations or tactual
information that depict a particular setting, or event.
RL.3.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.3.8 (Not applicable to literature)
Page 48 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RL.3.9 Compare and contrast the themes, settings, and
plots of stories written by the same author about the same
or similar characters (e.g., in books from a series).
ELA.EE.RL.3.9 Identify common elements in two stories in a
series.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high
end of the grades 2–3 text complexity band independently
and proficiently.
ELA.EE.RL.3.10 Demonstrate understanding while actively
engaged in shared reading of stories, dramas, and poetry.
Page 49 of 147
Third Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions to demonstrate
understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the
basis for the answers.
ELA.EE.RI.3.1 Answer who and what questions to
demonstrate understanding of details in a text.
RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key
details and explain how they support the main idea.
ELA.EE.RI.3.2 Identify details in a text.
RI.3.3 Describe the relationship between a series of
historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in
technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains
to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
ELA.EE.RI.3.3 Order two events from a text as “first” and
“next.”
Craft and Structure
RI.3.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a
grade 3 topics or subject area.
ELA.EE.RI.3.4 Determine words and phrases that complete
literal sentences in a text.
RI.3.5 Use text features and search tools (e.g., key words,
sidebars, hyperlinks) to locate information relevant to a
given topic efficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.3.5 With guidance and support, use text features
including headings and key words to locate information in a
text.
RI.3.6 Distinguish their own point of view from that of the
author of a text.
ELA.EE.RI.3.6 Identify personal point of view about a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.3.7 Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps,
photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how
key events occur).
ELA.EE.RI.3.7 Use information gained from visual elements
and words in the text to answer explicit who and what
questions.
RI.3.8 Describe the logical connection between particular
sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison,
cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
ELA.EE.RI.3.8 Identify two related points the author makes in
an informational text.
RI.3.9 Compare and contrast the most important points and
key details presented in two texts on the same topic.
ELA.EE.RI.3.9 Identify similarities between two texts on the
same topic.
Page 50 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.3.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehends
informational texts, including history/social studies, science,
and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 2–3 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.3.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively engaged in shared reading of history/social studies,
science, and technical texts.
Page 51 of 147
Third Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Foundational Skills)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.3.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word
analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Identify and know the meaning of the most common
prefixes and derivational suffixes.
b. Decode words with common Latin suffixes.
c. Decode multi-syllable words.
d. Read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words.
ELA.EE.RF.3.3 Use letter-sound knowledge to read words.
a. In context, demonstrate basic knowledge of letter-sound
correspondences.
b. With models and supports, decode single-syllable words
with common spelling patterns (consonant-vowel-
consonant [CVC] or high-frequency rimes).
c. Not applicable
d. Recognize 40 or more written words.
Fluency
RF.3.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy,
appropriate rate, and expression on successive
readings
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word
recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
ELA.EE.RF.3.4 Read words in text.
a. Read familiar text comprised of known words.
b. Not applicable
c. Use context to determine missing words in familiar texts.
Page 52 of 147
Third Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
2
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
a. W.3.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts,
supporting a point of view with reasons. Introduce
the topic or text they are writing about, state an
opinion, and create an organizational structure that
lists reasons.
b. Provide reasons that support the opinion.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., because,
therefore, since, for example) to connect opinion and
reasons.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.
ELA.EE.W.3.1 Write opinions about topics or text.
a. Select a text and write an opinion about it.
b. Write one reason to support an opinion about a text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic and group related information
together; include illustrations when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details.
c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another,
and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of
information.
d. Provide a concluding statement or section.
ELA.EE.W.3.2 Write to share information supported by details.
a. Select a topic and write about it including one fact or
detail.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
2
Throughout, writing can include standard writing instruments, computers, or alternate writing tools.
Page 53 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.3.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
a. Establish a situation and introduce a narrator and/or
characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds
naturally.
b. Use dialogue and descriptions of actions, thoughts,
and feelings to develop experiences and events or
show the response of characters to situations.
c. Use temporal words and phrases to signal event
order.
d. Provide a sense of closure.
ELA.EE.W.3.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Select an event or personal experience and write about
it including the names of people involved.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.3.4 With guidance and support from adults, produce
writing in which the developmentand organization are
appropriate to task and purpose. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are defined in standards
1–3 above.)
ELA.EE.W.3.4 With guidance and support, produce writing that
expresses more than one idea.
W.3.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and editing. (Editing for conventions should
demonstrate command of Language standards
1–3 up to and including grade 3.)
ELA.EE.W.3.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, revise own writing.
W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use
technology to produce and publish writing (using
keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate
with others.
ELA.EE.W.3.6 With guidance and support from adults, use
technology to produce writing while interacting and
collaborating with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.3.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge
about a topic.
ELA.EE.W.3.7 Identify information about a topic for a research
project.
W.3.8 Recall information from experiences or gather
information from print and digital sources; take brief notes
on sources and sort evidence into provided categories.
ELA.EE.W.3.8 Sort information on a topic or personal
experience into two provided categories and write about each
one.
Page 54 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.3.9 (Begins in grade 4)
ELA.EE.W.3.9 (Begins in grade 4)
Range of Writing
W.3.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.3.10 Write routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Page 55 of 147
Third Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.3.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or
studied required material; explicitly draw on that
preparation and other information known about the
topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions (e.g.,
gaining the floor in respectful ways, listening to
others with care, speaking one at a time about the
topics and texts under discussion).
c. Ask questions to check understanding of
information presented, stay on topic, and link their
comments to the remarks of others.
d. Explain their own ideas and understanding in light
of the discussion.
ELA.EE.SL.3.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Engage in collaborative interactions about texts.
b. Listen to others’ ideas before responding.
c. Indicate confusion or lack of understanding about
information presented.
d. Express ideas clearly.
SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of
a text read aloud or information presented in diverse
media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and
orally.
ELA.EE.SL.3.2 Identify details in a text read aloud or
information presented orally or through other media.
SL.3.3 Ask and answer questions about information from
a speaker, offering appropriate elaboration and detail.
ELA.EE.SL.3.3 Ask or answer questions about the details
provided by the speaker.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
ELA.EE.SL.3.4 Recount a personal experience, story, or topic
including details.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
SL.3.5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or
poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an
understandable pace; add visual displays when
appropriate to emphasize or enhance certain facts or
details.
ELA.EE.SL.3.5 Create a multimedia presentation of a story or
poem.
SL.3.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to
task and situation in order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
ELA.EE.SL.3.6 Combine words for effective communication to
clarify thoughts, feelings, and ideas in various contexts.
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Third Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs,
adjectives, and adverbs in general and their
functions in particular sentences.
b. Form and use regular and irregular plural nouns.
c. Use abstract nouns (e.g., childhood).
d. Form and use regular and irregular verbs.
e. Form and use the simple (e.g., I walked; I walk; I will
walk) verb tenses.
f. Ensure subject-verb and pronoun-antecedent
agreement.
g. Form and use comparative and superlative
adjectives and adverbs, and choose between them
depending on what is to be modified.
h. Use coordinating and subordinating conjunctions.
i. Produce simple, compound, and complex
sentences.
ELA.EE.L.3.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Uses noun + verb, noun + adjective, and subject + verb +
object combinations in communication.
b. Use regular plural nouns in communication.
c. Not applicable
d. Use present and past tense verbs.
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
g. Use common adjectives.
h. Not applicable (see ELA.EE.L.3.1.a)
i. Ask simple questions.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.3.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Capitalize appropriate words in titles.
b. Use commas in addresses.
c. Use commas and quotation marks in dialogue.
d. Form and use possessives.
e. Use conventional spelling for high-frequency and
other studied words and for adding suffixes to base
words (e.g., sitting, smiled, cries, happiness).
f. Use spelling patterns and generalizations (e.g.,
word families, position-based spellings, syllable
patterns, ending rules, meaningful word parts) in
writing words.
g. Consult reference materials, including beginning
dictionaries, as needed to check and correct
spellings.
ELA.EE.L.3.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Capitalize the first letter of familiar names.
b. During shared writing, indicate the need to add a period
at the end of a sentence.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Use resources as needed to spell common high-
frequency words accurately.
f. Use spelling patterns in familiar words with common
spelling patterns to spell words with the same spelling
pattern.
g. Consult print in the environment to support reading and
spelling.
Knowledge of Language
L.3.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions
when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.*
b. Recognize and observe differences between the
conventions of spoken and written standard English.
ELA.EE.L.3.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes when
communicating.
a. Use language to make simple requests, comment, or
share information.
b. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.3.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning word and phrases based on grade 3
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use sentence-level context as a clue to the meaning
of a word or phrase.
b. Determine the meaning of the new word formed
when a known affix is added to a known word (e.g.,
agreeable/disagreeable, comfortable/uncomfortable,
care/careless, heat/preheat).
c. Use a known root word as a clue to the meaning of
an unknown word with the same root (e.g.,
company, companion).
d. Use glossaries or beginning dictionaries, both print
and digital, to determine or clarify the precise
meaning of key words and phrases.
ELA.EE.L.3.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. With guidance and support, use sentence level context to
determine what word is missing from a sentence read
aloud.
b. With guidance and support, identify the temporal
meaning of words when common affixes (-ing, -ed) are
added to common verbs.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships
and nuances in word meanings.
a. Distinguish the literal and nonliteral meanings of
words and phrases in context (e.g., take steps).
b. Identify real-life connections between words and
their use (e.g., describe people who are friendly or
helpful).
c. Distinguish shades of meaning among related
words that describe states of mind or degrees of
certainty (e.g., knew, believed, suspected, heard,
wondered).
ELA.EE.L.3.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships
and use.
a. Determine the literal meaning of words and phrases in
context.
b. Identify real-life connections between words and their
use (e.g., happy: “I am happy.”).
c. Identify words that describe personal emotional states.
L.3.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate
conversational, general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases, including those that signal spatial and
temporal relationships (e.g., After dinner that night we went
looking for them).
ELA.EE.L.3.6 Demonstrate understanding of words that signal
spatial and temporal relationships (e.g., behind, under, after,
soon, next, later).
Page 60 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FOURTH GRADE
Fourth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
ELA.EE.RL.4.1 Use details from the text to recount what the
text says.
RL.4.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from
details in the text; summarize the text.
ELA.EE.RL.4.2 Identify the theme or central idea of a familiar
story, drama or poem.
RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a
story or drama, drawing on specific detail in the text (e.g., a
character’s thoughts, words, or actions).
ELA.EE.RL.4.3 Use details from the text to describe characters
in the story.
Craft and Structure
RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including those that allude to
significant characters found in mythology (e.g., Herculean).
ELA.EE.RL.4.4 Determine the meaning of words in a text.
RL.4.5 Explain major differences between poems, drama,
and prose, and refer to the structural elements of poems
(e.g., verse, rhythm, meter) and drama (e.g., casts of
characters, settings, descriptions, dialogue, stage
directions) when writing or speaking about a text.
ELA.EE.RL.4.5 Identify elements that are characteristic of
stories.
RL.4.6 Compare and contrast the point of view from which
different stories are narrated, including the difference
between first- and third-person narrations.
ELA.EE.RL.4.6 Identify the narrator of a story.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or
drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text,
identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions
and directions in the text.
ELA.EE.RL.4.7 Make connections between the text
representation of a story and a visual, tactual, or oral version of
a story.
RL.4.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.4.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.4.9 Compare and contrast the treatment of similar
themes and topics (e.g., opposition of good and evil) and
patterns of events (e.g., the quest) in stories, myths, and
traditional literature from different cultures.
ELA.EE.RL.4.9 Compare characters, settings or events in
stories, myths or texts from different cultures.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.4.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, in the
grades 4–5 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
ELA.EE.RL.4.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively engaging in shared reading of stories, dramas, and
poetry.
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Fourth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.4.1 Refer to details and examples in a text when
explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing
inferences from the text.
ELA.EE.RI.4.1 Identify explicit details in an informational text.
RI.4.2 Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it
is supported by key details; summarize the text.
ELA.EE.RI.4.2 Identify the main idea of a text when it is
explicitly stated.
RI.4.3 Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a
historical, scientific, or technical text, including what
happened and why, based on specific information in the
text.
ELA.EE.RI.4.3 Identify an explicit detail that is related to an
individual, event, or idea in a historical, scientific, or technical
text.
Craft and Structure
RI.4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and
domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a
grade 4 topic or subject area.
ELA.EE.RI.4.4 Determine meaning of words in text.
RI.4.5 Describe the overall structure (e.g., chronology,
comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of events,
ideas, concepts, or information in a text or part of a text.
ELA.EE.RI.4.5 Identify elements that are characteristic of
informational texts.
RI.4.6 Compare and contrast a firsthand and secondhand
account of the same event or topic; describe the differences
in focus and the information provided.
ELA.EE.RI.4.6 Compare own experience with a written
account of the experience.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.4.7 Interpret information presented visually, orally, or
quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines,
animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and
explain how the information contributes to an understanding
of the text in which it appears.
ELA.EE.RI.4.7 Answer questions about information presented
visually, orally, or quantitatively.
RI.4.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to
support particular points in a text.
ELA.EE.RI.4.8 Identify one or more reasons supporting a
specific point in an informational text.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.4.9 Integrate information from two texts on the same
topic in order to write or speak about the subject
knowledgeably.
ELA.EE.RI.4.9 Compare details presented in two texts on the
same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.4.10 By the end of year, read and comprehend
informational texts, including history/social studies, science,
and technical texts, in the grades 4–5 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
ELA.EE.RI.4.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively engaged in shared reading of history/social studies,
science, and technical texts.
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Fourth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Foundational Skills)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.4.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word
analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound
correspondences, syllabication patterns, and
morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read
accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context
and out of context.
ELA.EE.RF.4.3 Use letter-sound knowledge to read words.
a. Apply letter-sound knowledge to use first letter plus
context to identify unfamiliar words.
b. Decode single-syllable words with common spelling
patterns (consonant-vowel-consonant [CVC] or high-
frequency rimes).
Fluency
RF.4.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy,
appropriate rate, and expression on successive
readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word
recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
ELA.EE.RF.4.4 Read words in text.
a. Read text comprised of familiar words with accuracy and
understanding.
b. Not applicable
c. Use letter knowledge and context to support word
recognition when reading.
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Fourth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.4.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a
point of view with reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and
create an organizational structure in which related
ideas are grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide reasons that are supported by facts and
details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words and phrases
(e.g., for instance, in order to, in addition).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to
the opinion presented.
ELA.EE.W.4.1 Write opinions about topics or text.
a. Select a topic or text and write an opinion about it.
b. List reasons to support the opinion.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
W.4.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and group related
information in paragraphs and sections; include
formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within categories of information using
words and phrases (e.g., another, for example, also,
because).
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to
the information or explanation presented.
ELA.EE.W.4.2 Write to share information supported by details.
a. Select a topic and write about it including related visual,
tactual, or multimedia information as appropriate.
b. List words, facts, or details related to the topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.4.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an
event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use dialogue and description to develop experiences
and events or show the responses of characters to
situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words and phrases to
manage the sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory
details to convey experiences and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated
experiences or events.
ELA.EE.W.4.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Write about a personal experience including two events
in sequence.
b. List words that describe an event or personal
experience to use when writing about it.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.4.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development and organization are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
ELA.EE.W.4.4 Produce writing that expresses more than one
idea.
W.4.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, and editing.
ELA.EE.W.4.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, plan before writing and revise own writing.
W.4.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to
type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.
ELA.EE.W.4.6 With guidance and support from adults, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce writing while
interacting and collaborating with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.4.7 Conduct short research projects that build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
ELA.EE.W.4.7 Gather information about a topic from two or
more sources for a research project.
Page 67 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.4.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or
gather relevant information from print and digital sources;
take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of
sources.
ELA.EE.W.4.8 Recall and sort information from personal
experiences or a topic into given categories.
W.4.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 4 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
“Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a
story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text
[e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions].”).
b. Apply grade 4 Reading standards to informational
texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and
evidence to support particular points in a text”).
ELA.EE.W.4.9 Recall information from literary and
informational text to support writing.
a. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 4 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Use details from text to
describe a character in a story.”).
b. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 4 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g., "Use reasons and
evidence supporting point in an informational text.").
Range of Writing
W.4.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.4.10 Write routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
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Fourth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.4.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with
diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or
studied required material; explicitly draw on that
preparation and other information known about the
topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry
out assigned roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions to clarify or
follow up on information, and make comments that
contribute to the discussion and link to the remarks
of others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and explain their
own ideas and understanding in light of the
discussion.
ELA.EE.SL.4.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Contribute ideas from prior knowledge of a text during
discussions about the same text.
b. With guidance and support, carry out assigned role in a
discussion.
c. Answer specific questions related to information in a
discussion.
d. Identify the key ideas in a discussion.
SL.4.2 Paraphrase portions of a text read aloud or
information presented in diverse media and formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
ELA.EE.SL.4.2 Ask and answer questions about details from a
text read aloud or information presented orally or through other
media.
SL.4.3 Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker
provides to support particular points.
ELA.EE.SL.4.3 Identify a point that the speaker makes.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.4.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an
experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive
details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
ELA.EE.SL.4.4 Retell a story or personal experience or
recount a topic with supporting details.
SL.4.5 Create engaging audio recordings of stories or
poems that demonstrate fluid reading at an understandable
pace; add visual displays when appropriate to emphasize
or enhance certain facts or details.
ELA.EE.SL.4.5 Add audio recordings or visuals to a
presentation about a personally relevant topic.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
SL.4.6 Speak in complete sentences when appropriate to
task and situation in order to provide requested detail or
clarification.
ELA.EE.SL.4.6 Differentiate between communication partners
and contexts that call for formal and informal communication.
Page 70 of 147
Fourth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.4.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Use relative pronouns (who, whose, whom, which,
that) and relative adverbs (where, when, why).
b. Form and use the progressive (e.g., I was walking; I
am walking; I will be walking) verb tenses.
c. Use modal auxiliaries (e.g., can, may, must) to
convey various conditions.
d. Order adjectives within sentences according to
conventional patterns (e.g., a small red bag rather
than a red small bag).
e. Form and use prepositional phrases.
f. Produce complete sentences, recognizing and
correcting inappropriate fragments and run-ons.
g. Correctly use frequently confused words (e.g., to,
too, two; there, their).*
ELA.EE.L.4.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Use possessive pronouns.
b. Combine common nouns with verbs, nouns, or pronouns
in communication.
c. Not applicable
d. Use comparative and superlative adjectives to describe
people or objects.
e. Use common prepositions (e.g., to, from, in, out, on, off,
by, with).
f. Combine three or more words in communication.
g. Not applicable
L.4.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use correct capitalization.
b. Use commas and quotation marks to mark direct
speech and quotations from a text.
c. Use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a
compound sentence.
d. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting
references as needed.
ELA.EE.L.4.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Capitalize the first word in a sentence.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Spell words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of
letter-sound relationships, and/or common spelling
patterns.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Knowledge of Language
L.4.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when
writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases to convey ideas
precisely.*
b. Choose punctuation for effect.*
c. Differentiate between contexts that call for formal
English (e.g., presenting ideas) and situations where
informal discourse is appropriate (e.g., small-group
discussion).
ELA.EE.L.4.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Use language to express emotion.
b. Not applicable
c. Communicate effectively with peers and adults.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.4.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 4
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., definitions, examples, or
restatements in text) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., telegraph, photograph, autograph).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to
find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the
precise meaning of key words and phrases.
ELA.EE.L.4.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use context as a clue to guide selection of a word that
completes a sentence read aloud by an adult.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g., talk) and the
words that result when word endings are added (e.g.,
talked, talking, talks).
c. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Explain the meaning of simple similes and
metaphors (e.g., as pretty as a picture) in context.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common
idioms, adages, and proverbs.
c. Demonstrate understanding of words by relating
them to their opposites (antonyms) and to words with
similar but not identical meanings (synonyms).
ELA.EE.L.4.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Not applicable
b. Use common idioms (e.g., no way, not a chance, you
bet).
c. Demonstrate understanding of opposites.
L.4.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general
academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
including those that signal precise actions, emotions, or
states of being (e.g., quizzed, whined, stammered) and that
are basic to a particular topic (e.g., wildlife, conservation,
and endangered when discussing animal preservation).
ELA.EE.L.4.6 Use words acquired through conversations,
being read to, and during shared reading activities including
domain-specific words.
Page 73 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR FIFTH GRADE
Fifth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what
the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from
the text.
ELA.EE.RL.5.1 Identify words in the text to answer a question
about explicit information.
RL.5.2 Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from
details in the text, including how characters in a story or
drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem
reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
ELA.EE.RL.5.2 Identify the central idea or theme of a story,
drama or poem.
RL.5.3 Compare and contrast two or more characters,
settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific
details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).
ELA.EE.RL.5.3 Compare two characters in a familiar story.
Craft and Structure
RL.5.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative language such
as metaphors and similes.
ELA.EE.RL.5.4 Determine the intended meaning of multi-
meaning words in a text.
RL.5.5 Explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or
stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a
particular story, drama, or poem.
ELA.EE.RL.5.5 Identify a story element that undergoes change
from beginning to end.
RL.5.6 Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view
influences how events are described.
ELA.EE.RL.5.6 Determine the point of view of the narrator.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements
contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g.,
graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale,
myth, poem).
ELA.EE.RL.5.7 Identify illustrations, tactual or multimedia
elements that add to understanding of a text.
RL.5.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.5.8 (Not applicable to literature)
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RL.5.9 Compare and contrast stories in the same genre
(e.g., mysteries and adventure stories) on their approaches
to similar themes and topics.
ELA.EE.RL.5.9 Compare stories, myths, or texts with similar
topics or themes.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.5.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high
end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently
and proficiently.
ELA.EE.RL.5.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
engaged in individual or group reading of stories, dramas, and
poems.
Page 75 of 147
Fifth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.5.1 Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the
text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the
text.
ELA.EE.RI.5.1 Identify words in the text to answer a question
about explicit information.
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and
explain how they are supported by key details; summarize
the text.
ELA.EE.RI.5.2 Identify the main idea of a text when it is not
explicitly stated.
RI.5.3 Explain the relationships or interactions between two
or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical,
scientific, or technical text based on specific information in
the text.
ELA.EE.RI.5.3 Compare two individuals, events, or ideas in a
text.
Craft and Structure
RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a
grade 5 topic or subject area.
ELA.EE.RI.5.4 Determine the meanings of domain-specific
words and phrases.
RI.5.5 Compare and contrast the overall structure (e.g.,
chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution) of
events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts.
ELA.EE.RI.5.5 Determine if a text tells about events, gives
directions, or provides information on a topic.
RI.5.6 Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic,
noting important similarities and differences in the point of
view they represent.
ELA.EE.RI.5.6 Compare two books on the same topic.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.5.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital
sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a
question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.5.7 Locate information in print or digital sources.
RI.5.8 Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to
support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons
and evidence support which point(s).
ELA.EE.RI.5.8 Identify the relationship between a specific
point and supporting reasons in an informational text.
Page 76 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same
topic in order to write or speak about the subject
knowledgeably.
ELA.EE.RI.5.9 Compare and contrast details gained from two
texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.5.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
informational texts, including history/social studies, science,
and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.5.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively engaged in shared reading of history/social studies,
science, and technical texts.
Page 77 of 147
Fifth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Foundational Skills)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Phonics and Word Recognition
RF.5.3 Know and apply grade-level phonics and word
analysis skills in decoding words.
a. Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound
correspondences, syllabication patterns, and
morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read
accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context
and out of context.
ELA.EE.RF.5.3 Use letter-sound knowledge to read words.
a. Read common sight words and decode single syllable
words.
Fluency
RF.5.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support
comprehension.
a. Read on-level text with purpose and understanding.
b. Read on-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy,
appropriate rate, and expression on successive
readings.
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word
recognition and understanding, rereading as
necessary.
ELA.EE.RF.5.4 Read words in text.
a. Read text comprised of familiar words with accuracy and
understanding.
b. Not applicable
c. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition
when reading.
Page 78 of 147
Fifth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a
point of view with reasons and information.
a. Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and
create an organizational structure in which ideas are
logically grouped to support the writer’s purpose.
b. Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported
by facts and details.
c. Link opinion and reasons using words, phrases, and
clauses (e.g., consequently, specifically).
d. Provide a concluding statement or section related to
the opinion presented.
ELA.EE.W.5.1 Write opinions about topics or text.
a. Introduce a topic or text and state an opinion about it.
b. Provide reasons to support the opinion.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general
observation and focus, and group related information
logically; include formatting (e.g., headings),
illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and
examples related to the topic.
c. Link ideas within and across categories of
information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g.,
in contrast, especially).
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section related to
the information or explanation presented.
ELA.EE.W.5.2 Write to share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic and write to convey information about
it including visual, tactual, or multimedia information as
appropriate.
b. Provide facts, details, or other information related to the
topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
Page 79 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.5.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive
details, and clear event sequences.
a. Orient the reader by establishing a situation and
introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an
event sequence that unfolds naturally.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue,
description, and pacing, to develop experiences and
events or show the responses of characters to
situations.
c. Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and
clauses to manage the sequence of events.
d. Use concrete words and phrases and sensory
details to convey experiences and events precisely.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated
experiences or events.
ELA.EE.W.5.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Write about an experience or event including three or
more events in sequence.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development and organization are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards
1–3 above.)
ELA.EE.W.5.4 Produce writing that is appropriate for an
explicitly stated task or purpose.
W.5.5 With guidance and support from peers and adults,
develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning,
revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
ELA.EE.W.5.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, plan before writing and revise own writing.
W.5.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to
type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
ELA.EE.W.5.6 With guidance and support from adults, use
technology, including the Internet, to produce writing while
interacting and collaborating with others.
Page 80 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.5.7 Conduct short research projects that use several
sources to build knowledge through investigation of
different aspects of a topic.
ELA.EE.W.5.7 Conduct short research projects using two or
more sources.
W.5.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or
gather relevant information from print and digital sources;
summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished
work, and provide a list of sources.
ELA.EE.W.5.8 Gather and sort relevant information on a topic
from print or digital sources into given categories.
W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
“Compare and contrast two or more characters,
settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on
specific details in the text [e.g., how characters
interact]”).
b. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational
texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and
evidence to support particular points in a text,
identifying which reasons and evidence support
which points]”).
ELA.EE.W.5.9 Use information from literary and informational
text to support writing.
a. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 5 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast two
characters in the story.”).
b. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 5 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g., “Use specific
reasons and evidence for supporting specific points in
an informational text.”).
Range of Writing
W.5.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.5.10 Write routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Page 81 of 147
Fifth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with
diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or
studied required material; explicitly draw on that
preparation and other information known about the
topic to explore ideas under discussion.
b. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry
out assigned roles.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions by making
comments that contribute to the discussion and
elaborate on the remarks of others.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and draw
conclusions in light of information and knowledge
gained from the discussions.
ELA.EE.SL.5.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussion prepared to share information.
b. Carry out assigned role in a discussion.
c. Ask questions related to information in a discussion.
d. Make comments that contribute to the discussion and
link to the remarks of others.
SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information
presented in diverse media and formats, including visually,
quantitatively, and orally.
ELA.EE.SL.5.2 Identify the explicitly stated main idea of a text
presented orally or through other media.
SL.5.3 Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain
how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
ELA.EE.SL.5.3 Identify the reasons and evidence supporting a
specific point.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.5.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion,
sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or
themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
ELA.EE.SL.5.4 Report on a familiar topic or text or present an
opinion including related facts.
SL.5.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics,
sound) and visual displays in presentations when
appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or
themes.
ELA.EE.SL.5.5 Select or create audio recordings and
visual/tactile displays to enhance a presentation.
Page 82 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
SL.5.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
ELA.EE.SL.5.6 Differentiate between contexts that require
formal and informal communication.
Page 83 of 147
Fifth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.5.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions,
and interjections in general and their function in
particular sentences.
b. Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have
walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.
c. Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences,
states, and conditions.
d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb
tense.*
e. Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or,
neither/nor).
ELA.EE.L.5.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Form and use the past tense of frequently occurring
irregular verbs (e.g., went, sat, ate, told).
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Use frequently occurring conjunctions: and, but, or, for,
because.
L.5.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use punctuation to separate items in a series.*
b. Use a comma to separate an introductory element
from the rest of the sentence.
c. Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g.,
Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the
rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?), and to
indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
d. Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to
indicate titles of works.
e. Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting
references as needed.
ELA.EE.L.5.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Not applicable
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Spell untaught word phonetically, drawing on letter-
sound relationships and common spelling patterns.
Page 84 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Knowledge of Language
L.5.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when
writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose words and phrases for effect.
b. Recognize and observe differences between the
conventions of spoken and written standard English.
ELA.EE.L.5.3 Use language to achieve desired meaning when
communicating.
a. Communicate using complete sentences when asked.
b. Not applicable
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.5.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and
comparisons in text) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek and Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., photograph, photosynthesis).
c. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to
find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the
precise meaning of key words and phrases.
ELA.EE.L.5.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use sentence level context to determine which word is
missing from a content area text.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g., talk) and the
words that result when word endings are added (e.g.,
talked, talking, talks).
c. Not applicable
L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figurative language, including similes and
metaphors, in context.
b. Recognize and explain the meaning of common
idioms, adages, and proverbs.
c. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g.,
synonyms, antonyms, homographs) to better
understand each of the words.
ELA.EE.L.5.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationship
and use.
a. Use simple, common idioms (e.g., You bet!, It’s a deal.,
We’re cool.).
b. Not applicable
c. Demonstrate understanding of words that have similar
meanings.
Page 85 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.5.6 Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general
academic and domain-specific words and phrases,
including those that signal contrast, addition, and other
logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless,
similarly, moreover, in addition).
ELA.EE.L.5.6 Use words acquired through conversations,
being read to, and during shared reading activities including
domain-specific words.
Page 86 of 147
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SIXTH GRADE
Sixth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
ELA.EE.RL.6.1 Determine what a text says explicitly as well as
what simple inferences must be drawn.
RL.6.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how
it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary
of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
ELA.EE.RL.6.2 Identify details in a text that are related to the
theme or central idea.
RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot
unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the
characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a
resolution.
ELA.EE.RL.6.3 Can identify how a character responds to a
challenge in a story.
Craft and Structure
RL.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on
meaning and tone.
ELA.EE.RL.6.4 Determine how word choice changes the
meaning in a text.
RL.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene,
or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and
contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or
plot.
ELA.EE.RL.6.5 Determine the structure of a text (e.g., story,
poem, or drama).
RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of
the narrator or speaker in a text.
ELA.EE.RL.6.6 Identify words or phrases in the text that
describe or show what the narrator or speaker is thinking or
feeling.
Page 87 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.6.7 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a
story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio,
video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what
they “see” and “hear” when reading the text to what they
perceive when they listen or watch.
ELA.EE.RL.6.7 Compare the experience of reading or
listening to a written story, drama or poem with the experience
of watching video or live performance of the same text.
RL.6.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.6.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.6.9 Compare and contrast texts in different forms or
genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and
fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar
themes and topics.
ELA.EE.RL.6.9 Compare and contrast stories, myths, or texts
with similar topics or themes.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.6.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
ELA.EE.RL.6.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively reading or listening to stories, dramas, or poetry.
Page 88 of 147
Sixth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the
text.
ELA.EE.RI.6.1 Analyze a text to determine what it says
explicitly as well as what inferences should be drawn.
RI.6.2 Determine a central idea of a text and how it is
conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of
the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
ELA.EE.RI.6.2 Determine the main idea of a passage and
details or facts related to it.
RI.6.3 Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea
is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g.,
through examples or anecdotes).
ELA.EE.RI.6.3 Identify a detail that elaborates upon
individuals, events, or ideas introduced in a text.
Craft and Structure
RI.6.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,
and technical meanings.
ELA.EE.RI.6.4 Determine how word choice changes the
meaning of a text.
RI.6.5 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph,
chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text
and contributes to the development of the ideas.
ELA.EE.RI.6.5 Determine how the title fits the structure of the
text.
RI.6.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a
text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
ELA.EE.RI.6.6 Identify words or phrases in the text that
describe or show the author’s point of view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.6.7 Integrate information presented in different media or
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to
develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
ELA.EE.RI.6.7 Find similarities in information presented in
different media or formats as well as in text.
RI.6.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims
in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by
reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
ELA.EE.RI.6.8 Distinguish claims in a text supported by
reason.
Page 89 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.6.9 Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of
events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a
biography on the same person).
ELA.EE.RI.6.9 Compare and contrast how two texts describe
the same event.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.6.10 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.
ELA.EE.RI.6.10 Demonstrate understanding while actively
reading or listening to literary nonfiction.
Page 90 of 147
Sixth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and
evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant
evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating
an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the
relationships among claim(s) and reasons.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from the argument presented.
ELA.EE.W.6.1 Write claims about topics or text.
a. Write a claim about a topic or text.
b. Write one or more reasons to support a claim about a
topic or text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
Page 91 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.6.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through
the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
a. Introduce a topic; 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.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples.
c. Use appropriate transitions to clarify the
relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from the information or explanation
presented.
ELA.EE.W.6.2 Write to share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic and write to convey ideas and
information about it including visual, tactual, or
multimedia information as appropriate.
b. Provide facts, details, or other information related to the
topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
Page 92 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a
context and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally
and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
and description, to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and
clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from
one time frame or setting to another.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive
details, and sensory language to convey
experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from the narrated
experiences or events.
ELA.EE.W.6.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a real or imagined experience
introducing the experience and including two or more
events.
b. Not applicable
c. Use words that establish the time frame.
d. Use words that convey specific details about the
experience or event.
e. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.6.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
ELA.EE.W.6.4 Produce writing that is appropriate for the task,
purpose, or audience.
W.6.5 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.
ELA.EE.W.6.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, plan before writing and revise own writing.
Page 93 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.6.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate
with others; demonstrate sufficient command of
keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a
single sitting.
ELA.EE.W.6.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce writing while interacting and collaborating with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a
question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the
inquiry when appropriate.
ELA.EE.W.6.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a
question.
W.6.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and
digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and
quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others
while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic
information for sources.
ELA.EE.W.6.8 Gather information from multiple print and
digital sources that relates to a given topic.
W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
“Compare and contrast texts in different forms or
genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels
and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to
similar themes and topics.”).
b. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literary
nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and evaluate the argument
and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims
that are supported by reasons and evidence from
claims that are not.”).
ELA.EE.W.6.9 Use information from literary and informational
text to support writing.
a. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 6 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare a text version
of a story, drama, or poem with an audio, video, or live
version of the text.”).
b. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 6 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g., “Can produce an
argument by logically organizing the claims and the
supporting reasons and evidence.”).
Range of Writing
W.6.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.6.10 Write routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Page 94 of 147
Sixth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.6.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with
diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or
studied required material; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence on the topic,
text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under
discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific
goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as
needed.
c. Pose and respond to specific questions with
elaboration and detail by making comments that
contribute to the topic, text, or issue under
discussion.
d. Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate
understanding of multiple perspectives through
reflection and paraphrasing.
ELA.EE.SL.6.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussions prepared to share information.
b. With guidance and support from adults and peers, follow
simple, agreed-upon rules for discussions and contribute
information.
c. Ask and answer questions specific to the topic, text, or
issue under discussion.
d. Restate key ideas expressed in the discussion.
SL.6.2 Interpret information presented in diverse media and
formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain
how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
ELA.EE.SL.6.2 Identify information presented in diverse media
and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) that relates to
a topic, text, or issue under study.
SL.6.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims,
distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not.
ELA.EE.SL.6.3 Identify the reasons and evidence supporting
the claims made by the speaker.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.6.4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas
logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details
to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye
contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
ELA.EE.SL.6.4 Present findings on a topic including
descriptions, facts, or details.
SL.6.5 Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics,
images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations
to clarify information.
ELA.EE.SL.6.5 Select an auditory, visual, or tactual display to
clarify the information in presentations.
SL.6.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated
or appropriate.
ELA.EE.SL.6.6 Use formal and informal language as
appropriate to the communication partner.
Page 96 of 147
Sixth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.6.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case
(subjective, objective, possessive).
b. Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).
c. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in
pronoun number and person.*
d. Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones
with unclear or ambiguous antecedents).*
e. Recognize variations from standard English in their
own and others’ writing and speaking, and identify
and use strategies to improve expression in
conventional language.*
ELA.EE.L.6.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Use personal pronouns (e.g., he, she, they) correctly.
b. Use indefinite pronouns.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
L.6.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to
set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
b. Spell correctly.
ELA.EE.L.6.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Use question marks at the end of written questions.
b. Spell untaught words phonetically, drawing on letter-
sound relationships and common spelling patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.6.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when
writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/ listener
interest, and style.*
b. Maintain consistency in style and tone.*
ELA.EE.L.6.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Vary use of language when the listener or reader does
not understand the initial attempt.
b. Not applicable
Page 97 of 147
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.6.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 6
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. 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.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
c. Consult 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.
d. Verify the preliminary determination ofthe meaning
of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a dictionary).
ELA.EE.L.6.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use context to determine which word is missing from a
content area text.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g., like) and the
words that result when affixes are added (e.g., liked,
disliked, liking).
c. Seek clarification and meaning support when unfamiliar
words are encountered while reading or communicating.
d. Not applicable
L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in
context.
b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g.,
cause/effect, part/whole, item/category) to better
understand each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of
words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g.,
stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty).
ELA.EE.L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify the meaning of simple similes (e.g., the man
was as big as a tree.).
b. Demonstrate understanding of words by identifying other
words with similar and different meanings.
c. Not applicable
L.6.6 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.
ELA.EE.L.6.6 Use general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases across contexts.
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DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR SEVENTH GRADE
Seventh Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
ELA.EE.RL.7.1 Analyze text to identify where information is
explicitly stated and where inferences must be drawn.
RL.7.2 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.
ELA.EE.RL.7.2 Identify events in a text that are related to the
theme or central idea.
RL.7.3 Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama
interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
ELA.EE.RL.7.3 Determine how two or more story elements are
related.
Craft and Structure
RL.7.4 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.
ELA.EE.RL.7.4 Determine the meaning of simple idioms and
figures of speech as they are used in a text.
RL.7.5 Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure
(e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning.
ELA.EE.RL.7.5 Compare the structure of two or more texts
(e.g., stories, poems, or dramas).
RL.7.6 Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the
points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
ELA.EE.RL.7.6 Compare the points of view of two or more
characters or narrators in a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.7.7 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).
ELA.EE.RL.7.7 Compare a text version of a story, drama, or
poem with an audio, video, or live version of the same text.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RL.7.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.7.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.7.9 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.
ELA.EE.RL.7.9 Compare a fictional time, place, or character in
one text with the same time, place, or character portrayed in a
historical account.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.7.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
ELA.EE.RL.7.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively engaged in reading or listening to stories, dramas, and
poetry.
Page 100 of 147
Seventh Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.7.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
ELA.EE.RI.7.1 Analyze text to identify where information is
explicitly stated and where inferences must be drawn.
RI.7.2 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.2 Determine two or more central ideas in a text.
RI.7.3 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).
ELA.EE.RI.7.3 Determine how two individuals, events or ideas
in a text are related.
Craft and Structure
RI.7.4 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.4 Determine how words or phrases are used to
persuade or inform a text.
RI.7.5 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.5 Determine how a fact, step, or event fits into the
overall structure of the text.
RI.7.6 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.6 Determine an author’s purpose or point of view.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.7.7 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).
ELA.EE.RI.7.7 Compare a text to an audio, video or
multimedia version of the same text.
RI.7.8 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.8 Determine how a claim or reason fits into the
overall structure of an informational text.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.7.9 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.9 Compare and contrast how different texts on
the same topic present the details.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.7.10 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.
ELA.EE.RI.7.10 Demonstrate understanding while actively
reading or listening to literary nonfiction.
Page 102 of 147
Seventh Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.7.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons
and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge alternate or
opposing claims, and organize the reasons and
evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant
evidence, using accurate, credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion
and clarify the relationships among claim(s),
reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the argument presented.
ELA.EE.W.7.1 Write claims about topics or texts.
a. Introduce a topic or text and write one claim about it.
b. Write one or more reasons to support a claim about a
topic or text.
c. Use temporal words (first, next, also) to create cohesion.
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.7.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through
the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing whatis 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.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples.
c. Use appropriate transitions to create cohesion and
clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented.
ELA.EE.W.7.2 Write to share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic and write to convey ideas and
information about it including visual, tactual, or
multimedia information as appropriate.
b. Provide facts, details, or other information related to the
topic.
c. Not applicable
d. Select domain-specific vocabulary to use in writing
about the topic.
e. Not applicable
f. Not applicable
Page 104 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.7.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. 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.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
and description, to develop experiences, events,
and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and
clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from
one time frame or setting to another.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive
details, and sensory language to capture the action
and convey experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects
on the narrated experiences or events.
ELA.EE.W.7.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a real or imagined experience
introducing the experience, at least one character, and
two or more events.
b. Not applicable
c. Use temporal words (e.g., first, then, next) to signal
order.
d. Use words that describe feelings of people or characters
in the narrative.
e. Not applicable
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.7.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which
the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
ELA.EE.W.7.4 Produce writing that is appropriate for the task,
purpose, or audience.
W.7.5 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.
ELA.EE.W.7.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, plan before writing and revise own writing.
W.7.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing and link to and cite sourcesas well as
to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to
and citing sources.
ELA.EE.W.7.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce writing to interact and collaborate with others.
Page 105 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.7.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a
question, drawing on several sources and generating
additional related, focused questions for further research
and investigation.
ELA.EE.W.7.7 Conduct research to answer a question based
on multiple sources of information.
W.7.8 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.
ELA.EE.W.7.8 Identify quotes providing relevant information
about a topic from multiple print or digital sources.
W.7.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. 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.”).
b. 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.”).
ELA.EE.W.7.9 Use information from literary and informational
text to support writing.
a. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 7 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Recognize the difference
between fictional characters and nonfictional
characters.”).
b. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 7 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g., “Use relevant and
sufficient evidence for supporting the claims and
argument.”).
Range of Writing
W.7.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.7.10 Write routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
Page 106 of 147
Seventh Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.7.1 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.
a. 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.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions, track progress
toward specific goals and deadlines, and define
individual roles as needed.
c. 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.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others
and, when warranted, modify their own views.
ELA.EE.SL.7.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussions prepared to share information.
b. With guidance and support from adults and peers, follow
simple, agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out
assigned roles.
c. Remain on the topic of the discussion when answering
questions or making other contributions to a discussion.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others in a
discussion.
SL.7.2 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.
ELA.EE.SL.7.2 Identify details related to the main idea of a text
presented orally or through other media.
SL.7.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims,
evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the
relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
ELA.EE.SL.7.3 Determine whether the claims made by a
speaker are fact or opinion.
Page 107 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.7.4 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.
ELA.EE.SL.7.4 Present findings on a topic including relevant
descriptions, facts, or details.
SL.7.5 Include multimedia components and visual displays
in presentations to clarify claims and findings and
emphasize salient points.
ELA.EE.SL.7.5 Select or create audio recordings and
visual/tactile displays to emphasize specific points in a
presentation.
SL.7.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated
or appropriate.
ELA.EE.SL.7.6 Communicate precisely (i.e., provide complete
information) or efficiently (i.e., telegraphic communication) as
required by the context, task, and communication partner.
Page 108 of 147
Seventh Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.7.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Explain the function of phrases and clauses in
general and their function in specific sentences.
b. Choose among simple, compound, complex, and
compound-complex sentences to signal differing
relationships among ideas.
c. Place phrases and clauses within a sentence,
recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling
modifiers.
ELA.EE.L.7.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Produce complete simple sentences when writing or
communicating.
c. Not applicable
L.7.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives
(e.g., It was a fascinating, enjoyable movie but not
He wore an old[,] green shirt).
b. Spell correctly.
ELA.EE.L.7.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Use end punctuation when writing a sentence or
question.
b. Spell words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of
letter-sound relationships and/or common spelling
patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.7.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when
writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and
concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness
and redundancy.*
ELA.EE.L.7.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Use precise language as required to achieve desired
meaning.
Page 109 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.7.4 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.
a. 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.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., belligerent, bellicose, rebel).
c. 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.
d. Verify the preliminary determination ofthe meaning
of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred
meaning in context or in a dictionary).
ELA.EE.L.7.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use context to determine which word is missing from a
text.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g., like) and the
words that result when affixes are added (e.g., liked,
disliked, liking).
c. Seek clarification and meaning support when unfamiliar
words are encountered while reading or communicating.
d. Not applicable
L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., literary, biblical, and
mythological allusions) in context.
b. Use the relationship between particular words (e.g.,
synonym/antonym, analogy) to better understand
each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of
words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g.,
refined, respectful, polite, diplomatic,
condescending).
ELA.EE.L.7.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Identify the literal and nonliteral meanings of words in
context.
b. Demonstrate understanding of synonyms and
antonyms.
c. Not applicable
Page 110 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
L.7.6 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.
ELA.EE.L.7.6 Use general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases across contexts.
DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR EIGHTH GRADE
Eighth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly
supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well
as inferences drawn from the text.
ELA.EE.RL.8.1 Cite text to support inferences from stories and
poems.
RL.8.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze its development over the course of the text,
including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot;
provide an objective summary of the text.
ELA.EE.RL.8.2 Recount an event related to the theme or
central idea, including details about character and setting.
RL.8.3 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents
in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a
character, or provoke a decision.
ELA.EE.RL.8.3 Identify which incidents in a story or drama
lead to subsequent action.
Craft and Structure
RL.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on
meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other
texts.
ELA.EE.RL.8.4 Determine connotative meanings of words and
phrases in a text.
RL.8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or more
texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text
contributes to its meaning and style.
ELA.EE.RL.8.5 Compare and contrast the structure of two or
more texts.
Page 111 of 147
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RL.8.6 Analyze how differences in the points of view of the
characters and the audience or reader (e.g., created
through the use of dramatic irony) create such effects as
suspense or humor.
ELA.EE.RL.8.6 Determine the difference in the points of view
of a character and the audience or reader in a text with
suspense or humor.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.8.7 Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live
production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs
from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the
director or actors.
ELA.EE.RL.8.7 Compare and contrast a text version of a story,
drama, or poem with an audio, video, or live version of the
same text.
RL.8.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.8.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.8.9 Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on
themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths,
traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible,
including describing how the material is rendered new.
ELA.EE.RL.8.9 Compare and contrast themes, patterns of
events, or characters across two or more stories or dramas.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high
end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
ELA.EE.RL.8.10 Demonstrate understanding of text while
actively engaged in reading or listening to stories, dramas, and
poetry.
Page 112 of 147
Eighth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports
an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
ELA.EE.RI.8.1 Cite text to support inferences from
informational text.
RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective
summary of the text.
ELA.EE.RI.8.2 Provide a summary of a familiar informational
text.
RI.8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and
distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g.,
through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
ELA.EE.RI.8.3 Recount events in the order they were
presented in the text.
Craft and Structure
RI.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,
and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or
allusions to other texts.
ELA.EE.RI.8.4 Determine connotative meanings of words and
phrases in a text.
RI.8.5 Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph
in a text, including the role of particular sentences in
developing and refining a key concept.
ELA.EE.RI.8.5 Locate the topic sentence and supporting
details in a paragraph.
RI.8.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a
text and analyze how the author acknowledges and
responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
ELA.EE.RI.8.6 Determine an author’s purpose or point of view
and identify examples from text that describe or support it.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.8.7 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using
different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video,
multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
ELA.EE.RI.8.7 Determine whether a topic is best presented as
audio, video, multimedia, or text.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.8.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound
and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when
irrelevant evidence is introduced.
ELA.EE.RI.8.8 Determine the argument made by an author in
an informational text.
RI.8.9 Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide
conflicting information on the same topic and identify where
the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
ELA.EE.RI.8.9 Identify where two different texts on the same
topic differ in their interpretation of the details.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend
literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.8.10 Demonstrate understanding while actively
reading or listening to literary nonfiction.
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Eighth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.8.1 Write arguments to support claims with clear
reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant
evidence, using accurate, credible sources and
demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion
and clarify the relationships among claim(s),
counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the argument presented.
ELA.EE.W.8.1 Write claims about topics or texts.
a. Introduce the claim and provide reasons or pieces of
evidence to support it.
b. Write reasons to support a claim about a topic or text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through
the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant
content.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing whatis to
follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information
into broader categories; include formatting (e.g.,
headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and
multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts,
definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create
cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas
and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented.
ELA.EE.W.8.2 Write to share information supported by details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and write to convey ideas and
information about it including visual, tactual, or
multimedia information as appropriate.
b. Write one or more facts or details related to the topic.
c. Write complete thoughts as appropriate.
d. Use domain specific vocabulary related to the topic.
e. Not applicable
f. Provide a closing.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.8.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. 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.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, and reflection, to develop experiences,
events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and
clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one
time frame or setting to another, and show the
relationships among experiences and events.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive
details, and sensory language to capture the action
and convey experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects
on the narrated experiences or events.
ELA.EE.W.8.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a real or imagined experience
introducing the experience, at least one character, and
two or more events.
b. Not applicable
c. Use temporal words (e.g., first, then, next) to signal
order.
d. Use words that describe the feelings of characters or
provide other sensory information about the setting,
experiences, or events.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
ELA.EE.W.8.4 Produce writing that is appropriate for the task,
purpose, or audience.
W.8.5 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.
ELA.EE.W.8.5 With guidance and support from adults and
peers, plan before writing and revise own writing.
W.8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce
and publish writing and present the relationships between
information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and
collaborate with others.
ELA.EE.W.8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce writing to interact and collaborate with others.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.8.7 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.
ELA.EE.W.8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer and
pose questions based on one source of information.
W.8.8 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.
ELA.EE.W.8.8 Select quotes providing relevant information
about a topic from multiple print or digital sources.
W.8.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to
support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g.,
“Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on
themes, patterns of events, or character types from
myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as
the Bible, including describing how the material is
rendered new.”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary
nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluatethe
argument and specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant
evidence is introduced.”).
ELA.EE.W.8.9 Use information from literary and informational
text to support writing.
a. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 8 Reading Standards
to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast themes,
patterns of events, or characters across two or more
stories or dramas.”).
b. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 8 Reading Standards
to informational texts (e.g., “Use relevant and sufficient
evidence for supporting the claims and argument.”).
Range of Writing
W.8.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.8.10 Write routinely for a variety of tasks, purposes,
and audiences.
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Eighth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative
discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher- led) with
diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues,
building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. 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.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-
making, track progress toward specific goals and
deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several
speakers and respond to others’ questions and
comments with relevant evidence, observations, and
ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others,
and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own
views in light of the evidence presented.
ELA.EE.SL.8.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Come to discussions prepared to share information
previously studied.
b. Follow simple rules and carry out assigned roles during
discussions.
c. Remain on the topic of the discussion when asking or
answering questions or making other contributions to a
discussion.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others in a
discussion and relate it to own ideas.
SL.8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in
diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively,
orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial,
political) behind its presentation.
ELA.EE.SL.8.2 Determine the purpose of information
presented in graphic, oral, visual, or multimodal formats.
SL.8.3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims,
evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance
and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when
irrelevant evidence is introduced.\
ELA.EE.SL.8.3 Determine the argument made by a speaker
on a topic.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient
points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant
evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details;
use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation.
ELA.EE.SL.8.4 Present descriptions, facts, or details
supporting specific points made on a topic.
SL.8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into
presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and
evidence, and add interest.
ELA.EE.SL.8.5 Include multimedia and visual information into
presentations.
SL.8.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated
or appropriate.
ELA.EE.SL.8.6 Adapt communication to a variety of contexts
and tasks.
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Eighth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.8.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles,
infinitives) in general and their function in particular
sentences.
b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative,
interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb
voice and mood.
ELA.EE.L.8.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Form and use the simple verb tenses (e.g., I walked, I
walk, I will walk).
c. Use appropriate verbs to match nouns.
d. Not applicable
L.8.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a
pause or break.
b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.
c. Spell correctly.
ELA.EE.L.8.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Use end punctuation and capitalization when writing a
sentence or question.
b. Not applicable
c. Spell words phonetically, drawing on knowledge of
letter-sound relationships and/or common spelling
patterns.
Knowledge of Language
L.8.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when
writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice andin
the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve
particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the
action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state
contrary to fact).
ELA.EE.L.8.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Use to-be verbs (am, are, is, was, were, be, become,
became) accurately when writing and communicating.
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Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.8.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words or phrases based on grade 8
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. 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.
b. Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin
affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., precede, recede, secede).
c. 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.
d. 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).
ELA.EE.L.8.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use context to determine which word is missing from a
content area text.
b. Use frequently occurring root words (e.g., like) and the
words that result when affixes are added (e.g., liked,
disliked, liking).
c. Seek clarification and meaning support when unfamiliar
words are encountered while reading or communicating.
d. Not applicable
L.8.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g. verbal irony, puns) in
context.
b. Use the relationship between particular words to
better understand each of the words.
c. Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of
words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g.,
bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
ELA.EE.L.8.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Demonstrate understanding of the use of multiple
meaning words.
b. Use knowledge of common words to understand the
meaning of compound and complex words in which they
appear (e.g., birdhouse, household).
c. Use descriptive words to add meaning when writing and
communicating.
L.8.6 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.
ELA.EE.L.8.6 Use general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases across contexts.
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DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR NINTH-TENTH GRADE
Ninth-Tenth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.1 Determine which citations demonstrate
what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
RL.9-10.2 Determine a theme or central idea of a text and
analyze in detail its development over the course of the
text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by
specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.2 Recount events related to the theme or
central idea, including details about character and setting.
RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those
with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the
course of a text, interact with other characters, and
advance the plot or develop the theme.
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.3 Determine how characters change or
develop over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the
language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a
formal or informal tone).
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in a text, including idioms, analogies,
and figures of speech.
RL.9-10.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning
how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel
plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create
such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.5 Identify where a text deviates from a
chronological presentation of events.
RL.9-10.6 Analyze a particular point of view or cultural
experience reflected in a work of literature from outside the
United States, drawing on a wide reading of world literature.
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.6 Determine a point of view or cultural
experience in a work of literature from outside the United
States and compare it with own point of view or experience.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.9-10.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key
scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is
emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s
“Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with
the Fall of Icarus).
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.7 Compare the representation of a subject or
topic in two different artistic mediums (e.g., poetry and
illustration).
RL.9-10.8 (Not applicable to literature)
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.9-10.9 Analyze how an author draws on and transforms
source material in a specific work (e.g., how Shakespeare
treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later
author draws on a play by Shakespeare).
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.9 Identify when an author draws upon or
references a different text.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.9-10.10 By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature,
including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of
the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
ELA.EE.RL.9-10.10 Demonstrate understanding of a text while
actively engaged in reading or listening to stories, dramas, or
poems.
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Ninth-Tenth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.9-10.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.1 Determine which citations demonstrate what
the text says explicitly as well as inferentially.
RI.9-10.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its
development over the course of the text, including how it
emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details;
provide an objective summary of the text.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.2 Determine the central idea of the text and
select details to support it.
RI.9-10.3 Analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or
series of ideas or events, including the order in which the
points are made, how they are introduced and developed,
and the connections that are drawn between them.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.3 Determine logical connections between
individuals, ideas, or events in a text.
Craft and Structure
RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as
they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,
and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of
specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the
language of a court opinion differs from that of a
newspaper).
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and
phrases as they are used in text, including common idioms,
analogies, and figures of speech.
RI.9-10.5 Analyze in detail how an author’s ideas or claims
are developed and refined by particular sentences,
paragraphs, or larger portions of a text (e.g., a section or
chapter).
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.5 Locate sentences that support an author’s
central idea or claim.
RI.9-10.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in
a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance
that point of view or purpose.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.6 Determine author’s point of view and
compare with own point of view.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.9-10.7 Analyze various accounts of a subject told in
different mediums (e.g., a person’s life story in both print
and multimedia), determining which details are emphasized
in each account.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.7 Analyze two accounts of a subject told in
different mediums to determine how they are the same and
different.
RI.9-10.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid
and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; identify false
statements and fallacious reasoning.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.8 Determine how the specific claims support
the argument made in an informational text.
RI.9-10.9 Analyze seminal U.S. documents of historical and
literary significance (e.g., Washington’s Farewell Address,
the Gettysburg Address, Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms
speech, King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”), including
how they address related themes and concepts.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.9 Make connections between texts with
related themes and concepts.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.9-10.10 By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend
literary nonfiction in the grades 9–10 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literary
nonfiction at the high end of the grades 9–10 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
ELA.EE.RI.9-10.10 Demonstrate understanding while actively
engaged in reading or listening to literary nonfiction.
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Ninth-Tenth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.9-10.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis
of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s)
from alternate or opposing claims, and create an
organization that establishes clear relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying
evidence for each while pointing out the strengths
and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates
the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major
sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the
relationships between claim(s) and reasons,
between reasons and evidence, and between
claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective
tone while attending to the norms and conventions of
the discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the argument presented.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.1 Write claims about topics or texts.
a. Introduce a topic or text and write one claim and one
counterclaim about it.
b. Not applicable
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine
and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts,
and information to make important connections and
distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings),
graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when
useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and
sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete
details, quotations, or other information and
examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge
of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to link the
major sections of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships among complex ideas and
concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific
vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective
tone while attending to the norms and conventions of
the discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications
or the significance of the topic).
ELA.EE.W.9-10.2 Write to share information supported by
details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and use a clear organization to
write about it including visual, tactual, or multimedia
information as appropriate.
b. Develop the topic with facts or details.
c. Use complete, simple sentences as appropriate.
d. Use domain specific vocabulary when writing claims
related to a topic of study or text.
e. Not applicable
f. Providing a closing or concluding statement.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.9-10.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, well-
chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a
problem, situation, or observation, establishing one
or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a
narrator and/or characters; create a smooth
progression of experiences or events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to
develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so
that they build on one another to create a coherent
whole.
d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and
sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the
experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects
on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over
the course of the narrative.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.3 Write about events or personal experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a problem, situation, or
observation including at least one character, details, and
clearly sequenced events.
b. Not applicable
c. Organize the events in the narrative using temporal
words to signal order as appropriate.
d. Use descriptive words and phrases to convey a vivid
picture of experiences, events, setting, or characters.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
ELA.EE.W.9-10.4 Produce writing that is appropriate for the
task, purpose, and audience.
W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant
for a specific purpose and audience.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.5 Develop writing by planning and revising
own writing.
W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link
to other information and to display information flexibly and
dynamically.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects to answer a question (including a self-
generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden
the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources
on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.7 Conduct research projects to answer
questions posed by self and others using multiple sources of
information.
W.9-10.8 Gather relevant information from multiple
authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source
in answering the research question; integrate information
into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas,
avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for
citation.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.8 Write answers to research questions by
selecting relevant information from multiple resources.
W.9-10.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts
to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature
(e.g., “Analyze how an author draws on and
transforms source material in a specific work [e.g.,
how Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid
or the Bible or how a later author draws on a play by
Shakespeare.]”).
b. Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literary
nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the
argument and specific claims in a text, assessing
whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is
relevant and sufficient; identify false statements and
fallacious reasoning.”).
ELA.EE.W.9-10.9 Use information from literary and
informational text to support writing.
a. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 9-10 Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Identify when an author
has drawn upon or included references to another
text.”).
b. Apply Essential Elements of Grade 9-10 Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g., “Use sound
reasons for supporting the claims and argument.”).
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Range of Writing
W.9-10.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.9-10.10 Write routinely over time for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
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Ninth-Tenth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and
researched material under study; explicitly draw on
that preparation by referring to evidence from texts
and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate
a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions
and decision-making (e.g., informal consensus,
taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate
views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual
roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that relate the current discussion to
broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate
others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or
challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives,
summarize points of agreement and disagreement,
and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own
views and understanding and make new connections
in light of the evidence and reasoning presented.
ELA.EE.SL.9-10.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Prepare for discussions by collecting information on the
topic.
b. Work with adults and peers to set rules for discussions.
c. Relate the topic of discussion to broader themes or
ideas.
d. Indicate agreement or disagreement with others during
discussions.
SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy
of each source.
ELA.EE.SL.9-10.2 Determine the credibility of information
presented in diverse media or formats.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
SL.9-10.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning,
and use of evidence and rhetoric, identifying any fallacious
reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
ELA.EE.SL.9-10.3 Determine the speaker's point of view on a
topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.9-10.4 Present information, findings, and supporting
evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to
purpose, audience, and task.
ELA.EE.SL.9-10.4 Present an argument on a topic with
logically organized claims, reasons, and evidence.
SL.9-10.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual,
graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in
presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
ELA.EE.SL.9-10.5 Use digital media (e.g., textual, graphical,
audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to
support understanding.
SL.9-10.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated
or appropriate.
ELA.EE.SL.9-10.6 Adapt communication to a variety of
contexts and tasks using complete sentences when indicated
or appropriate.
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Ninth-Tenth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.9-10.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Use parallel structure.*
b. Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival,
adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and
clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative,
adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add
variety and interest to writing or presentations.
ELA.EE.L.9-10.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar and
usage when communicating.
a. Not applicable
b. Use a variety of parts of speech (nouns, verbs, pronouns,
adjectives, and prepositions) in writing or communication
to convey information.
L.9-10.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb)
to link two or more closely related independent
clauses.
b. Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
c. Spell correctly.
ELA.EE.L.9-10.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions of
standard English.
a. Use a comma and conjunction to combine two simple
sentences.
b. Not applicable
c. Spell most single-syllable words correctly and apply
knowledge of word chunks in spelling longer words.
Knowledge of Language
L.9-10.3 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.
a. Write and edit work so that it conforms to the
guidelines in a style manual (e.g., MLA Handbook,
Turabian’s Manual for Writers) appropriate for the
discipline and writing type.
ELA.EE.L.9-10.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Vary syntax when writing and communicating.
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Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.9-10.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9–10
reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence,
paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a
sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes
that indicate different meanings or parts of speech
(e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate,
advocacy).
c. 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, its part of
speech, or its etymology.
d. 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).
ELA.EE.L.9-10.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use context to determine the meaning of unknown.
b. Identify and use root words and the words that result
when affixes are added or removed.
c. Consult reference materials (dictionaries, online
vocabulary supports) to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar
words encountered when reading.
d. Not applicable (See ELA.EE.L.9- 10.4.c. above.)
L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language,
word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism,
oxymoron) in context and analyze their role in the
text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar
denotations.
ELA.EE.L.9-10.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Interpret common figures of speech.
b. Determine the intended meaning of multiple meaning
words.
L.9-10.6 Acquire and use accurately 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.
ELA.EE.L.9-10.6 Use general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases across contexts.
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DYNAMIC LEARNING MAPS ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR ELEVENTH-TWELFTH GRADE
Eleventh-Twelfth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Literature)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RL.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.1 Analyze a text to determine its meaning
and cite textual evidence to support explicit and implicit
understandings.
RL.11-12.2 Determine two or more themes or central ideas
of a text and analyze their development over the course of
the text, including how they interact and build on one
another to produce a complex account; provide an objective
summary of the text.
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.2 Recount the main events of the text which
are related to the theme or central idea.
RL.11-12.3 Analyze the impact of the author’s choices
regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or
drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered,
how the characters are introduced and developed).
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.3 Determine how characters, the setting or
events change over the course of the story or drama.
Craft and Structure
RL.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases
as they are used in the text, including figurative and
connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word
choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple
meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging,
or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other
authors.)
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.4 Determine how words or phrases in a text,
including words with multiple meanings and figurative
language, impact the meaning.
RL.11-12.5 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning
how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of
where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a
comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall
structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.5 Determine how the author’s choice of
where to end the story contributes to the meaning.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RL.11-12.6 Analyze a case in which grasping a point of
view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text
from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.6 Determine the point of view when there is
a difference between the author’s actual language and
intended meaning.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RL.11-12.7 Analyze multiple interpretations of a story,
drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play
or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by
Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.7 Compare two or more interpretations (e.g.,
recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or
poetry) of a story, drama, or poem.
RL.11-12.8 (Not applicable to literature) ELA.EE.RL.11-12.8 (Not applicable to literature)
RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-,
nineteenth-, and early-twentieth-century foundational works
of American literature, including how two or more texts from
the same period treat similar themes or topics.
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.9 Demonstrate explicit understanding of
recounted versions of foundational works of American
literature.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RL.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend
literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the
grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
ELA.EE.RL.11-12.10 Demonstrate understanding while
actively engaged in reading or listening to stories, dramas, and
poems.
Eleventh-Twelfth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Reading (Informational Text)
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Key Ideas and Details
RI.11-12.1 Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to
support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text, including determining where
the text leaves matters uncertain.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.1 Analyze a text to determine its meaning
and cite textual evidence to support explicit and implicit
understanding.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
RI.11-12.2 Determine two or more central ideas of a text
and analyze their development over the course of the text,
including how they interact and build on one another to
provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary
of the text.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.2 Determine the central idea of a text;
recount the text.
RI.11-12.3 Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of
events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or
events interact and develop over the course of the text.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.3 Determine how individuals, ideas, or
events change over the course of the text.
Craft and Structure
RI.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases
as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,
and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and
refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course
of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist
No. 10).
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.4 Determine how words or phrases in a text,
including words with multiple meanings and figurative
language, impacts the meaning of the text.
RI.11-12.5 Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the
structure an author uses in his or her exposition or
argument, including whether the structure makes points
clear, convincing, and engaging.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.5 Determine whether the structure of a text
enhances an author’s claim.
RI.11-12.6 Determine an author’s point of view or purpose
in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective,
analyzing how style and content contribute to the power,
persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.6 Determine author’s point of view and
compare and contrast it with own point of view.
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Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
RI.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of
information presented in different media or formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to
address a question or solve a problem.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.7 Analyze information presented in different
media on related topics to answer questions or solve problems.
RI.11-12.8 Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal
U.S. texts, including the application of constitutional
principles and use of legal reasoning (e.g., in U.S. Supreme
Court majority opinions and dissents) and the premises,
purposes, and arguments in works of public advocacy (e.g.,
The Federalist, presidential addresses).
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.8 Determine whether the claims and
reasoning enhance the author’s argument in an informational
text.
RI.11-12.9 Analyze seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and
nineteenth-century foundational U.S. documents of
historical and literary significance (including The
Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the
Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and Lincoln’s Second
Inaugural Address) for their themes, purposes, and
rhetorical features.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.9 Compare and contrast arguments made by
two different texts on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
RI.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend
literary nonfiction in the grades 11–CCR text complexity
band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high
end of the range.
ELA.EE.RI.11-12.10 Demonstrate understanding while actively
engaged in reading or listening to literary non-fiction.
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Eleventh-Twelfth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Writing
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Text Types and Purposes
W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis
of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and
relevant and sufficient evidence.
a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish
the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
create an organization that logically sequences
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and
thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for
each while pointing out the strengths and limitations
of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s
knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible
biases.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied
syntax to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships between
claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and
evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective
tone while attending to the norms and conventions of
the discipline in which they are writing.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the argument presented.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.1 Write arguments to support claims.
a. Write an argument to support a claim that results from
studying a topic or reading a text.
b. Support claims with reasons and evidence drawn from
text.
c. Not applicable
d. Not applicable
e. Not applicable
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine
and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information
clearly and accurately through the effective selection,
organization, and analysis of content.
a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts,
and information sothat each new element builds
on that which precedes it to create a unified whole;
include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g.,
figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most
significant and relevant facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge
of the topic.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to
link the major sections of the text, create cohesion,
and clarify the relationships among complex ideas
and concepts.
d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary,
and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and
analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective
tone while attending to the norms and conventions of
the discipline in which they are writing.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that
follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications
or the significance of the topic).
ELA.EE.W.11-12.2 Write to share information supported by
details.
a. Introduce a topic clearly and write an informative or
explanatory text that conveys ideas, concepts, and
information including visual, tactual, or multimedia
information as appropriate.
b. Develop the topic with relevant facts, details, or quotes.
c. Use complete, simple sentences, as well as compound
and other complex sentences as appropriate.
d. Use domain specific vocabulary when writing claims
related to a topic of study or text.
e. Not applicable
f. Provide a closing or concluding statement.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.11-12.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined
experiences or events using effective technique, well-
chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a
problem, situation, or observation and its
significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of
view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters;
create a smooth progression of experiences or
events.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing,
description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to
develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so
that they build on one another to create a coherent
whole and build toward a particular tone and
outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense,
growth, or resolution).
d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and
sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the
experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects
on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over
the course of the narrative.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.3 Write about events or personal
experiences.
a. Write a narrative about a problem, situation, or
observation including at least one character, details, and
clearly sequenced events.
b. Not applicable
c. Organize the events in the narrative using temporal
words to signal order and add cohesion.
d. Use descriptive words and phrases to convey a vivid
picture of experiences, events, setting, or characters.
e. Provide a closing.
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.4 Produce writing that is appropriate to a
particular task, purpose, and audience.
W.11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant
for a specific purpose and audience.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed
by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing
products in response to ongoing feedback, including new
arguments or information.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to
produce, publish and update an individual or shared writing
project.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.11-12.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects to answer a question (including a self-
generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden
the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources
on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject
under investigation.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.7 Conduct research projects to answer
questions posed by self and others using multiple sources of
information.
W.11-12.8 Gather relevant information from multiple
authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced
searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of
each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience;
integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the
flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any
one source and following a standard format for citation.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.8 Write answers to research questions by
selecting relevant information from multiple resources.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
W.11-12.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational
texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature
(e.g., “Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-,
nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or
more texts from the same period treat similar themes
or topics.”).
b. Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literary
nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the
reasoning in seminal U.S. texts, including the
application of constitutional principles and use of
legal reasoning [e.g., in U.S. Supreme Court Case
majority opinions and dissents] and the premises,
purposes, and arguments in works of public
advocacy [e.g., The Federalist, presidential
addresses].”).
ELA.EE.W.11-12.9 Cite evidence from literary or informational
texts.
a. Apply Grades 11-12 Essential Elements for Reading
Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast
elements of American literature to other literary works,
self, or one’s world. [Compare themes, topics,
locations, context, and point of view].”).
b. Apply Grades 11-12 Essential Elements for Reading
Standards to informational texts (e.g., “Compare and
contrast reasoning and arguments used in one's work
with those used in seminal U.S. texts.”).
Range of Writing
W.11-12.10 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.
ELA.EE.W.11-12.10 Write routinely over extended time frames
(time for research, reflection, and revision) for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
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Eleventh-Twelfth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Comprehension and Collaboration
SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one- on-one, in groups, and
teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics,
texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing
their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and
researched material under study; explicitly draw on
that preparation by referring to evidence from texts
and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate
a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic
discussions and decision making, set clear goals
and deadlines, and establish individual roles as
needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to
questions that probe reasoning and evidence;
ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a
topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions; and promote divergent and creative
perspectives.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives;
synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made
on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when
possible; and determine what additional information
or research is required to deepen the investigation or
complete the task.
ELA.EE.SL.11-12.1 Engage in collaborative discussions.
a. Prepare for discussions by collecting information on the
topic.
b. Work with peers to set rules and goals for discussions.
c. Ask and answer questions to verify or clarify own ideas
and understandings during a discussion.
d. Respond to agreements and disagreements in a
discussion.
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CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information
presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions
and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy
of each source and noting any discrepancies among the
data.
ELA.EE.SL.11-12.2 Determine the credibility and accuracy of
information presented across diverse media or formats.
SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning,
and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance,
premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of
emphasis, and tone used.
ELA.EE.SL.11-12.3 Determine whether the claims and
reasoning enhance the speaker’s argument on a topic.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
SL.11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting
evidence, conveying a clearand distinct perspective, such
that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or
opposing perspectives are addressed, and the
organization, development, substance, and style are
appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal
and informal tasks.
ELA.EE.SL.11-12.4 Present an argument on a topic using an
organization appropriate to the purpose, audience, and task.
SL.11-12.5 Make strategic use of digital media (e.g.,
textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in
presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
ELA.EE.SL.11-12.5 Use digital media strategically (e.g.,
textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in
presentations to support understanding and add interest.
SL.11-12.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks,
demonstrating a command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate.
ELA.EE.SL.11-12.6 Adapt communication to a variety of
contexts and tasks using complete sentences when indicated
or appropriate.
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Eleventh-Twelfth Grade English Language Arts Standards: Language
CCSS Grade-Level Standards DLM Essential Elements
Conventions of Standard English
L.11-12.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.
a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of
convention, can change over time, and is sometimes
contested.
b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage,
consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster’s
Dictionary of English Usage, Garner’s Modern
American Usage) as needed.
ELA.EE.L.11-12.1 Demonstrate standard English grammar
and usage when communicating.
a. Use conventions of standard English when needed.
b. Use digital, electronic, and other resources and tools to
improve uses of language as needed.
L.11-12.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
a. Observe hyphenation conventions.
b. Spell correctly.
ELA.EE.L.11-12.2 Demonstrate understanding of conventions
of standard English.
a. Demonstrate conventions of standard English including
capitalization, ending punctuation, and spelling when
writing.
b. Spell most single-syllable words correctly and apply
knowledge of word chunks in spelling longer words.
Knowledge of Language
L.11-12.3 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.
a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g.,
Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed;
apply an understanding of syntax to the study of
complex texts when reading.
ELA.EE.L.11-12.3 Use language to achieve desired outcomes
when communicating.
a. Vary sentence structure using a variety of simple and
compound sentence structures.
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Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.11-12.4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and
multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–
12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence,
paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a
sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or
phrase.
b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes
that indicate different meanings or parts of speech
(e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
c. 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, its part of
speech, its etymology, or its standard usage.
d. 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).
ELA.EE.L.11-12.4 Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
a. Use context to determine the meaning of unknown
words.
b. Identify and use root words and the words that result
when affixes are added or removed.
c. Not applicable
d. Consult reference materials (dictionaries, online
vocabulary supports) to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar
words encountered when reading.
jL.11-12.5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and nuances in word
meanings.
a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox)
in context and analyze their role in the text.
b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with
similar denotations.
ELA.EE.L.11-12.5 Demonstrate understanding of word
relationships and use.
a. Interpret simple figures of speech encountered while
reading or listening.
b. Not applicable
L.11-12.6 Acquire and use accurately 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.
ELA.EE.L.11-12.6 Use general academic and domain-specific
words and phrases across contexts.
