Grades 6-8

Social and Instructional Language

Language for Language Arts

Language for Mathematics 

Language for Science 

Language for Social Studies 

Narrate

Inform

Explain

Argue

Narrate

Inform

Argue

Explain

Argue

Explain

Argue

Explain

Argue

Interpret language arts narratives by

Construct language arts narratives that

Interpret informational texts in language arts by

Construct informational texts in language arts that

Interpret language arts arguments by

Construct language arts arguments that 

Interpret mathematical explanations by

Construct mathematical explanations that

Interpret mathematics arguments by

Construct mathematics arguments that

Interpret scientific explanations by 

Construct scientific explanations that

Interpret scientific arguments by

Construct scientific arguments that

Interpret social studies explanations by 

Construct social studies explanations that

Interpret social studies arguments by

Construct social studies arguments that

Share ideas about one’s own and others’ lived experiences and previous learning

Connect stories with images and representations to add meaning

Identify and raise questions about what might be unexplained, missing, or left unsaid 

Recount and restate ideas to sustain and move dialogue forward

Create closure, recap, and offer next steps

Define and classify facts and interpretations; determine what is known vs. unknown

Report on explicit and inferred characteristics, patterns, or behavior

Describe the parts and wholes of a system

Sort, clarify, and summarize relationships

Summarize most important aspects of information

Generate and convey initial thinking

Follow and describe cycles and sequences of steps or procedures and their causes and effects

Compare changing variables, factors, and circumstances

Offer alternatives to extend or deepen awareness of factors that contribute to particular outcomes

Act on feedback to revise understandings of how or why something is or works in particular ways

Generate questions about different perspectives

Support or challenge an opinion, premise, or interpretation

Clarify and elaborate ideas based on feedback

Evaluate changes in thinking, identifying trade-offs

Refine claims and reasoning based on new information or evidence

Identifying a theme or central idea that develops over the course of a text

Analyzing how character attributes and actions develop in relation to events or dialogue

Evaluating impact of specific word choices about meaning and tone

Orient audience to context and point of view

Develop and describe characters and their relationships

Develop story, including themes with complication and resolution, time, and event sequences

Engage and adjust for audience.

Identifying and/or summarizing main ideas and their relationship to supporting ideas

Analyzing observations and descriptions in textual evidence for key attributes, qualities, characteristics, activities, and behaviors 

Evaluating the impact of author’s key word choices over the course of a text

Introduce and define topic and/or entity for audience

Establish objective or neutral stance

Add precision, details, and clarity about relevant attributes, qualities, characteristics, activities, and behaviors 

Develop coherence and cohesion throughout text

Identifying and summarizing central idea distinct from prior knowledge or opinions 

Analyzing how an author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints

Evaluating relevance, sufficiency of evidence, and validity of reasoning that support claim(s)

Introduce and develop claim(s) and acknowledge counterclaim(s)

Support claims with reasons and evidence that are clear, relevant, and credible

Establish and maintain formal style

 Logically organize claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence; offer a conclusion

Identifying concept or entity

Analyzing possible ways to represent and solve a problem

Evaluating model and rationale for underlying relationships in selected problem-solving approach 

Introduce concept or entity

Share solution with others

Describe data and/or problem-solving strategy

State reasoning used to generate solution

Comparing conjectures with previously established results

Distinguishing commonalities among strategies used 

Evaluating relationships between evidence and mathematical facts to create generalizations 

Create conjecture, using definitions and previously established results

Generalize logic across cases

Justify conclusions with evidence and mathematical facts

Evaluate and critique others’ arguments

Defining investigable questions or design problems based on observations, information, and/or data about a phenomenon

Determining central ideas in complex evidence and information to help explain how or why a phenomenon occurs

Evaluating scientific reasoning that shows why data or evidence adequately supports conclusions

Describe valid and reliable evidence from sources about a phenomenon

Establish neutral or objective stance in how results are communicated

Develop reasoning to show relationships among independent and dependent variables in models and simple systems

Summarize patterns in evidence, making trade-offs, revising, and retesting

Identifying convincing evidence from data, models, and/or information from investigations of phenomena or design solutions

Comparing reasoning and claims based on evidence from two arguments on the same topic 

Evaluating whether they emphasize similar or different evidence and/or interpretations of facts

Introduce and contextualize topic/ phenomenon in issues related to the natural and designed world(s)

Support or refute a claim based on data and evidence

Establish and maintain a neutral or objective stance 

Signal logical relationships among reasoning, evidence, data, and/or a model when making or defending a claim or counterclaim

Determining multiple points of view in sources for answering compelling and supporting questions about phenomena or events

Analyzing sources for logical relationships among contributing factors or causes

Evaluate experts’ points of agreement, along with strengths and weakness of explanations

Introduce and contextualize phenomena or events

Establish perspective for communicating outcomes, consequences, or documentation

Develop reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses 

Generalize multiple causes and effects of developments or events

Identifying topic and purpose (argue in favor or against a position, present a balanced interpretation, challenge perspective) 

Analyzing relevant information from multiple sources to support claims

Evaluating point of view and credibility of source based on relevance and intended use

Introduce and contextualize topic

Select relevant information to support claims with evidence gathered from multiple sources

Establish perspective

Show relationships between claims and counterclaims, differences in perspectives, and evidence and reasoning