Grades 9-12

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

Multilingual learners use language to interpret mathematical explanations by

Multilingual learners use language to 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 themes or central ideas that develop over the course of a text

Analyzing how author choices about character attributes and actions relate to story elements (setting, event sequences, and context)

Evaluating the impact of specific word choices on meaning, tone, and explicit vs. implicit points of view

Orient audience to context and one or multiple point(s) of view

Develop and describe characters and their relationships over a progression of experiences or events 

Develop story, advancing the plot and themes with complications and resolutions, time and event sequences

Engage and adjust for audience 

Identifying and/or summarizing central ideas

Analyzing descriptions and inferences in textual evidence for key attributes, qualities, characteristics, activities, and conceptual relationships

Evaluating cumulative impact and refinement of author’s key word choices over the course of text

Introduce and define topic and/or entity for audience

Establish an objective or neutral stance

Add precision, details, and clarity about complex attributes, qualities, characteristics, activities, and conceptual relationships

Develop coherence and cohesion throughout text

Identifying and summarizing central ideas of primary or secondary sources

Analyzing use of rhetoric and details to advance point of view or purpose

Evaluating and corroborating relevance and sufficiency of evidence as well as validity of reasoning to support claims  

Introduce and develop precise claims and address counterclaims

Support claims and refute counterclaims with valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence 

Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone  

Logically organize claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence; offer a conclusion with recommendations

Identifying concept or entity

Analyzing data and owning problem-solving approaches

Evaluating rationales, models, and/or interpretations based on evidence and mathematical principles

Introduce mathematical concept or entity

Share solutions with others

Describe data and/or approach used to solve a problem

State reasoning used to generate own or alternate solutions

Comparing conjectures with previously established results and stated assumptions

Distinguishing correct from flawed logic

Evaluating relationships among evidence and mathematical principles to create generalizations

Create precise conjecture, using definitions, previously established results, and stated assumptions 

Generalize logical relationships across cases

Justify (and refute) conclusions with evidence and mathematical principles

Evaluate and extend others’ arguments

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

Paraphrasing central ideas in complex evidence, concepts, processes, and information to help explain how or why a phenomenon occurs

Evaluating the extent to which reasoning, theory and/or models link evidence to claims and support conclusions

Describe reliable and valid evidence from multiple sources about a phenomenon

Establish neutral or objective stance in how results are communicated

Develop reasoning to illustrate and/ or predict the relationships between variables in a system or between components of a system

Summarize and refine solutions referencing scientific knowledge, evidence, criteria, and/or trade-offs

Identifying appropriate and sufficient evidence from data, models, and/or information from investigations of a phenomenon or design solutions

Comparing reasoning and claims based on evidence from competing arguments or design solutions

Evaluating currently accepted explanations, new evidence, limitations (trade-offs), constraints, and ethical issues

Introduce and contextualize topic/ phenomenon in current scientific or historical episodes in science

Defend or refute a claim based on data and evidence

Establish and maintain an appropriate tone and stance (neutral/objective or biased/subjective)

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

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

Analyzing sources for logical relationships among contributing factors, causes, or related concepts

Evaluating experts’ points of agreement and disagreement based on their consistency with explanation given its purpose

Introduce and contextualize multiple phenomena or events 

Establish perspective for communicating intended and unintended outcomes, consequences, or documentation

Develop sound reasoning, sequences with linear and nonlinear relationships, evidence, and details with significant and pertinent information, acknowledging strengths and weaknesses

Generalize experts’ points of agreement and disagreement about multiple, complex 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 to support and/or revise claims with reliable and valid evidence from multiple sources

Evaluating credibility, accuracy, and relevancy of source based on expert perspectives

Introduce and contextualize topic

Select relevant information to support precise and knowledgeable claims with evidence from multiple sources

Establish perspective

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