What does a student learn in StateNorth Carolina,GradeGrade 9,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Reading a story, poem, or script and explaining what it means, not just what happens. Students describe how a character feels, why events unfold the way they do, or what the author is trying to say.

Students find the big idea a story keeps coming back to, then trace how it grows from the first page to the last. This skill asks students to follow a theme across a whole text, not just spot it once.

Students look at how a character's traits and decisions shape the story around them, connecting who a character is and what they do to where the story takes place and how events unfold.

Students examine how an author's word choices shape the feeling of a story and reveal what the narrator believes, both directly and beneath the surface.

Students write a short story or personal narrative with some teacher guidance. The focus is on building a clear sequence of events and expressing ideas in their own words.

Students set up a story by telling the reader where and when it takes place, and whose eyes we're seeing it through. This might mean one narrator or several voices telling the same events differently.

Students write characters who change or grow as the story moves forward, showing how experiences shape who those characters are and how they relate to each other.

Students practice building a story that moves forward with purpose: raising problems for characters to face, resolving them, and arranging events in an order that makes the plot and themes feel earned.

Students practice shaping a story or account for a specific reader, changing word choice, detail, or tone to match who is listening or reading.

Reading a nonfiction passage, students figure out what the author is saying and why it matters. This standard covers the skills students use to make sense of real-world texts like articles, speeches, and essays.

Students find the main point an informational text is making and put it in their own words, leaving out the minor details.

Students read a nonfiction passage and look at the specific details and inferences an author uses to support a key idea, then explain what those choices reveal about the subject.

Students trace how an author's repeated or evolving word choices build meaning across a full text, then explain the overall effect those choices create by the end.

Reading a prompt, students write an informational piece about a language arts topic, using details and structure to explain clearly. This standard covers the building blocks of that writing, with teacher guidance available when needed.

Writing an informational piece, students open with a clear introduction that names the topic and explains what it is, so readers know exactly what they're about to learn.

Students write to inform rather than persuade, keeping personal opinions out of the text and presenting facts in a balanced way.

Students revise their writing by adding specific details and clearer word choices that help readers understand complicated ideas, connections, or descriptions. The goal is sharper sentences, not just longer ones.

Students practice connecting ideas across a piece of writing so each paragraph flows into the next. Transitions, repeated words, and parallel structure keep readers from getting lost between sections.

Reading an argument in a story, essay, or speech, then explaining what the writer claims and how the evidence holds up. Students evaluate whether the reasoning actually supports the conclusion.

Students read a source and pick out its main argument or key point, then restate it briefly in their own words.

Students read a speech, essay, or article and explain how the writer's word choices, examples, and appeals work together to push a specific point of view. The focus is on why the writer made those choices, not just what the piece says.

Students read an argument and judge whether the evidence actually backs up each claim, whether there is enough of it, and whether the reasoning holds up. They look for gaps, weak spots, and logic that doesn't follow.

Students build a written argument using evidence from texts, then shape their language choices to make that case as clear and convincing as possible.

Students write an argument that takes a clear position, backs it up with specific reasons, and honestly addresses the strongest objection someone might raise against it.

Students back up their argument with solid reasons and real evidence, then address the strongest objection someone might raise against their position.

Writing an argument means staying focused and professional throughout. Students keep their tone factual and measured, the way a news article does, rather than letting personal feelings push the writing off course.

Students arrange their argument so the main claim, opposing views, and supporting evidence build on each other in a clear order, then close with a conclusion that tells readers what to do or think next.

Reading a math explanation written by someone else and figuring out what it means, including the reasoning behind each step.

Reading a math explanation and spotting the key idea or object being described, such as a theorem, a variable, or a process. Students focus on what the explanation is actually about before working through the details.

Students read math explanations written by others and figure out how another person solved a problem. They evaluate whether the reasoning holds up and make sense of data presented in graphs, tables, or written work.

Students read a math explanation and decide whether the reasoning holds up. They check whether the evidence and math principles actually support the conclusion being made.

Students write out their math reasoning in words and sentences, not just numbers. They explain how they solved a problem so someone else could follow each step.

Students write a sentence or short paragraph that names a math idea (such as a variable or a ratio) and explains what it means in plain terms, as if introducing it to someone who has never seen it before.

Students explain their math solutions out loud or in writing so classmates can follow the reasoning, not just see the answer.

Students explain in writing how they solved a math problem, including what data they used and the steps they took to get there.

Students put their math thinking into words, explaining not just the answer but why their method works or why a different approach would also get there.

Reading a math argument someone else wrote and deciding whether the reasoning holds up. Students find where the logic works, where it breaks, and explain their thinking in writing or discussion.

Students read a math argument and check whether its claims hold up against facts and rules already proven. They spot where a new conjecture agrees with or breaks from what came before.

Reading a math argument and spotting where the reasoning breaks down. Students decide whether each step follows logically and explain why a flawed conclusion doesn't hold up.

Students read a math argument and judge whether the evidence and rules used actually support the conclusion. They decide if the reasoning holds up or falls apart.

Students build a math argument by showing their reasoning step by step, not just the final answer. They explain why a solution works, using numbers, diagrams, or examples as proof.

Students write a clear math argument by building on definitions and facts they already know, then use those building blocks to make a claim they can back up step by step.

Students take a pattern they've spotted in a few math problems and explain, in writing or speech, why that pattern holds true in every case, not just the ones they tested.

Students practice making a mathematical case: showing why an answer is correct (or why someone else's is wrong) using evidence from the problem and the math rules behind it.

Students read a classmate's math argument, decide whether the reasoning holds up, and explain how to push the thinking further or fix what doesn't work.

Reading a scientific explanation and putting it into their own words. Students figure out what the evidence shows, how ideas connect, and what the explanation actually means.

Students read about a scientific phenomenon and turn what they notice into a clear, testable question worth investigating.

Students restate the key ideas in a scientific explanation using their own words to show how or why something happens. This means going beyond copying phrases and actually making sense of the evidence or process being described.

Students read a scientific argument and judge whether the evidence actually backs up the conclusion, or whether there is a gap between what the data shows and what the author claims.

Students build a written scientific explanation by connecting a claim to evidence from an experiment or reading. This standard covers how clearly and completely students can back up what they say with real support.

Students summarize a solution to a problem, then sharpen it by pointing to scientific evidence and explaining what was gained or given up. The goal is a clear, honest explanation of why the solution works and where it falls short.

Reading a scientific claim and evaluating the evidence behind it. Students identify what a scientist is arguing, decide whether the evidence holds up, and explain their reasoning in writing or discussion.

Reading a science argument and deciding whether the data, models, or test results the author uses actually back up their claim.

Students read two scientific arguments that reach different conclusions and explain what makes one argument's evidence or reasoning stronger than the other's.

Students read scientific claims and weigh the evidence behind them, including what the research can't yet prove, what it costs to act on it, and whether the approach raises ethical questions.

Students build a written argument using scientific evidence, explaining what the evidence shows and why it supports their claim. This is the foundation for lab reports, research papers, and science debates.

Students write an opening that sets up a scientific argument by connecting the topic to a real event, discovery, or moment in science history. The introduction gives readers enough context to understand why the claim matters.

Students pick a scientific claim and use real data to argue whether it holds up or falls apart. They back every point with evidence from the source, not just opinion.

Students practice choosing a neutral or biased tone in a written argument, then stick with that choice throughout. The goal is consistency: the stance students pick at the start should still be clear at the end.

Students connect their evidence and reasoning out loud, showing how each piece of data supports their claim or pushes back on someone else's. They learn to say not just what they think, but why one idea follows from another.

Reading a social studies passage and explaining in writing what it means, including the key people, events, or ideas the author describes.

Students read sources on a historical event or social issue, figure out what kind of source each one is, whose perspective it shows, and decide which sources actually help answer the question they're investigating.

Students read history or civics texts and explain how different factors connect, which causes led to which outcomes, and why the pieces fit together the way they do.

Students read what different experts say about a historical or social topic, then decide where those experts agree and where they split, judging each position against the evidence and the argument's own logic.

Students write paragraphs that explain a social studies topic, backing up each point with facts or details from what they've read or studied.

Students write an opening that names the event or topic and gives readers enough background to understand why it matters before the explanation begins.

Students write from a clear point of view to explain what happened, why it mattered, and what effects no one expected. That means choosing whose perspective shapes the explanation before putting a single sentence down.

Students build a well-reasoned explanation about a social studies topic, choosing evidence that actually supports the argument and noting where the reasoning holds up and where it falls short.

Students read what multiple experts say about a historical event or issue, then write a summary that explains where those experts agree and where they disagree about why it happened and what it led to.

Reading a historical or civic argument, then explaining what the author is claiming, what evidence backs it up, and where the reasoning holds or falls short.

Students read a social studies text and figure out what position the writer is taking, whether the writer is pushing one side, weighing both sides, or pushing back on someone else's argument.

Students read sources on a topic, then decide whether the evidence actually backs up a claim or points toward changing it. They weigh whether each source is reliable before using it to support or push back on an argument.

Students read a source and decide whether the author knows the subject well enough to trust. They check if the information is accurate, up to date, and actually relevant to the question being studied.

Students build a written argument about a history or civics topic, supporting a clear position with evidence from sources. This standard covers how the argument is structured and how well the reasoning holds up.

Students open an argument by naming the topic and giving readers enough background to understand why it matters. The opening sets up the claim that follows.

Students pick specific facts and details from more than one source to back up a focused argument. The goal is a tight, well-supported claim, not a broad one.

Students take a clear position on a social studies topic and make that stance plain from the opening sentence. Every paragraph that follows keeps that position in view.

Students write arguments that connect their main claim to opposing views, explaining why the evidence and reasoning on each side lead to different conclusions.