What does a student learn in StateNorth Carolina,GradeGrade 6,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students tell a story or recount events, spoken or written, using enough detail that listeners or readers can follow along.

Students talk about their own experiences and what they already know, then listen and respond as classmates do the same.

Students link pictures, diagrams, or other visuals to a story to make the meaning clearer. They explain how an image adds something the words alone don't show.

Students look at a text or topic and ask what the author left out, what still doesn't make sense, and what questions haven't been answered yet.

Students listen to what someone says and put it back into their own words to keep a conversation going. This is a back-and-forth skill used in class discussions, partner work, and group projects.

Students end a story, speech, or discussion with a closing that wraps up what happened and points to what comes next. Think of it as the landing after the leap.

Students explain ideas clearly to someone who may not share their language background. They practice giving instructions, sharing information, and describing things in plain, direct language.

Students sort facts (what can be proven) from interpretations (what someone thinks the facts mean), then decide what the evidence actually settles and what's still an open question.

Students practice describing what a person, character, or event is clearly doing and what can be figured out from context. They connect what is stated outright with what is only implied.

Students explain how the pieces of something fit together to make the whole thing work, like describing how a school, a water cycle, or a machine has separate parts that each do a job.

Students sort information into categories, identify how ideas connect, and write a short summary that captures the main point. This skill builds the reading and writing habits students use across every subject.

Students pick out the key points from what they read or hear and restate them briefly in their own words, leaving out details that don't matter to the main idea.

Students explain ideas and information clearly in conversation or in writing, giving enough detail that the listener or reader can follow without asking for clarification.

Students share a first idea or reaction out loud before the class digs deeper into a topic. It's early thinking, not a final answer.

Students follow a process from start to finish, then explain what each step causes and why the order matters. Think instructions, lab procedures, or how a natural cycle like the water cycle unfolds.

Students look at two situations side by side and explain what changed between them, such as why an experiment got a different result or why a character made a different choice.

Students suggest other possible causes or solutions to push a class discussion further. They go beyond the first answer to show how different factors can lead to the same outcome.

Students take feedback from a teacher or classmate and use it to rethink how or why something works the way it does. The goal is a clearer explanation, not just a corrected one.

Students practice taking a position and backing it up with reasons and evidence from a text or topic. They learn to respond to other viewpoints, not just state their own.

Students come up with questions that dig into why people see the same issue differently. The goal is to understand other viewpoints, not just defend one.

Students read or listen to someone's opinion, then back it up or push back on it using reasons and details from the text or discussion.

Students take a draft or spoken idea and improve it after getting notes from a teacher or classmate. That means adding detail, fixing unclear spots, or reworking a sentence until the point lands.

Students look back at an argument they made and decide whether new information changed their mind. They explain what they gained by shifting their view and what they gave up.

Students revisit an argument after taking in new facts or feedback, then rewrite the parts that no longer hold up. The claim gets sharper; the reasoning gets more honest.

Reading a story or poem, students explain what the text means in their own words. They may need a teacher's guidance to work through unfamiliar language or tricky parts.

Students find the big idea a story keeps returning to, then trace how it grows from the opening pages to the end.

Students look at how a character's personality and choices are shaped by what happens in the story and what other characters say to them.

Students look at specific words an author chose and explain how those words change the feeling or meaning of a passage. They consider what would shift if a different word had been used instead.

Students write a short story or personal narrative with some guidance from a teacher. They practice building a beginning, middle, and end using their own words.

Students set up a story by introducing who is telling it and what situation they are in, so readers know where they stand before the narrative moves forward.

Students write descriptions of the people in their story, showing who those characters are and how they connect to each other.

Students write a story with a clear problem and a resolution, showing events in the order they happen and building toward a central idea or theme.

Students shape their writing to fit who is reading it, choosing words and details that would make sense to that specific reader.

Reading a nonfiction passage, article, or other informational text and explaining what it means, with a teacher's help when needed. Students practice pulling meaning from real-world reading, not just stories.

Reading a nonfiction passage and picking out the main point, then explaining how the details in the text back it up.

Students read a nonfiction passage and pick out the specific details an author uses to describe how something looks, acts, or behaves. The goal is to explain what those details reveal about the subject.

Students read a nonfiction passage and think about why the author chose specific words, then explain how those word choices shape the meaning or tone as the text unfolds.

Students write informational pieces about literature or language topics, such as how a story works or what a word means, with some teacher guidance along the way.

Sixth through eighth graders write an opening paragraph that names their topic clearly and explains what it means, so readers understand the subject before moving forward.

When writing to inform, students keep their personal opinions out of it. They stick to facts and let the evidence speak, without favoring one side.

Students sharpen informational writing by choosing words that say exactly what they mean. A vague sentence becomes specific when students add the detail that tells a reader how big, how often, or what kind.

Students connect ideas across sentences and paragraphs so the piece reads as one clear whole, not a collection of disconnected thoughts. They use transitions, repeated key words, and consistent phrasing to guide readers through the writing.

Reading a piece of writing and explaining what argument the author is making, then identifying the reasons and evidence used to support it.

Students read an argument and explain the central idea in the author's own terms, setting aside what they personally already believe about the topic.

Students read a text and figure out where the author noticed opposing ideas or inconvenient facts, then look at how the author pushed back, explained them away, or worked them into the argument.

Students read an argument and decide whether the evidence actually backs up the claim and whether the reasoning holds up. They judge if there is enough proof, not just whether the proof sounds good.

Students write arguments about literature or language, stating a clear position and supporting it with evidence from the text. The focus is on building a case with their own words, not just summarizing what happened.

Students write a paragraph or essay that clearly states a position, backs it up with reasons, and addresses the strongest opposing argument a reader might raise.

Students back up an argument with reasons and evidence that fit the topic and come from sources worth trusting. The goal is for a reader to follow the thinking and find it convincing.

Formal writing avoids slang and casual phrasing. Students practice the kind of measured, precise language expected in an academic paper or professional letter, and stick with it from the first sentence to the last.

Students write an argument with a clear main point, back it up with reasons and evidence that actually fit, and wrap it up with a conclusion that follows from what they said.

Reading or listening to math explanations and making sense of what they mean, including the reasoning behind steps and solutions.

Reading a math explanation and picking out the key idea or object being described, such as a variable, a ratio, or a geometric shape.

Students look at a math problem and figure out which approach makes sense: a diagram, an equation, or a different method. They explain why one way of representing the problem works better than another.

Students read a math explanation and judge whether the model or method chosen actually fits the problem. They decide if the reasoning holds up, not just whether the final answer looks right.

Students write out their math reasoning in sentences, showing not just the answer but how they got there. The goal is a clear explanation someone else could follow and check.

Students open a math explanation by naming the concept or idea they are writing about, giving readers a clear sense of what the explanation covers before the details begin.

Students explain how they solved a math problem and walk others through their reasoning. The focus is on making the thinking clear enough that someone else can follow each step.

Students put their math thinking into words, describing the data they see or walking through how they solved a problem step by step.

Students write out the thinking behind their math answer, not just the answer itself. They explain the steps they took and why those steps made sense.

Reading a math argument someone else made and deciding whether the reasoning holds up. Students spot where the logic works, where it breaks down, and what evidence is missing.

Students read a math argument and check whether its claim lines up with results the class has already proven. This builds the habit of treating new ideas as something to test against what's already known.

Students read math explanations from classmates and spot where different solution strategies overlap or share the same underlying logic.

Students read a math argument someone else wrote and decide whether the evidence actually supports the conclusion. They look for gaps between the facts given and the claim being made.

Students make a math argument in writing or speech, explaining why their answer is correct and how they know. They back it up with numbers, diagrams, or steps another student could follow.

Students form a math argument by making an educated guess about a pattern or relationship, then backing it up with rules and results they already know.

Students take a math argument that worked for one example and explain why the same reasoning holds for many cases or all numbers of a certain type.

Students back up their math answers with reasons, not just results. They explain why a solution works by pointing to specific numbers, rules, or steps that prove it.

Students listen to or read a classmate's math argument, then explain specifically what holds up and what doesn't. They back their critique with their own reasoning, not just a gut reaction.

Reading scientific explanations and putting the meaning into their own words. Students identify the key claim, connect it to the evidence given, and explain why the evidence supports the conclusion.

Students read about a scientific event or observation and figure out what question could actually be tested. They practice turning curiosity into a focused, answerable problem.

Students read a science text and figure out the main idea behind why or how something in nature happens. They pull the key point from details and data, not just restate what the text says.

Students read a scientific argument and decide whether the evidence actually backs up the conclusion. They look for gaps in the reasoning, not just whether the data sounds convincing.

Students write explanations for science topics by stating a claim, backing it with evidence from texts or data, and showing how that evidence supports the claim.

Students look at results from an experiment, spot patterns in the data, and write a summary that explains what the evidence shows. If the explanation doesn't hold up, they revise it and test again.

Reading a scientific claim and explaining what evidence supports it, what the reasoning is, and where the argument might be weak.

Students read a scientific argument and decide whether the evidence behind it actually holds up. They look at data, diagrams, and investigation results to judge whether the proof matches the claim.

Students read two scientific arguments on the same topic and compare how each author builds a case. They look at the claims each author makes and the evidence used to support them.

Students read two scientific arguments and decide whether they lean on the same evidence or pull from different facts to support their conclusions.

Students build a written argument using science evidence, explaining what the data shows and why it supports their claim.

Students write an opening that names the science topic and explains why it matters before making any argument. The introduction sets up the issue, whether it is a natural event or a human-made system, so the reader knows what is at stake.

Students practice backing up a scientific claim with real data, or explaining why the data points against it. They learn to treat evidence as the reason a claim stands or falls.

Students write science arguments without taking sides. They present facts and findings as they are, setting aside personal opinion so the evidence can speak for itself.

Students connect their reasons, data, and examples so readers can follow the logic from claim to conclusion. This includes acknowledging opposing views and explaining why the evidence still supports their position.

Reading maps, charts, timelines, and written sources to figure out what happened, why it happened, and what it meant. Students pull meaning from the source rather than just describing what they see.

Students read sources on the same topic and identify where different people or groups disagree, then use those differences to answer a question about a historical event or issue.

Students read history or social studies sources and trace how one event or condition led to another. They look for the logic connecting causes, not just a list of them.

Students read what different experts say about a social studies topic, then weigh where those experts agree and where one explanation holds up better than another.

Students take a social studies topic and write a clear explanation of it, showing how ideas connect and why they matter.

Students open an explanation by naming the event or topic and giving readers enough background to understand why it matters. Think of it as the setup before the argument starts.

Students practice writing about history or current events from a clear point of view, explaining what happened, why it mattered, and what the consequences were.

Students build an explanation about a social studies topic by laying out their reasoning, backing it up with evidence, and pointing out where their argument is strong and where it has gaps.

Students take several causes and effects they've identified and state a broader pattern that connects them, explaining what tends to happen and why across more than one event or development.

Reading a social studies argument and explaining what the author is trying to prove, using details from the text to support that interpretation.

Students read a social studies text and figure out what position the author is taking: are they arguing for something, arguing against it, or trying to show both sides fairly?

Students read several sources on the same topic and decide which facts or details actually back up a claim. They practice telling the difference between information that supports an argument and information that just sits nearby.

Students read a source and decide how trustworthy it is: who wrote it, why they wrote it, and whether it actually helps answer the question at hand.

Students write a history or civics argument, backing up their position with facts and sources. The definition covers what makes the argument count: a clear claim, relevant evidence, and reasoning that ties the two together.

Students open an argument by naming the topic and giving readers enough background to understand why it matters. This is the setup sentence or paragraph that tells readers what the argument is about before making a claim.

Students pick details from several different sources to back up their argument. They show why each piece of evidence fits the claim they're making.

Students pick a clear position on a social studies topic and state it in their own words, explaining where they stand before backing it up with evidence.

Students write arguments that connect their main claim to opposing viewpoints, explaining why the evidence supports one side and how it addresses the other.