Page 9
• what description sounds like (sufficient detail to help listeners/readers understand and envision the
example being described)
• what thorough, detailed, conversations/writing will sound/look like (begin with descriptions of historical
examples of the importance of the rule of law and expand to include specific application of the rules of
law to sources, purposes, and functions)
What tools and resources can we provide for students to support their description and application? We might
use discussion/writing rubrics, text annotation, note-taking templates, graphic organizers, etc.
Grade 4 Standard: CC.1.3.4.B
Competency: Cite relevant details from text to support what the text says explicitly and make inferences.
Language Functions are to cite, support, and make inferences. The language demand is to support inferences
about the text’s message.
Vocabulary: cite, relevant, details, support, explicitly, inferences
Other essential key terms implied but not explicitly stated: implicit, background knowledge, connections (text-
to-self, text-to-world, text-to-text)
Discourse: What is there about this language that must be unpacked? We must help students understand:
• what it sounds/looks like to cite text (point to specific words, phrases, sentences in the printed text)
• what it sounds/looks like to make an inference (state a belief or conclusion about the author’s message
and tell how it is reasonable because of the printed text details and background knowledge
• what background knowledge looks/sounds like (things we know because of what we have read, seen,
heard, experienced).
What tools and resources can we provide for students to support them in making inferences and citing text to
support those inferences? We might use Post-it Notes or similar text-marking structures, graphic organizers to
list inferences and connect them to text details and personal connections, classroom discussions, journaling,
rubrics for writing and discussion, etc.
Grades 9-10 Standard: CC.1.3.9-10.B
Competency: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly and make inferences.
Language Functions are to cite, support, and make inferences. The language demand is to support analysis of
text.
Vocabulary: cite, thorough, details, support, analysis, explicitly, inferences
Other essential key terms implied but not explicitly stated: implicit/implied, background knowledge,
connections (text-to-self, text-to-world, text-to-text)
Discourse: What is there about this language that must be unpacked? We must help students understand:
• what citation for text analysis sounds/looks like (pointing out specific words, phrases, sentences from
the entire text as a whole [not just isolated bits])
• what citation for the purpose of supporting sounds/looks like (using the cited sections to strengthen an
idea or opinion)
• what it looks/sounds like to make and support an inference (state a belief or conclusion about the
author’s message and then tell how it is reasonable because of details from the text as a whole plus
related background knowledge)
• what background knowledge looks/sounds like (things we know because of what we have read, seen,
heard, experienced).