6-8th Grade Operational Guide for Reading Informational Text

Reading Standards in ELAS/History/Social Studies from the Common Core

Core Standards / Reading Informational Text / Unwrapped: What students should be to do and demonstrate / Question Stems: Possible question stems to assist teacher in asking probing questions aligned to Reading Standards
Ideas and Details / 6-8.RI.1.
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources / Students should be able to explain how they used:
  • Title,
  • pictures, illustrations,
  • bolded texts,
  • citations
  • graphs, charts
  • data,
  • maps
  • introduction
  • conclusion
… to determine author’s intent, point of view and intended audience / Using the text, cite which statement best describes….?
Using the text, cite which statement best supports….?
Using the text, cite which statement best explains the reasons for…?
Using the text, cite which statement best evaluates the author’s claim that….?
What contextual evidence can you cite that shows the author’s intent, the intended audience and point of view?
What can be inferred by the statement in the text “….”?
6-8.RI.2.
Determine the central ideas of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions / Students should be able to explain the most essential ideas and facts presented and how author uses the words and ideas to provide meaning. Students should be able to objectively summarize ideas without including their own bias or judgment. / Explain how the main idea is expressed by the author in…?
Which statement from the text is the thesis statement of the passage?
Which of the following facts best support… ?
Which facts from the passage support the idea that….?
How did you determine which facts are most essential and relevant to the reading?
6-8.RI.3.
Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/ social studies (e.g. how a bill become a law, how interest rates are raised or lowered.) / Students should be able to determine the steps an author uses to explain a process, procedure or historical sequence. Text description used may be:
  • chronological,
  • sequential
  • causal
procedural / Which of the following process does the author use to explain…?
a)Cause and effect
b)Procedural
c)Chronological
d)sequential
Describe how the author establishes his/her explanation of the topic? How does the author use a process to establish the
Craft and Structure / 6-8.RI.4.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to historical/social studies. / Students should be able to identify and apply content-specific vocabulary with accuracy.
Students should be able identify vocabulary that they are unsure of or do not know and determine how they will determine the meaning by:
  • using context clues
  • asking questions
  • looking for definitions
/ Using context clues, determine the meaning of <content-specific term> as it relates to the passage(s). What does “ …..” mean in referring to…..? How does the author use “……” to explain the concept of ….?
Based on the passage(s), which of the following terms or phrases do NOT apply?
Using the passage provided, determine how the author uses key words and phrases to present the information?
Which of the following terms could be added to the passage(s)?
6-8.RI.5.
Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, and causally). / Students should be able to determine how the information is organized and presented and/or why it is presented that way. / Determine how the author organized the information in the passage(s).
Which of the following could be added to the end of the passage(s) based on how the author presented the information?
Which of the following note formats would be the best way to organize information provided in the passage(s)?
6-8.RI. 6.
Identify aspects of a text that reveals an author’s point of view or purpose.(e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts). / Students should be able to identify the author’s position of a given topic based on:
  • use of bias language
  • author background
  • loaded language
facts used/omitted / Based on the passage(s), which of the following best identifies the author’s position? Which sentence or sentences best summarizes the author’s position?
Based on the passage(s), determine the author’s purpose for writing and publishing this particular information?
Which of the following is an example of loaded language as it applies to the passage(s)?
Which of the following could the author have included in this passage to strengthen his/her position?
Based on the passage, which of the following might cause a reader to change his/her perception of the information provided by the author?
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas / 6-8.RI.7.
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print / Students should be able to explain how they created:
  • Diagrams
  • Graphs
  • Videos
  • Presentations
  • Slideshows
  • Maps
  • Cartoons
  • Photographs
  • Original Artwork
… by showing the connections between the original documents. / Which statement best supports how the (graph, chart, photograph, map, video, etc.) relates to the reading passage?
How does the (graph, chart, photograph, map, video, etc.) show evidence of the main idea(s) presented in the reading passage?
Determine the best summary based on the (graph, chart, photograph, map, video, etc.) and reading passage.
6-8.RI.8.
Distinguish among fact and opinion, and reasoned judgment in at text. / Students should be able to explain how they created a(n):
  • Editorial
  • Venn Diagram
  • Chart
…by comparing and contrasting the differences of fact and opinion or judgments.
Students should be able to identify loaded language and examples. / Which of the following statements is a fact based on the reading passage above?
Which of the following statements is an opinion based on the reading passage above?
Which of the following statements would be a reasoned judgment based on the reading passage above?
Based on your analysis of this passage, which of the following is not a reasonable judgment?
6-8.RI.9.
Analyze relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic. / Students should be able to explain how they created a(n):
  • Editorial
  • Venn Diagram
  • Chart
…by comparing and contrasting the differences of fact and opinion or judgments / Using the primary and secondary sources, determine how they are connected, how they are similar and how they differ.
Using parts of the primary and secondary source, show connections.
Determine the main point of the primary and secondary source.

-Adapted from the Social Studies work 2011