Note: The Iowa Core Essential Elements are intended only for students with significant cognitive disabilities and who participate in alternate assessments.

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Reading Standards for Literature

Key Ideas and Details

  1. Analyze a text to determine its meaning and cite textual evidence to support explicit and implicit understandings. (EE.RL.11-12.1)
  2. Recount the main events of the text which are related to the theme or central idea. (EE.RL.11-12.2)
  3. Determine how characters, the setting or events change over the course of the story or drama. (EE.RL.11-12.3)

Craft and Structure

  1. Determine how words or phrases in a text, including words with multiple meanings and figurative language, impact the meaning. (EE.RL.11-12.4) (DOK 1,2,3)
  2. Determine how the author’s choice of where to end the story contributes to the meaning. (EE.RL.11-12.5)
  3. Determine the point of view when there is a difference between the author’s actual language and intended meaning. (EE.RL.11-12.6)

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

  1. Compare two or more interpretations (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry) of a story, drama, or poem. (EE.RL.11-12.7)
  2. (Not applicable to literature) (EE.RL.11-12.8)
  3. Demonstrate explicit understanding of recounted versions of foundational works of American literature. (EE.RL.11-12.9)

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

  1. Demonstrate understanding while actively engaged in reading or listening to stories, dramas, and poems. (EE.RL.11-12.10)
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Reading Standards for Informational Text

Key Ideas and Details

  1. Analyze a text to determine its meaning and cite textual evidence to support explicit and implicit understanding. (EE.RI.11-12.1)
  2. Determine the central idea of a text; recount the text. (EE.RI.11-12.2)
  3. Determine how individuals, ideas, or events change over the course of the text. (EE.RI.11-12.3)

Craft and Structure

  1. Determine how individuals, ideas, or events change over the course of the text. (EE.RI.11-12.4)
  2. Determine whether the structure of a text enhances an author’s claim. (EE.RI.11-12.5)
  3. Determine author’s point of view and compare and contrast it with own point of view. (EE.RI.11-12.6)

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

  1. Analyze information presented in different media on related topics to answer questions or solve problems. (EE.RI.11-12.7)
  2. Determine whether the claims and reasoning enhance the author’s argument in an informational text. (EE.RI.11-12.8)
  3. Compare and contrast arguments made by two different texts on the same topic. (EE.RI.11-12.9)

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

  1. Demonstrate understanding while actively engaged in reading or listening to literary non-fiction. (EE.RI.11-12.10)
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Writing Standards

Text Types and Purposes

  1. Write arguments to support claims.
    1. Write an argument to support a claim that results from studying a topic or reading a text.
    2. Support claims with reasons and evidence drawn from text.
    3. Not applicable.
    4. Not applicable.
    5. Not applicable. (EE.W.11-12.1)
  2. Write to share information supported by details.
    1. Introduce a topic clearly and write an informative or explanatory text that conveys ideas, concepts, and information including visual, tactual, or multimedia information as appropriate.
    2. Develop the topic with relevant facts, details, or quotes.
    3. Use complete, simple sentences, as well as compound and other complex sentences as appropriate.
    4. Not applicable.
    5. Provide a closing or concluding statement. (EE.W.11-12.2)
  3. Write about events or personal experiences.
    1. Write a narrative about a problem, situation, or observation including at least one character, details, and clearly sequenced events.
    2. Not applicable.
    3. Organize the events in the narrative using temporal words to signal order and add cohesion.
    4. Use descriptive words and phrases to convey a vivid picture of experiences, events, setting, or characters.
    5. Provide a closing. (EE.W.11-12.3)

Production and Distribution of Writing

  1. Produce writing that is appropriate to a particular task, purpose, and audience. (EE.W.11-12.4)
  2. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting. (EE.W.11-12.5)
  3. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish and update an individual or shared writing project. (EE.W.11-12.6)

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

  1. Conduct research projects to answer questions posed by self and others using multiple sources of information. (EE.W.11-12.7)
  2. Write answers to research questions by selecting relevant information from multiple resources. (EE.W.11-12.8)
  3. Cite evidence from literary or informational texts.
    1. Apply Grades 11-12 Essential Elements for Reading Standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast elements of American literature to other literary works, self, or one’s world. [Compare themes, topics, locations, context, and point of view].”).
    2. Apply Grades 11-12 Essential Elements for Reading Standards to informational texts (eg., “Compare and contrast reasoning and arguments used in one's work with those used in seminal U.S. texts.”). (EE.W.11-12.9)

Range of Writing

  1. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. (EE.W.11-12.10)
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Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration

  1. Engage in collaborative discussions.
    1. Prepare for discussions by collecting information on the topic.
    2. Work with peers to set rules and goals for discussions.
    3. Ask and answer questions to verify or clarify own ideas and understandings during a discussion.
    4. Respond to agreements and disagreements in a discussion. (EE.SL.11-12.1)
  2. Determine the credibility and accuracy of information presented across diverse media or formats. (EE.SL.11-12.2)
  3. Determine whether the claims and reasoning enhance the speaker’s argument on a topic. (EE.SL.11-12.3)

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

  1. Present an argument on a topic using an organization appropriate to the purpose, audience, and task. (EE.SL.11-12.4)
  2. Use digital media strategically (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to support understanding and add interest. (EE.SL.11-12.5)
  3. Adapt communication to a variety of contexts and tasks using complete sentences when indicated or appropriate. (EE.SL.11- 12.6)
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Language Standards

Conventions of Standard English

  1. Demonstrate standard English grammar and usage when communicating.
    1. Use conventions of standard English when needed.
    2. Use digital, electronic, and other resources and tools to improve uses of language as needed. (EE.L.11-12.1)
  2. Demonstrate understanding of conventions of standard English.
    1. Demonstrate conventions of standard English including capitalization, ending punctuation, and spelling when writing.
    2. Spell most single-syllable words correctly and apply knowledge of word chunks in spelling longer words. (EE.L.11-12.2)

Knowledge of Language

  1. Use language to achieve desired outcomes when communicating.
    1. Vary sentence structure using a variety of simple and compound sentence structures. (EE.L.11-12.3)

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of word meanings.
    1. Use context to determine the meaning of unknown words.
    2. Identify and use root words and the words that result when affixes are added or removed.
    3. Not applicable.
    4. Consult reference materials (dictionaries, online vocabulary supports) to clarify the meaning of unfamiliar words encountered when reading. (EE.L.11-12.4)
  2. Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and use.
    1. Interpret simple figures of speech encountered while reading or listening.
    2. Not applicable. (EE.L.11-12.5)
  3. Use general academic and domain-specific words and phrases across contexts. (EE.L.11-12.6)
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