McRel Informational Texts

 
Language Arts
    Standard 1. Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
      Level   Pre-K   [Grade:  Pre-K]
        1. Knows that writing, including pictures, letters, and words, communicates meaning and information
        2. Uses drawings to express thoughts, feelings, and ideas
        3. Uses forms of emergent writing (e.g., scribble writing, random symbols, random letter-like marks) to represent ideas
        4. Dictates stories, poems, and personal narratives
        5. Uses emergent writing skills to write for a variety of purposes (e.g., to make lists, to send messages, to write stories)and to write in a variety of forms (e.g., journals, sign-in sheets, name cards, cards with words and pictures)
        6. Uses knowledge of letters to write or copy familiar words, such as own name
        7. Uses writing tools and materials (e.g., pencils, crayons, chalk, markers, rubber stamps, computers, paper, cardboard, chalkboard)
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Prewriting: Uses prewriting strategies to plan written work (e.g., discusses ideas with peers, draws pictures to generate ideas, writes key thoughts and questions, rehearses ideas, records reactions and observations)
        2. Drafting and Revising: Uses strategies to draft and revise written work (e.g., rereads; rearranges words, sentences, and paragraphs to improve or clarify meaning; varies sentence type; adds descriptive words and details; deletes extraneous information; incorporates suggestions from peers and teachers; sharpens the focus)
        3. Editing and Publishing: Uses strategies to edit and publish written work (e.g., proofreads using a dictionary and other resources; edits for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling at a developmentally appropriate level; incorporates illustrations or photos; uses available, appropriate technology to compose and publish work; shares finished product)
        4. Evaluates own and others’ writing (e.g., asks questions and makes comments about writing, helps classmates apply grammatical and mechanical conventions)
        5. Uses strategies to organize written work (e.g., includes a beginning, middle, and ending; uses a sequence of events)
        6. Uses writing and other methods (e.g., using letters or phonetically spelled words, telling, dictating, making lists) to describe familiar persons, places, objects, or experiences
        7. Writes in a variety of forms or genres (e.g., picture books, friendly letters, stories, poems, information pieces, invitations, personal experience narratives, messages, responses to literature)
        8. Writes for different purposes (e.g., to entertain, inform, learn, communicate ideas)
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Prewriting: Uses prewriting strategies to plan written work (e.g., uses graphic organizers, story maps, and webs; groups related ideas; takes notes; brainstorms ideas; organizes information according to type and purpose of writing)
        2. Drafting and Revising: Uses strategies to draft and revise written work (e.g., elaborates on a central idea; writes with attention to audience, word choice, sentence variation; uses paragraphs to develop separate ideas; produces multiple drafts)
        3. Editing and Publishing: Uses strategies to edit and publish written work (e.g., edits for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling at a developmentally appropriate level; uses reference materials; considers page format [paragraphs, margins, indentations, titles]; selects presentation format according to purpose; incorporates photos, illustrations, charts, and graphs; uses available technology to compose and publish work)
        4. Evaluates own and others’ writing (e.g., determines the best features of a piece of writing, determines how own writing achieves its purposes, asks for feedback, responds to classmates’ writing)
        5. Uses strategies (e.g., adapts focus, organization, point of view; determines knowledge and interests of audience) to write for different audiences (e.g., self, peers, teachers, adults)
        6. Uses strategies (e.g., adapts focus, point of view, organization, form) to write for a variety of purposes (e.g., to inform, entertain, explain, describe, record ideas)
        7. Writes expository compositions (e.g., identifies and stays on the topic; develops the topic with simple facts, details, examples, and explanations; excludes extraneous and inappropriate information; uses structures such as cause-and-effect, chronology, similarities and differences; uses several sources of information; provides a concluding statement)
        8. Writes narrative accounts, such as poems and stories (e.g., establishes a context that enables the reader to imagine the event or experience; develops characters, setting, and plot; creates an organizing structure; sequences events; uses concrete sensory details; uses strategies such as dialogue, tension, and suspense; uses an identifiable voice)
        9. Writes autobiographical compositions (e.g., provides a context within which the incident occurs, uses simple narrative strategies, and provides some insight into why this incident is memorable)
        10. Writes expressive compositions (e.g., expresses ideas, reflections, and observations; uses an individual, authentic voice; uses narrative strategies, relevant details, and ideas that enable the reader to imagine the world of the event or experience)
        11. Writes in response to literature (e.g., summarizes main ideas and significant details; relates own ideas to supporting details; advances judgments; supports judgments with references to the text, other works, other authors, nonprint media, and personal knowledge)
        12. Writes personal letters (e.g., includes the date, address, greeting, body, and closing; addresses envelopes; includes signature)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Prewriting: Uses a variety of prewriting strategies (e.g., makes outlines, uses published pieces as writing models, constructs critical standards, brainstorms, builds background knowledge)
        2. Drafting and Revising: Uses a variety of strategies to draft and revise written work (e.g., analyzes and clarifies meaning, makes structural and syntactical changes, uses an organizational scheme, uses sensory words and figurative language, rethinks and rewrites for different audiences and purposes, checks for a consistent point of view and for transitions between paragraphs, uses direct feedback to revise compositions)
        3. Editing and Publishing: Uses a variety of strategies to edit and publish written work (e.g., eliminates slang; edits for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling at a developmentally appropriate level; proofreads using reference materials, word processor, and other resources; edits for clarity, word choice, and language usage; uses a word processor or other technology to publish written work)
        4. Evaluates own and others’ writing (e.g., applies criteria generated by self and others, uses self-assessment to set and achieve goals as a writer, participates in peer response groups)
        5. Uses content, style, and structure (e.g., formal or informal language, genre, organization) appropriate for specific audiences (e.g., public, private) and purposes (e.g., to entertain, to influence, to inform)
        6. Writes expository compositions (e.g., states a thesis or purpose; presents information that reflects knowledge about the topic of the report; organizes and presents information in a logical manner, including an introduction and conclusion; uses own words to develop ideas; uses common expository structures and features, such as compare-contrast or problem-solution)
        7. Writes narrative accounts, such as short stories (e.g., engages the reader by establishing a context and otherwise developing reader interest; establishes a situation, plot, persona, point of view, setting, conflict, and resolution; develops complex characters; creates an organizational structure that balances and unifies all narrative aspects of the story; uses a range of strategies and literary devices such as dialogue, tension, suspense, figurative language, and specific narrative action such as movement, gestures, and expressions; reveals a specific theme)
        8. Writes compositions about autobiographical incidents (e.g., explores the significance and personal importance of the incident; uses details to provide a context for the incident; reveals personal attitude towards the incident; presents details in a logical manner)
        9. Writes biographical sketches (e.g., illustrates the subject’s character using narrative and descriptive strategies such as relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description, background description, and comparison or contrast to other people; reveals the significance of the subject to the writer; presents details in a logical manner)
        10. Writes persuasive compositions (e.g., engages the reader by establishing a context, creating a persona, and otherwise developing reader interest; develops a controlling idea that conveys a judgment; creates and organizes a structure appropriate to the needs and interests of a specific audience; arranges details, reasons, examples, and/or anecdotes persuasively; excludes information and arguments that are irrelevant; anticipates and addresses reader concerns and counter arguments; supports arguments with detailed evidence, citing sources of information as appropriate)
        11. Writes compositions that address problems/solutions (e.g., identifies and defines a problem in a way appropriate to the intended audience, describes at least one solution, presents logical and well-supported reasons)
        12. Writes in response to literature (e.g., responds to significant issues in a log or journal, answers discussion questions, anticipates and answers a reader’s questions, writes a summary of a book, describes an initial impression of a text, connects knowledge from a text with personal knowledge, states an interpretive, evaluative, or reflective position; draws inferences about the effects of the work on an audience)
        13. Writes business letters and letters of request and response (e.g., uses business letter format; states purpose of the letter; relates opinions, problems, requests, or compliments; uses precise vocabulary)
        14. Writes technical text, such as bylaws for an organization (e.g., identifies essential steps in a logical sequence; lists materials or equipment needed; describes all factors and variables that need to be considered; uses appropriate formatting)
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Prewriting: Uses a variety of prewriting strategies (e.g., develops a focus, plans a sequence of ideas, uses structured overviews, uses speed writing, creates diagrams)
        2. Drafting and Revising: Uses a variety of strategies to draft and revise written work (e.g., highlights individual voice; rethinks content, organization, and style; checks accuracy and depth of information; redrafts for readability and needs of readers; reviews writing to ensure that content and linguistic structures are consistent with purpose)
        3. Editing and Publishing: Uses a variety of strategies to edit and publish written work (e.g., uses a checklist to guide proofreading; edits for grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling at a developmentally appropriate level; refines selected pieces to publish for general and specific audiences; uses available technology, such as publishing software or graphics programs, to publish written work)
        4. Evaluates own and others’ writing (e.g., accumulates a body of written work to determine strengths and weaknesses as a writer, makes suggestions to improve writing, responds productively to reviews of own work)
        5. Uses strategies to address writing to different audiences (e.g., includes explanations and definitions according to the audience’s background, age, or knowledge of the topic, adjusts formality of style, considers interests of potential readers)
        6. Uses strategies to adapt writing for different purposes (e.g., to explain, inform, analyze, entertain, reflect, persuade)
        7. Writes expository compositions (e.g., synthesizes and organizes information from first- and second-hand sources, including books, magazines, computer data banks, and the community; uses a variety of techniques to develop the main idea [names, describes, or differentiates parts; compares or contrasts; examines the history of a subject; cites an anecdote to provide an example; illustrates through a scenario; provides interesting facts about the subject]; distinguishes relative importance of facts, data, and ideas; uses appropriate technical terms and notations)
        8. Writes fictional, biographical, autobiographical, and observational narrative compositions (e.g., narrates a sequence of events; evaluates the significance of the incident; provides a specific setting for scenes and incidents; provides supporting descriptive detail [specific names for people, objects, and places; visual details of scenes, objects, and places; descriptions of sounds, smells, specific actions, movements, and gestures; the interior monologue or feelings of the characters]; paces the actions to accommodate time or mood changes; creates a unifying theme or tone; uses literary devices to enhance style and tone)
        9. Writes persuasive compositions that address problems/solutions or causes/effects (e.g., articulates a position through a thesis statement; anticipates and addresses counter arguments; backs up assertions using specific rhetorical devices [appeals to logic, appeals to emotion, uses personal anecdotes]; develops arguments using a variety of methods such as examples and details, commonly accepted beliefs, expert opinion, cause-and-effect reasoning, comparison-contrast reasoning)
        10. Writes descriptive compositions (e.g., uses concrete details to provide a perspective on the subject being described; uses supporting detail [concrete images, shifting perspectives and vantage points, sensory detail, and factual descriptions of appearance])
        11. Writes reflective compositions (e.g., uses personal experience as a basis for reflection on some aspect of life, draws abstract comparisons between specific incidents and abstract concepts, maintains a balance between describing incidents and relating them to more general abstract ideas that illustrate personal beliefs, moves from specific examples to generalizations about life)
        12. Writes in response to literature (e.g., suggests an interpretation; recognizes possible ambiguities, nuances, and complexities in a text; interprets passages of a novel in terms of their significance to the novel as a whole; focuses on the theme of a literary work; explains concepts found in literary works; examines literature from several critical perspectives; understands author’s stylistic devices and effects created; analyzes use of imagery and language)
        13. Uses appropriate strategies (e.g., organizational pattern, format, language, tone) to write personal and business correspondence (e.g., informal letters, memos, job application letters, resumes)
    Standard 2. Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Uses descriptive words to convey basic ideas
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Uses descriptive language that clarifies and enhances ideas (e.g., common figures of speech, sensory details)
        2. Uses paragraph form in writing (e.g., indents the first word of a paragraph, uses topic sentences, recognizes a paragraph as a group of sentences about one main idea, uses an introductory and concluding paragraph, writes several related paragraphs)
        3. Uses a variety of sentence structures in writing (e.g., expands basic sentence patterns, uses exclamatory and imperative sentences)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Uses descriptive language that clarifies and enhances ideas (e.g., establishes tone and mood, uses figurative language, uses sensory images and comparisons, uses a thesaurus to choose effective wording)
        2. Uses paragraph form in writing (e.g., arranges sentences in sequential order, uses supporting and follow-up sentences, establishes coherence within and among paragraphs)
        3. Uses a variety of sentence structures to expand and embed ideas (e.g., simple, compound, and complex sentences; parallel structure, such as similar grammatical forms or juxtaposed items)
        4. Uses explicit transitional devices
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses precise and descriptive language that clarifies and enhances ideas and supports different purposes (e.g., to stimulate the imagination of the reader, to translate concepts into simpler or more easily understood terms, to achieve a specific tone, to explain concepts in literature)
        2. Uses paragraph form in writing (e.g., arranges paragraphs into a logical progression, uses clincher or closing sentences)
        3. Uses a variety of sentence structures and lengths (e.g., complex and compound-complex sentences; parallel or repetitive sentence structure)
        4. Uses a variety of transitional devices (e.g., phrases, sentences, paragraphs)
        5. Uses a variety of techniques to provide supporting detail (e.g., analogies; anecdotes; restatements; paraphrases; examples; comparisons; visual aids, such as tables, graphs, and pictures)
        6. Organizes ideas to achieve cohesion in writing
        7. Uses a variety of techniques to convey a personal style and voice (e.g., stream of consciousness, multiple viewpoints)
    Standard 3. Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions
      Level   Pre-K   [Grade:  Pre-K]
        1. Applies rudimentary rules of grammar
        2. Uses phonic knowledge to spell simple words
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Uses conventions of print in writing (e.g., forms letters in print, uses upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet, spaces words and sentences, writes from left-to-right and top-to-bottom, includes margins
        2. Uses complete sentences in written compositions
        3. Uses nouns in written compositions (e.g., nouns for simple objects, family members, community workers, and categories)
        4. Uses verbs in written compositions (e.g., verbs for a variety of situations, action words)
        5. Uses adjectives in written compositions (e.g., uses descriptive words)
        6. Uses adverbs in written compositions (i.e., uses words that answer how, when, where, and why questions)
        7. Uses conventions of spelling in written compositions (e.g., spells high frequency, commonly misspelled words from appropriate grade-level list; spells phonetically regular words; uses letter-sound relationships; spells basic short vowel, long vowel, r-controlled, and consonant blend patterns; uses a dictionary and other resources to spell words)
        8. Uses conventions of capitalization in written compositions (e.g., first and last names, first word of a sentence)
        9. Uses conventions of punctuation in written compositions (e.g., uses periods after declarative sentences, uses questions marks after interrogative sentences, uses commas in a series of words)
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Writes in cursive
        2. Uses pronouns in written compositions (e.g., substitutes pronouns for nouns, uses pronoun agreement)
        3. Uses nouns in written compositions (e.g., uses plural and singular naming words, forms regular and irregular plurals of nouns, uses common and proper nouns, uses nouns as subjects)
        4. Uses verbs in written compositions (e.g., uses a wide variety of action verbs, past and present verb tenses, simple tenses, forms of regular verbs, verbs that agree with the subject)
        5. Uses adjectives in written compositions (e.g., indefinite, numerical, predicate adjectives)
        6. Uses adverbs in written compositions (e.g., to make comparisons)
        7. Uses coordinating conjunctions in written compositions (e.g., links ideas using connecting words)
        8. Uses negatives in written compositions (e.g., avoids double negatives)
        9. Uses conventions of spelling in written compositions (e.g., spells high frequency, commonly misspelled words from appropriate grade-level list; uses a dictionary and other resources to spell words; uses initial consonant substitution to spell related words; uses vowel combinations for correct spelling; uses contractions, compounds, roots, suffixes, prefixes, and syllable constructions to spell words)
        10. Uses conventions of capitalization in written compositions (e.g., titles of people; proper nouns [names of towns, cities, counties, and states; days of the week; months of the year; names of streets; names of countries; holidays]; first word of direct quotations; heading, salutation, and closing of a letter)
        11. Uses conventions of punctuation in written compositions (e.g., uses periods after imperative sentences and in initials, abbreviations, and titles before names; uses commas in dates and addresses and after greetings and closings in a letter; uses apostrophes in contractions and possessive nouns; uses quotation marks around titles and with direct quotations; uses a colon between hour and minutes)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Uses pronouns in written compositions (e.g., uses relative, demonstrative, personal [i.e., possessive, subject, object] pronouns; uses pronouns that agree with their antecedent)
        2. Uses nouns in written compositions (e.g., forms possessives of nouns; forms irregular plural nouns)
        3. Uses verbs in written compositions (e.g., uses linking and auxiliary verbs, verb phrases, and correct forms of regular and irregular verbs)
        4. Uses adjectives in written compositions (e.g., pronominal, positive, comparative, superlative)
        5. Uses adverbs in written compositions (e.g., chooses between forms of adverbs such as positive, comparative, superlative degrees)
        6. Uses prepositions and coordinating conjunctions in written compositions (e.g., uses prepositional phrases, combines and embeds ideas using conjunctions)
        7. Uses interjections in written compositions
        8. Uses conventions of spelling in written compositions (e.g., spells high frequency, commonly misspelled words from appropriate grade-level list; uses a dictionary and other resources to spell words; uses common prefixes and suffixes as aids to spelling; applies rules for irregular structural changes)
        9. Uses conventions of capitalization in written compositions (e.g., titles [books, stories, poems, magazines, newspapers, songs, works of art], proper nouns [team names, companies, schools and institutions, departments of government, religions, school subjects], proper adjectives, nationalities, brand names of products)
        10. Uses conventions of punctuation in written compositions (e.g., uses colons, quotation marks, and dashes; uses apostrophes in contractions and possessives, commas with introductory phrases and dependant clauses, semi-colons or a comma and conjunction in compound sentences, commas in a series)
        11. Uses appropriate format in written compositions (e.g., uses italics [for titles of books, magazines, plays, movies])
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses pronouns in written compositions (e.g., reflexive, indefinite, interrogative, compound personal)
        2. Uses nouns in written compositions (e.g., collective nouns, compound nouns, noun clauses, noun phrases)
        3. Uses verbs in written compositions (e.g., present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect verb tenses; progressive verb forms, compound verbs)
        4. Uses adjectives in written compositions (e.g., adjective clauses, adjective phrases; relocates adjectives following nouns they modify)
        5. Uses adverbs in written compositions (e.g., adverb clauses, adverb phrases)
        6. Uses conjunctions in written compositions (e.g., correlative and subordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs)
        7. Uses conventions of spelling in written compositions (e.g., spells high frequency, commonly misspelled words from appropriate grade-level list; uses a dictionary and other resources to spell words)
        8. Uses conventions of capitalization in written compositions ( e.g., within divided quotations; for historical periods and events, geological eras, religious terms, scientific terms)
        9. Uses conventions of punctuation in written compositions (e.g., uses commas with nonrestrictive clauses and contrasting expressions, uses quotation marks with ending punctuation, uses colons before extended quotations, uses hyphens for compound adjectives, uses semicolons between independent clauses, uses dashes to break continuity of thought)
        10. Uses commonly confused terms in written compositions (e.g., affect and effect)
        11. Uses standard format in written compositions (e.g., includes footnotes, uses italics [for works of art, for foreign words and phrases], uses bold or underlined headings)
    Standard 4. Gathers and uses information for research purposes
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Generates questions about topics of personal interest
        2. Uses a variety of sources to gather information (e.g., informational books, pictures, charts, indexes, videos, television programs, guest speakers, Internet, own observation)
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Uses a variety of strategies to plan research (e.g., identifies possible topic by brainstorming, listing questions, using idea webs; organizes prior knowledge about a topic; develops a course of action; determines how to locate necessary information)
        2. Uses encyclopedias to gather information for research topics
        3. Uses dictionaries to gather information for research topics
        4. Uses electronic media to gather information (e.g., databases, Internet, CD-ROM, television shows, cassette recordings, videos, pull-down menus, word searches)
        5. Uses key words, guide words, alphabetical and numerical order, indexes, cross-references, and letters on volumes to find information for research topics
        6. Uses multiple representations of information (e.g., maps, charts, photos, diagrams, tables) to find information for research topics
        7. Uses strategies to gather and record information for research topics (e.g., uses notes, maps, charts, graphs, tables, and other graphic organizers; paraphrases and summarizes information; gathers direct quotes; provides narrative descriptions)
        8. Uses strategies to compile information into written reports or summaries (e.g., incorporates notes into a finished product; includes simple facts, details, explanations, and examples; draws conclusions from relationships and patterns that emerge from data from different sources; uses appropriate visual aids and media)
        9. Cites information sources (e.g., quotes or paraphrases information sources, lists resources used by title)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Gathers data for research topics from interviews (e.g., prepares and asks relevant questions, makes notes of responses, compiles responses)
        2. Uses library catalogs and periodical indexes to locate sources for research topics
        3. Uses a variety of resource materials to gather information for research topics (e.g., magazines, newspapers, dictionaries, schedules, journals, phone directories, globes, atlases, almanacs, technological sources)
        4. Determines the appropriateness of an information source for a research topic
        5. Organizes information and ideas from multiple sources in systematic ways (e.g., time lines, outlines, notes, graphic representations)
        6. Writes research papers (e.g., asks research questions, defines a topic, organizes information into major components and examines relationships among these components, addresses different perspectives on a topic, achieves balance between research information and original ideas, integrates a variety of information into a whole, draws conclusions)
        7. Uses appropriate methods to cite and document reference sources (e.g., footnotes, bibliography)
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses appropriate research methodology (e.g., formulates questions and refines topics, develops a plan for research; organizes what is known about a topic; uses appropriate research methods, such as questionnaires, experiments, field studies; collects information to narrow and develop a topic and support a thesis)
        2. Uses a variety of print and electronic sources to gather information for research topics (e.g., news sources such as magazines, radio, television, newspapers; government publications; microfiche; telephone information services; databases; field studies; speeches; technical documents; periodicals; Internet)
        3. Uses a variety of primary sources to gather information for research topics
        4. Uses a variety of criteria to evaluate the validity and reliability of primary and secondary source information (e.g., the motives, credibility, and perspectives of the author; date of publication; use of logic, propaganda, bias, and language; comprehensiveness of evidence)
        5. Synthesizes information from multiple research studies to draw conclusions that go beyond those found in any of the individual studies
        6. Uses systematic strategies (e.g., anecdotal scripting, annotated bibliographies, graphics, conceptual maps, learning logs, notes, outlines) to organize and record information
        7. Scans a passage to determine whether it contains relevant information
        8. Writes research papers (e.g., includes a thesis statement; synthesizes information into a logical sequence; paraphrases ideas and connects them to other sources and related topics; identifies complexities and discrepancies in information; addresses different perspectives; organizes and converts information into different forms such as charts, graphs, and drawings; integrates quotations and citations into flow of paper; adapts researched material for presentation to different audiences and for different purposes)
        9. Use standard format and methodology for documenting reference sources (e.g., credits quotations and paraphrased ideas; understands the meaning and consequences of plagiarism; distinguishes own ideas from others; uses a style sheet method for citing sources, such as the Modern Language Association, American Psychological Association, or Chicago Manual of Style; includes a bibliography of reference material)
    Standard 5. Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
      Level   Pre-K   [Grade:  Pre-K]
        1. Knows that print and written symbols convey meaning and represent spoken language
        2. Understands the differences between letters, numbers, and words and knows the significance of spaces between words
        3. Understands that illustrations and pictures convey meaning
        4. Knows the proper way to handle books (e.g., hold the book upright; turn pages from front to back, one at a time)
        5. Knows that print is read from left to right, top to bottom, and that books are read front to back
        6. Knows some letters of the alphabet, such as those in the student’s own name
        7. Knows some familiar words in print, such as own first name
        8. Knows that print appears in different forms (e.g., labels, letters, storybooks) and serves different purposes (e.g., to inform)
        9. Knows familiar print in their environment (e.g., traffic signs, store logos)
        10. Predicts story events or outcomes, using illustrations and prior knowledge as a guide
        11. Uses emergent reading skills to "read" a story (e.g., gathers meaning from words and pictures)
        12. Knows that books have titles, authors, and often illustrators
        13. Uses visual and verbal cues, including pictures, to comprehend new words and stories
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Uses mental images based on pictures and print to aid in comprehension of text
        2. Uses meaning clues (e.g., picture captions, title, cover, headings, story structure, story topic) to aid comprehension and make predictions about content (e.g., action, events, character’s behavior)
        3. Uses basic elements of phonetic analysis (e.g., common letter/sound relationships, beginning and ending consonants, vowel sounds, blends, word patterns) to decode unknown words
        4. Uses basic elements of structural analysis (e.g., syllables, basic prefixes, suffixes, root words, compound words, spelling patterns, contractions) to decode unknown words
        5. Uses a picture dictionary to determine word meaning
        6. Understands level-appropriate sight words and vocabulary (e.g., words for persons, places, things, actions; high frequency words such as said, was, and where)
        7. Uses self-correction strategies (e.g., searches for cues, identifies miscues, rereads, asks for help)
        8. Reads aloud familiar stories, poems, and passages with fluency and expression (e.g., rhythm, flow, meter, tempo, pitch, tone, intonation)
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Previews text (e.g., skims material; uses pictures, textual clues, and text format)
        2. Establishes a purpose for reading (e.g., for information, for pleasure, to understand a specific viewpoint)
        3. Makes, confirms, and revises simple predictions about what will be found in a text (e.g., uses prior knowledge and ideas presented in text, illustrations, titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing clues)
        4. Uses phonetic and structural analysis techniques, syntactic structure, and semantic context to decode unknown words (e.g., vowel patterns, complex word families, syllabication, root words, affixes)
        5. Use a variety of context clues to decode unknown words (e.g., draws on earlier reading, reads ahead)
        6. Uses word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus) to determine the meaning, pronunciation, and derivations of unknown words
        7. Understands level-appropriate reading vocabulary (e.g., synonyms, antonyms, homophones, multi-meaning words)
        8. Monitors own reading strategies and makes modifications as needed (e.g., recognizes when he or she is confused by a section of text, questions whether the text makes sense)
        9. Adjusts speed of reading to suit purpose and difficulty of the material
        10. Understands the author’s purpose (e.g., to persuade, to inform) or point of view
        11. Uses personal criteria to select reading material (e.g., personal interest, knowledge of authors and genres, text difficulty, recommendations of others)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Establishes and adjusts purposes for reading (e.g., to understand, interpret, enjoy, solve problems, predict outcomes, answer a specific question, form an opinion, skim for facts; to discover models for own writing)
        2. Uses word origins and derivations to understand word meaning (e.g., Latin and Greek roots and affixes, meanings of foreign words frequently used in the English language, historical influences on English word meanings)
        3. Uses a variety of strategies to extend reading vocabulary (e.g., uses analogies, idioms, similes, metaphors to infer the meaning of literal and figurative phrases; uses definition, restatement, example, comparison and contrast to verify word meanings; identifies shades of meaning; knows denotative and connotative meanings; knows vocabulary related to different content areas and current events; uses rhyming dictionaries, classification books, etymological dictionaries)
        4. Uses specific strategies to clear up confusing parts of a text (e.g., pauses, rereads the text, consults another source, represents abstract information as mental pictures, draws upon background knowledge, asks for help)
        5. Understands specific devices an author uses to accomplish his or her purpose (e.g., persuasive techniques, style, word choice, language structure)
        6. Reflects on what has been learned after reading and formulates ideas, opinions, and personal responses to texts
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses context to understand figurative, idiomatic, and technical meanings of terms
        2. Extends general and specialized reading vocabulary (e.g., interprets the meaning of codes, symbols, abbreviations, and acronyms; uses Latin, Greek, Anglo-Saxon roots and affixes to infer meaning; understands subject-area terminology; understands word relationships, such as analogies or synonyms and antonyms; uses cognates; understands allusions to mythology and other literature; understands connotative and denotative meanings)
        3. Uses a range of automatic monitoring and self-correction methods (e.g., rereading, slowing down, sub-vocalizing, consulting resources, questioning)
        4. Understands writing techniques used to influence the reader and accomplish an author’s purpose (e.g., organizational patterns, figures of speech, tone, literary and technical language, formal and informal language, narrative perspective)
        5. Understands influences on a reader’s response to a text (e.g., personal experiences and values; perspective shaped by age, gender, class, or nationality)
        6. Understands the philosophical assumptions and basic beliefs underlying an author’s work (e.g., point of view, attitude, and values conveyed by specific language; clarity and consistency of political assumptions)
    Standard 6. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of literary texts
      Level   Pre-K   [Grade:  Pre-K]
        1. Knows the sequence of events (e.g., beginning, middle, and end) in a story
        2. Knows the elements that compose a story (e.g., characters, plot, events, setting)
        3. Understands the literal meaning of plays, poems, and stories
        4. Knows the difference between fact and fiction, real and make-believe
        5. Relates stories to his/her own life and experience
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of familiar literary passages and texts (e.g., fairy tales, folktales, fiction, nonfiction, legends, fables, myths, poems, nursery rhymes, picture books, predictable books)
        2. Knows the basic characteristics of familiar genres (e.g., picture books, fairy tales, nursery rhymes)
        3. Knows setting, main characters, main events, sequence, and problems in stories
        4. Knows the main ideas or theme of a story
        5. Relates stories to personal experiences (e.g., events, characters, conflicts, themes)
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of literary passages and texts (e.g., fairy tales, folktales, fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, fables, fantasies, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies, chapter books)
        2. Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of literary forms and genres ( e.g., fairy tales, folk tales, fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, fables, fantasies, historical fiction, biographies, autobiographies, chapter books)
        3. Understands the basic concept of plot (e.g., main problem, conflict, resolution, cause-and-effect)
        4. Understands similarities and differences within and among literary works from various genre and cultures (e.g., in terms of settings, character types, events, point of view; role of natural phenomena)
        5. Understands elements of character development in literary works (e.g., differences between main and minor characters; stereotypical characters as opposed to fully developed characters; changes that characters undergo; the importance of a character’s actions, motives, and appearance to plot and theme)
        6. Knows themes that recur across literary works
        7. Understands the ways in which language is used in literary texts (e.g., personification, alliteration, onomatopoeia, simile, metaphor, imagery, hyperbole, rhythm)
        8. Makes connections between characters or simple events in a literary work and people or events in his or her own life
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of literary passages and texts (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, fantasies, biographies, autobiographies, science fiction, drama)
        2. Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of literary forms and genres (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, fantasies, biographies, autobiographies, science fiction, drama)
        3. Understands complex elements of plot development (e.g., cause-and-effect relationships; use of subplots, parallel episodes, and climax; development of conflict and resolution)
        4. Understands elements of character development (e.g., character traits and motivations; stereotypes; relationships between character and plot development; development of characters through their words, speech patterns, thoughts, actions, narrator’s description, and interaction with other characters; how motivations are revealed)
        5. Understands the use of specific literary devices (e.g., foreshadowing, flashback, progressive and digressive time, suspense)
        6. Understands the use of language in literary works to convey mood, images, and meaning (e.g., dialect; dialogue; symbolism; irony; rhyme; voice; tone; sound; alliteration; assonance; consonance; onomatopoeia; figurative language such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, allusion; sentence structure; punctuation)
        7. Understands the effects of an author’s style (e.g., word choice, speaker, imagery, genre, perspective) on the reader
        8. Understands point of view in a literary text (e.g., first and third person, limited and omniscient, subjective and objective)
        9. Understands inferred and recurring themes in literary works (e.g., bravery, loyalty, friendship, good v. evil; historical, cultural, and social themes)
        10. Makes connections between the motives of characters or the causes for complex events in texts and those in his or her own life
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of literary texts (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, biographies, autobiographies, science fiction, supernatural tales, satires, parodies, plays, American literature, British literature, world and ancient literature)
        2. Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of literary forms and genres (e.g.,fiction, nonfiction, myths, poems, biographies, autobiographies, science fiction, supernatural tales, satires, parodies, plays, drama, American literature, British literature, world and ancient literature, the Bible)
        3. Analyzes the use of complex elements of plot in specific literary works (e.g., time frame, cause-and-effect relationships, conflicts, resolution)
        4. Analyzes the simple and complex actions (e.g., internal/external conflicts) between main and subordinate characters in literary works containing complex character structures
        5. Knows archetypes and symbols (e.g., supernatural helpers, banishment from an ideal world, the hero, beneficence of nature, dawn) present in a variety of literary texts (e.g., American literature, world literature, literature based on oral tradition, mythology, film, political speeches)
        6. Understands how themes are used across literary works and genres (e.g., universal themes in literature of different cultures, such as death and rebirth, initiation, love and duty; major themes in American literature; authors associated with major themes of specific eras)
        7. Understands the effects of author’s style and complex literary devices and techniques on the overall quality of a work (e.g., tone; irony; mood; figurative language; allusion; diction; dialogue; symbolism; point of view; voice; understatement and overstatement; time and sequence; narrator; poetic elements, such as sound, imagery, personification)
        8. Understands relationships between literature and its historical period, culture, and society (e.g., influence of historical context on form, style, and point of view; influence of literature on political events; social influences on author’s description of characters, plot, and setting; how writer’s represent and reveal their cultures and traditions)
        9. Makes connections between his or her own life and the characters, events, motives, and causes of conflict in texts
        10. Uses language and perspectives of literary criticism to evaluate literary works (e.g., evaluates aesthetic qualities of style, such as diction, tone, theme, mood; identifies ambiguities, subtleties, and incongruities in the text; compares reviews of literature, film, and performances with own response)
    Standard 7. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of informational texts
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., written directions, signs, captions, warning labels, informational books)
        2. Understands the main idea and supporting details of simple expository information
        3. Summarizes information found in texts (e.g., retells in own words)
        4. Relates new information to prior knowledge and experience
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines)
        2. Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines)
        3. Uses text organizers (e.g., headings, topic and summary sentences, graphic features, typeface, chapter titles) to determine the main ideas and to locate information in a text
        4. Uses the various parts of a book (e.g., index, table of contents, glossary, appendix, preface) to locate information
        5. Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts (e.g., includes the main idea and significant supporting details of a reading selection)
        6. Uses prior knowledge and experience to understand and respond to new information
        7. Understands structural patterns or organization in informational texts (e.g., chronological, logical, or sequential order; compare-and-contrast; cause-and-effect; proposition and support)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., electronic texts; textbooks; biographical sketches; directions; essays; primary source historical documents, including letters and diaries; print media, including editorials, news stories, periodicals, and magazines; consumer, workplace, and public documents, including catalogs,technical directions, procedures, and bus routes)
        2. Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts (e.g., electronic texts; textbooks; biographical sketches; letters; diaries; directions; procedures; magazines; essays; primary source historical documents; editorials; news stories; periodicals; bus routes; catalogs; technical directions; consumer, workplace, and public documents)
        3. Summarizes and paraphrases information in texts (e.g., arranges information in chronological, logical, or sequential order; conveys main ideas, critical details, and underlying meaning; uses own words or quoted materials; preserves author’s perspective and voice)
        4. Uses new information to adjust and extend personal knowledge base
        5. Draws conclusions and makes inferences based on explicit and implicit information in texts
        6. Differentiates between fact and opinion in informational texts
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses reading skills and strategies to understand a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines, essays, primary source historical documents, editorials, news stories, periodicals, catalogs, job-related materials, schedules, speeches, memoranda, public documents, maps)
        2. Knows the defining characteristics of a variety of informational texts (e.g., textbooks, biographical sketches, letters, diaries, directions, procedures, magazines, essays, primary source historical documents, editorials, news stories, periodicals, catalogs, job-related materials, schedules, speeches, memoranda, public documents, maps)
        3. Summarizes and paraphrases complex, implicit hierarchic structures in informational texts, including the relationships among the concepts and details in those structures
        4. Uses a variety of criteria to evaluate the clarity and accuracy of information (e.g., author’s bias, use of persuasive strategies, consistency, clarity of purpose, effectiveness of organizational pattern, logic of arguments, reasoning, expertise of author, propaganda techniques, authenticity, appeal to friendly or hostile audience, faulty modes of persuasion)
        5. Uses text features and elements to support inferences and generalizations about information (e.g., vocabulary, structure, evidence, expository structure, format, use of language, arguments used)
    Standard 8. Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes
      Level   Pre-K   [Grade:  Pre-K]
        1. Speaks clearly enough to be understood by unfamiliar adults and uses appropriate levels of volume, tone, and inflection
        2. Uses new vocabulary to describe feelings, thoughts, experiences, and observations
        3. Speaks expressively (e.g., uses different voices for various characters)
        4. Uses descriptive language (e.g., color words; size words, such as bigger, smaller; shape words)
        5. Tells stories based on personal experience or make-believe
        6. Asks questions to obtain information
        7. Answers simple questions
        8. Follows conversation rules (e.g., taking turns, making relevant comments; staying on topic) when talking with peers and adults
        9. Creates or acts out familiar stories, songs, rhymes, and plays in play activities
        10. Retells a story with attention to the sequence of main events
        11. Listens for a variety of purposes (e.g., to gain and share information, to perform a task, for enjoyment, to learn what happened in a story, to converse with an adult or peer)
        12. Understands messages in conversations (e.g. responds differently based on purpose of messages in conversation; attends and responds to conversations)
        13. Follows one- and two-step directions
        14. Understands basic conversational vocabulary
        15. Discriminates among the sounds of spoken language
        16. Knows rhyming sounds and simple rhymes (e.g., identifies rhymes and rhyming sounds)
        17. Knows that words are made up of sounds (e.g., that words can begin alike, sound alike)
        18. Knows that words are made up of syllables
        19. Listens to a variety of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, rhymes, and songs
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Makes contributions in class and group discussions (e.g., reports on ideas and personal knowledge about a topic, initiates conversations, connects ideas and experiences with those of others)
        2. Asks and responds to questions (e.g., about the meaning of a story, about the meaning of words or ideas)
        3. Follows rules of conversation and group discussion (e.g., takes turns, raises hand to speak, stays on topic, focuses attention on speaker)
        4. Uses different voice level, phrasing, and intonation for different situations (e.g., small group settings, informal discussions, reports to the class)
        5. Uses level-appropriate vocabulary in speech (e.g., number words; words that describe people, places, things, events, location, actions; synonyms, antonyms; homonyms, word analogies, common figures of speech)
        6. Gives and responds to oral directions
        7. Recites and responds to familiar stories, poems, and rhymes with patterns (e.g., relates information to own life; describes character, setting, plot)
        8. Knows differences between language used at home and language used in school
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Contributes to group discussions
        2. Asks questions in class (e.g., when he or she is confused, to seek others’ opinions and comments)
        3. Responds to questions and comments (e.g., gives reasons in support of opinions, responds to others’ ideas)
        4. Listens to classmates and adults (e.g., does not interrupt, faces the speaker, asks questions, summarizes or paraphrases to confirm understanding, gives feedback, eliminates barriers to effective listening)
        5. Uses strategies to convey a clear main point when speaking (e.g., expresses ideas in a logical manner, uses specific vocabulary to establish tone and present information)
        6. Uses level-appropriate vocabulary in speech (e.g., familiar idioms, similes, word play)
        7. Makes basic oral presentations to class (e.g., uses subject-related information and vocabulary; includes content appropriate to the audience; relates ideas and observations; incorporates visual aids or props; incorporates several sources of information)
        8. Uses a variety of nonverbal communication skills (e.g., eye contact, gestures, facial expressions, posture)
        9. Uses a variety of verbal communication skills (e.g., projection, tone, volume, rate, articulation, pace, phrasing)
        10. Organizes ideas for oral presentations (e.g., uses an introduction and conclusion; uses notes or other memory aids; organizes ideas around major points, in sequence, or chronologically; uses traditional structures, such as cause-and-effect, similarity and difference, posing and answering a question; uses details, examples, and anecdotes to clarify information)
        11. Listens for specific information in spoken texts (e.g., plot details or information about a character in a short story read aloud, information about a familiar topic from a radio broadcast)
        12. Understands the main ideas and supporting details in spoken texts (e.g., presentations by peers or quest speakers, a current affairs report on the radio)
        13. Listens to and understands persuasive messages (e.g., television commercials, commands and requests, pressure from peers)
        14. Interprets the use of nonverbal cues used in conversation
        15. Knows specific ways in which language is used in real-life situations (e.g., buying something from a shopkeeper, requesting something from a parent, arguing with a sibling, talking to a friend)
        16. Understands that language reflects different regions and cultures (e.g., sayings; expressions; usage; oral traditions and customs; historical, geographical, and societal influences on language)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Plays a variety of roles in group discussions (e.g., active listener, discussion leader, facilitator)
        2. Asks questions to seek elaboration and clarification of ideas
        3. Uses strategies to enhance listening comprehension (e.g., takes notes; organizes, summarizes, and paraphrases spoken ideas and details)
        4. Listens in order to understand topic, purpose, and perspective in spoken texts (e.g., of a guest speaker, of an informational video, of a televised interview, of radio news programs)
        5. Uses level-appropriate vocabulary in speech (e.g., metaphorical language, specialized language, sensory details)
        6. Makes oral presentations to the class (e.g., uses notes and outlines; uses organizational pattern that includes preview, introduction, body, transitions, conclusion; uses a clear point of view; uses evidence and arguments to support opinions; uses visual media)
        7. Uses appropriate verbal and nonverbal techniques for oral presentations (e.g., inflection/modulation of voice, tempo, word choice, grammar, feeling, expression, tone, volume, enunciation, physical gestures, body movement, eye contact, posture)
        8. Evaluates strategies used by speakers in oral presentations (e.g., persuasive techniques, verbal messages supported by nonverbal techniques, effect of word choice, use of slanted or biased material)
        9. Understands the ways in which language differs across a variety of social situations (e.g., formal and informal speech in different social situations, use of jargon by sports commentators to make listeners feel like insiders)
        10. Understands elements of persuasion and appeal in spoken texts (e.g., purpose and impact of pace, volume, tone, stress, music; images and ideas conveyed by vocabulary)
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses criteria to evaluate own and others’ effectiveness in group discussions and formal presentations (e.g., accuracy, relevance, and organization of information; clarity of delivery; relationships among purpose, audience, and content; types of arguments used; effectiveness of own contributions)
        2. Asks questions as a way to broaden and enrich classroom discussions
        3. Uses a variety of strategies to enhance listening comprehension (e.g., focuses attention on message, monitors message for clarity and understanding, asks relevant questions, provides verbal and nonverbal feedback, notes cues such as change of pace or particular words that indicate a new point is about to be made; uses abbreviation system to record information quickly; selects and organizes essential information)
        4. Adjusts message wording and delivery to particular audiences and for particular purposes (e.g., to defend a position, to entertain, to inform, to persuade)
        5. Makes formal presentations to the class (e.g., includes definitions for clarity; supports main ideas using anecdotes, examples, statistics, analogies, and other evidence; uses visual aids or technology, such as transparencies, slides, electronic media; cites information sources)
        6. Makes multimedia presentations using text, images, and sound (e.g., selects the appropriate medium, such as television broadcast, videos, web pages, films, newspapers, magazines, CD-ROMS, Internet, computer-media-generated images ; edits and monitors for quality; organizes, writes, and designs media messages for specific purposes)
        7. Uses a variety of verbal and nonverbal techniques for presentations (e.g., modulation of voice; varied inflection; tempo; enunciation; physical gestures; rhetorical questions; word choice, including figurative language, standard English, informal usage, technical language) and demonstrates poise and self-control while presenting
        8. Responds to questions and feedback about own presentations (e.g., clarifies and defends ideas, expands on a topic, uses logical arguments, modifies organization, evaluates effectiveness, sets goals for future presentations)
        9. Understands influences on language use (e.g., political beliefs, positions of social power, culture)
        10. Understands how style and content of spoken language varies in different contexts (e.g., style of different radio news programs, everyday language compared to language in television soap operas, tones of news bulletins on "serious" and youth-oriented stations) and how this influences interpretation of these texts
    Standard 9. Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Understands the main idea or message in visual media (e.g., pictures, cartoons, weather reports on television, newspaper photographs, visual narratives)
        2. Uses a variety of strategies to predict content and meaning in visual media (e.g., uses knowledge of the structure of television programs: for cartoons, make predictions based on program length, experience that a resolution will be reached and that main characters will overcome difficulties to return to the next episode; uses knowledge of cause-and-effect relationships to predict plot development)
        3. Knows how different elements help to establish plot, setting, and character in visual narratives (e.g., action, dialogue, music, clothing, facial expressions)
        4. Knows different features (e.g., facial expressions, body language, gesture, clothing, actions, relationships, dialogue) that affect a viewer’s perceptions of characters in visual media (e.g., qualities that identify a "hero" or a "villain")
        5. Knows different elements from films, videos, television, and other visual media that appeal to him or her (e.g., scary parts, action segments, particular characters, color, sound effects, animation, layout, music)
        6. Understands the similarities and differences between real life and life depicted in visual media (e.g., compares own family to families represented in television cartoons or films; knows that there is a difference between a character in a program and the actor)
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Understands different messages conveyed through visual media (e.g., main ideas and supporting details; facts and opinions; main characters, setting, and sequence of events in visual narratives)
        2. Understands techniques used to convey messages in visual media (e.g., animation; different tones of voice in audio productions; adjusting messages for different audiences)
        3. Knows that film and television have features that identify different genres (e.g., style of dress, setting in a western or a drama)
        4. Understands the different ways in which people are stereotyped in visual media (e.g., clever people wearing glasses, mothers working at home, scientists wearing white coats; super heroes; people from different socio-cultural or minority groups) and understands that people could have been represented differently
        5. Understands techniques used to establish mood in visual media (e.g., use of camera angles and distances to create a specific feeling or point of view, tension heightened by dramatic music, sound effects such as a heartbeat or squeaking chair, use of a deep voice, somber lighting to imply mystery or fear)
        6. Understands the use and meaning of symbols and images in visual media (e.g., the use of color, such as red to represent emotion, anger, or excitement; the use of expressions, such as smiling to mean happiness; the dependence of symbols on shared social and cultural understandings; symbolic links between product names or logos and products)
        7. Understands basic elements of advertising in visual media (e.g., sales approaches and techniques aimed at children, appealing elements used in memorable commercials, possible reasons for the choice of specific visual images)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Understands a variety of messages conveyed by visual media (e.g., main concept, details, themes or lessons, viewpoints)
        2. Uses a variety of criteria to evaluate and form viewpoints of visual media (e.g., evaluates the effectiveness of informational media, such as web sites, documentaries, news programs; recognizes a range of viewpoints and arguments; establishes criteria for selecting or avoiding specific programs)
        3. Knows typical genre of different visual media (e.g., in television: sitcoms, talk shows, news broadcasts, interviews, children’s programs; in film: westerns, musicals, horror, gangster)
        4. Understands the use of stereotypes and biases in visual media (e.g., distorted representations of society; imagery and stereotyping in advertising; elements of stereotypes such as physical characteristics, manner of speech, beliefs and attitudes)
        5. Understands how language choice is used to enhance visual media (e.g., language of particular television or film genres, the use of emotional or logical arguments in commercials)
        6. Understands how symbols, images, sound, and other conventions are used in visual media (e.g., time lapse in films; set elements that identify a particular time period or culture; short cuts used to construct meaning, such as the scream of brakes and a thud to imply a car crash; sound and image used together; the use of close-ups to convey drama or intimacy; the use of long camera shots to establish setting; sequences or groups of images that emphasize specific meaning)
        7. Understands reasons for varied interpretations of visual media (e.g., different purposes or circumstances while viewing, influence of personal knowledge and experiences, focusing on different stylistic features)
        8. Knows that people with special interests and expectations are the target audience for particular messages or products in visual media; and knows that design, language, and content reflect this (e.g., in advertising and sales techniques aimed specifically towards teenagers; in products aimed towards different classes, races, ages, genders; in the appeal of popular television shows and films for particular audiences)
        9. Understands techniques used in visual media to influence or appeal to a particular audience (e.g., production techniques, such as designing a news program as entertainment; persuasive techniques, such as exaggerated claims, portrayal of appealing lifestyles, bandwagon, glittering generalities; subliminal messages; narrative style)
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Uses a range of strategies to interpret visual media (e.g., draws conclusions, makes generalizations, synthesizes materials viewed, refers to images or information in visual media to support point of view, deconstructs media to determine the main idea)
        2. Uses a variety of criteria (e.g., clarity, accuracy, effectiveness, bias, relevance of facts) to evaluate informational media (e.g., web sites, documentaries, news programs)
        3. Understands the conventions of visual media genres (e.g., a talk show contains an opening monologue, humorous discussion between host and "sidekick", guest interview, interaction with the audience, and special performances; news programs present the events of the day as stories with setting, character, conflict, and resolution)
        4. Understands that the rules and expectations about genres can be manipulated for particular effects or purposes (e.g., combining or altering conventions of different genres, such as presenting news as entertainment; blurring of genres, such as drama-documentaries)
        5. Uses strategies to analyze stereotypes in visual media (e.g., recognizes stereotypes that serve the interests of some groups in society at the expense of others; identifies techniques used in visual media that perpetuate stereotypes)
        6. Understands the connection between context and values projected by visual media (e.g., the implication in television science programs that science is progressive and helps solve problems; influence of changing societal values on media products; political context, such as conflicts between loyalty and betrayal in ’High Noon’, made in America during the McCarthy period; cultural values suggested by omissions from visual media, such as soap operas featuring only well-off people)
        7. Understands how images and sound convey messages in visual media (e.g., special effects, camera angles, symbols, color, line, texture, shape, headlines, photographs, reaction shots, sequencing of images, sound effects, music, dialogue, narrative, lighting)
        8. Understands effects of style and language choice in visual media (e.g., use of long-shots to signify both real and metaphoric isolation; rapid editing in a television commercial; juxtaposition of text and color in a billboard; words in headlines intended to attract attention)
        9. Understands how literary forms can be represented in visual narratives (e.g., allegory, parable, analogy, satire, narrative style, characterization, irony)
        10. Understands a variety of techniques used in advertising (e.g., portrayals of happy families and exotic places; celebrity endorsement; use of humor; emphasis on value and reliability; sex appeal; science and statistics; appeal to fears and insecurities)
        11. Understands how editing shapes meaning in visual media (e.g., omission of alternative perspectives; filtered or implied viewpoints; emphasis of specific ideas, images, or information in order to serve particular interests; the careful construction of seemingly straightforward texts)
        12. Understands the effects of visual media on audiences with different backgrounds (e.g., age, nationality, gender, class, belief system)
    Standard 10. Understands the characteristics and components of the media
      Level   I   [Grade:  K-2]
        1. Knows the various types of media (e.g., newspapers, radio, television, billboards)
        2. Knows that there are different types of media categories (e.g., news programs, sports programs, commercials)
        3. Understands that there are common conventions used in media (e.g., the layout of a newspaper, including headlines, photographs, and different sections; how theme music, sound effects, titles, and graphics represent the beginning and ending of a television program)
        4. Understands that media messages and products are created by people (e.g., individuals and groups) and represent real and imaginary experience
      Level   II   [Grade:  3-5]
        1. Knows the main formats and characteristics of familiar media (e.g., the format of quiz shows on television: host/hostess, contestants, competition for prizes of commercial value; types of advertising such as billboards, T-shirts, or commercials; characteristics of films and magazines)
        2. Understands similarities and differences among a variety of media (e.g., ways in which documentary films, the Internet, and the radio present similar information; similar categories, such as news and feature stories in magazines, tabloid newspapers, and on television; literary elements in film and written stories)
        3. Knows that a variety of people are involved in the creation of media messages and products (e.g., actors, directors, cinematographers, producers, scriptwriters, graphic artists, illustrators, news photographers)
        4. Understands that media messages and products are composed of a series of separate elements (e.g., shots in movies, sections of a newspaper)
      Level   III   [Grade:  6-8]
        1. Knows characteristics of a wide range of media (e.g., television news favors messages that are immediate and visual, news photographs favor messages with an emotional component)
        2. Understands the different purposes of various media (e.g., to provide entertainment or information, to persuade, to transmit culture, to focus attention on an issue)
        3. Understands how the type of media affects coverage of events or issues (e.g., how the same event is covered by the radio, television, and newspapers; how each medium shapes facts into a particular point of view; how limitations and advantages of various media affect coverage of events)
        4. Understands various elements that recur across media (e.g., common features found in print and broadcast advertising; the layout of magazines and newspapers, including headlines, photographs, regular columns, feature articles, and editorials)
        5. Understands aspects of media production and distribution (e.g., different steps and choices involved in planning and producing various media; various professionals who produce media, such as news writers, photographers, camera operators, film directors, graphic artists, political cartoonists)
        6. Understands the ways in which image-makers carefully construct meaning (e.g., idea and word choice by authors, images created by photographers, television programs created by groups of people, photos or cutlines chosen in newspapers)
        7. Understands influences on the construction of media messages and images (e.g., the historical period or place in which they were made; laws that govern mass media, such as truth in advertising; the socio-cultural background of the target audience; financial factors such as sponsorship; cause-and-effect relationships between mass media coverage and public opinion trends)
      Level   IV   [Grade:  9-12]
        1. Understands that media messages have economic, political, social, and aesthetic purposes (e.g., to make money, to gain power or authority over others, to present ideas about how people should think or behave, to experiment with different kinds of symbolic forms or ideas)
        2. Understands how different media (e.g., documentaries, current affairs programs, web pages) are structured to present a particular subject or point of view
        3. Understands aspects of the construction of media messages and products (e.g., the significance of all parts of a visual text, such as how a title might tie in with main characters or themes)
        4. Understands production elements that contribute to the effectiveness of a specific medium (e.g., the way black-and-white footage implies documented truth; the way set design suggests aspects of a character’s socio-cultural context; effectiveness of packaging for similar products and their appeal to purchasers)
        5. Understands aspects of media ownership and control (e.g., concentration of power and influence with a few companies; diversification of media corporations into other industries; the commercial nature of media; influence of origins on a media message or product)
        6. Understands the influence of different factors (e.g., media owners, sponsors of specific programs, codes governing advertising aimed at children, copyright laws) on media production, distribution, and advertising (e.g., whether a program is scheduled late at night or at peak times, whether a film is released in theaters or only on video)
        7. Understand different aspects of advertising in media (e.g., advertising intertwined with media content, such as advertising copy presented in the form of news stories or the close association of feature articles with surrounding advertisements; the influence of advertising on virtually every aspect of the media, such as the structure of newspapers; advertisers as a pressure group; sponsorship as a form of advertising; ambience in media that is sympathetic to advertising, such as lifestyles portrayed on television)
        8. Understands the extent to which audience influences media production (e.g., selection of audiences on the basis of their importance to advertisers or media institutions; production of programs with high audience ratings and low production costs, such as game shows; how media producers determine or predict the nature of audiences)
        9. Understands the relationship between media and the production and marketing of related products (e.g., how and why books are reissued in conjunction with film releases; how the target audience for a film determines the range of products marketed and this marketing in turn helps shape the film)
        10. Understands the influence of media on society as a whole (e.g., influence in shaping various governmental, social, and cultural norms; influence on the democratic process; influence on beliefs, lifestyles, and understanding of relationships and culture; how it shapes viewer’s perceptions of reality; the various consequences in society of ideas and images in media)
        11. Understands legal and ethical responsibilities involved in media use (e.g., censorship; copyright laws; FCC regulations; protection of the rights of authors and media owners; standards for quality programming; regulations for broadcast repeats; forms of media self-control; governmental, social, and cultural agencies that regulate media content and products)
        12. Understands the role of the media in addressing social and cultural issues (e.g., creating or promoting causes: U.N. military action, election of political parties; use of media to achieve governmental, societal, and cultural goals)