Exchanging information and ideas with others through oral collaborative discussions on a range of social & academic topics.

Engage in conversational exchanges and express ideas on familiar topics by asking and answering yes-no and wh- questions and responding using simple phrases.

Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by following turn-taking rules, asking relevant questions, affirming others, adding relevant information, and paraphrasing key ideas.

Contribute to class, group, and partner discussions by following turn-taking rules, asking relevant questions, affirming others, adding relevant information and evidence, paraphrasing key ideas, building on responses, and providing useful feedback.

Condensing ideas within sentences using a variety of language resources.

Condense ideas in simple ways (e.g., by compounding verbs, adding prepositional phrases, or through simple embedded clauses or other ways of condensing as in, This is a story about a girl. The girl changed the world. --- This is a story about a girl who changed the world) to create precise and detailed sentences.

Condense ideas in an increasing variety of ways (e.g., through various types of embedded clauses and other ways of condensing, as in, Organic vegetables are food. They're made without chemical fertilizers. They're made without chemical insecticides) --- Organic vegetables are foods that are made without chemical fertilizers or insecticides) to create precise and detailed sentences.

Condense ideas in a variety of ways (e.g., through various types of embedded clauses, ways of condensing, and nominalization as in, They destroyed the rain forest. Lots of animals died --- The destruction of the rain forest led to the death of many animals) to create precise and detailed sentences.

Connecting ideas within sentences by combining clauses.

Combine clauses in a few basic ways to make connections between and join ideas (e.g., creating compound sentences using and, but, so).

Combine clauses in an increasing variety of ways (e.g., creating compound and complex sentences) to make connections between and join ideas, for example, to express a reason (e.g., He stayed at home on Sunday to study for Monday's exam) or to make a concession (e.g., She studied all night even though she wasn't feeling well).

Combine clauses in a wide variety of ways (e.g., creating compound and complex sentences) to make connections between and join ideas, for example, to express a reason (e.g., He stayed at home on Sunday because he had an exam on Monday), to make a concession (e.g., She studied all night even though she wasn't feeling well), or to link two ideas that happen at the same time (e.g., The students worked in groups while their teacher walked around the room).

Modifying to add details to provide more information and create precision.

Expand sentences with simple adverbials (e.g., adverbs, adverb phrases, prepositional phrases) to provide details (e.g., time, manner, place, cause) about a familiar activity or process.

Expand sentences with an increasing variety of adverbials (e.g., adverbs, adverb phrases, prepositional phrases) to provide details (e.g., time, manner, place, cause) about a familiar or new activity or process.

Expand sentences with a variety of adverbials (e.g., adverbs, adverb phrases and clauses, prepositional phrases) to provide details (e.g., time, manner, place, cause) about a variety of familiar and new activities and processes.

Using nouns and noun phrases to expand ideas and provide more detail.

Expand noun phrases in simple ways (e.g., adding a sensory adjective to a noun) in order to enrich the meaning of sentences and add details about ideas, people, things, and the like.

Expand noun phrases in a variety of ways (e.g., adding comparative/superlative adjectives to noun phrases or simple clause embedding) in order to enrich the meaning of sentences and add details about ideas, people, things, and the like.

Expand noun phrases in an increasing variety of ways (e.g., adding comparative/ superlative and general academic adjectives to noun phrases or more complex clause embedding) in order to  enrich the meaning of sentences and add details about ideas, people, things, and the like.

Using verbs and verb phrases to create precision and clarity in different text types.

Use a variety of verb types (e.g., doing, saying, being/having, thinking/feeling), tenses (e.g., present, past, future, simple, progressive) appropriate to the text type and discipline (e.g., simple past and past progressive for recounting an experience) on familiar topics.

Use various verb types (e.g., doing, saying, being/having, thinking/feeling, reporting), tenses (e.g., present, past, future, simple, progressive, perfect) appropriate to the task, text type, and discipline (e.g., simple present for literary analysis) on an increasing variety of topics.

Use various verb types (e.g., doing, saying, being/having, thinking/feeling, reporting), tenses (e.g., present, past, future, simple, progressive, perfect) appropriate to the task, text type, and discipline (e.g., the present perfect to describe previously made claims or conclusions) on a variety of topics.

Understanding cohesion and how language resources across a text contribute to the way a text unfolds and flows.

a) Apply basic understanding of language resources for referring the reader back or forward in text (e.g., how pronouns refer back to nouns in text) to comprehending texts and writing basic texts.

b) Apply basic understanding of how ideas, events, or reasons are linked throughout a text using a select set of everyday connecting words or phrases (e.g., first/next, at the beginning) to comprehending texts and writing basic texts.

a) Apply growing understanding of language resources for referring the reader back or forward in text (e.g., how pronouns or synonyms refer back to nouns in text) to comprehending texts and writing texts with increasing cohesion.

b) Apply growing understanding of how ideas, events, or reasons are linked throughout a text using a variety of connecting words or phrases (e.g., for example, in the first place, as a result, on the other hand) to comprehending texts and writing texts with increasing cohesion.

a) Apply increasing understanding of language resources for referring the reader back or forward in text (e.g., how pronouns, synonyms, or nominalizations refer back to nouns in text) to comprehending texts and writing cohesive texts.

b) Apply increasing understanding of how ideas, events, or reasons are linked throughout a text using an increasing variety of academic connecting and transitional words or phrases (e.g., consequently, specifically, however, moreover) to comprehending texts and writing cohesive texts.

Understanding text structure and organization based on purpose, text type, and discipline.

Apply basic understanding of how different text types are organized to express ideas (e.g., how a narrative is organized sequentially with predictable stages versus how arguments are organized around ideas) to comprehending texts and writing basic texts.

Apply growing understanding of how different text types are organized to express ideas (e.g., how a narrative is organized sequentially with predictable stages versus how arguments are structured logically around reasons and evidence) to comprehending texts and writing texts with increasing cohesion.

Apply increasing understanding of how different text types are organized to express ideas (e.g., how a historical account is organized chronologically versus how arguments are structured logically around reasons and evidence) to comprehending texts and writing cohesive texts.

Selecting and applying varied and precise vocabulary and other language resources to effectively convey ideas.

a) Use a select number of general academic words (e.g., author, chart) and domain-specific words (e.g., scene, cell, fraction) to create some precision while speaking and writing.

b) Use knowledge of morphology to appropriately select affixes in basic ways (e.g., She likes X).

a) Use a growing set of academic words (e.g., author, chart, global, affect), domain-specific words (e.g., scene, setting, plot, point of view, fraction, cell membrane, democracy), synonyms, and antonyms to create precision and shades of meaning while speaking and writing.

b) Use knowledge of morphology to appropriately select affixes in a growing number of ways to manipulate language (e.g., She likes X. That's impossible).

a) Use an expanded set of general academic words (e.g., affect, evidence, demonstrate, reluctantly), domain-specific words (e.g., scene, setting, plot, point of view, fraction, cell membrane, democracy), synonyms, antonyms, and figurative language to create precision and shades of meaning while speaking and writing.

b) Use knowledge of morphology to appropriately select affixes in a variety of ways to manipulate language (e.g., changing observe ? observation, reluctant ? reluctantly, produce ? production, and so on).

Justifying own arguments and evaluating others’ arguments in writing.

a) Justify opinions by providing some textual evidence (e.g., quoting from the text) or relevant background knowledge, with substantial support.

b) Express attitude and opinions or temper statements with some basic modal expressions (e.g., can, has to).

a) Justify opinions or persuade others by providing relevant textual evidence (e.g., quoting from the text or referring to what the text says) or relevant background knowledge, with moderate support.

b) Express attitude and opinions or temper statements with a variety of familiar modal expressions (e.g., maybe/probably, can/could, must).

a) Justify opinions or persuade others by providing detailed and relevant textual evidence (e.g., quoting from the text directly or referring to specific textual evidence) or relevant background knowledge, with light support.

b) Express attitude and opinions or temper statements with nuanced modal expressions (e.g., probably/certainly/definitely, should/would, might) and phrasing (e.g., In my opinion. . . ).