School District of New London
English Language Arts
Grade 9
47 Benchmarks
Writing
Standard 1: Writes arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to task,
purpose and audience.
ELA9.1.1
Develops a thesis statement or section that follows from and supports the argument
presented
• introduces precise claim(s)
• uses words, phrases, and clauses to link sections of text and create cohesion
• restates claim(s) in conclusion
ELA9.1.2
Understands how much evidence is needed to satisfactorily support a point
• uses accurate and credible sources
• distinguishes the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims
• creates an organization that establishes clear relationships among evidence
• develops claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each
ELA9.1.3
Maintains an appropriate style and tone for the task
• omits personal bias
• maintains appropriate writing style
• develops unity and consistency in their text with their words and structure
• pays close attention to the relationships they create between the claims,
counterclaims, evidence, and reason
ELA9.1.4
Publishes argumentative essay
• introduction: uses a lead that grabs the readers’ attention; gives background
information about the situation; introduces claim(s); acknowledges opposing
claim(s); and provides thesis statement
• body paragraphs: includes details that support claims; paragraphs that support
the claim(s) with logical reasoning
• conclusion: restates claim(s) in a new way and verifies support of the thesis
statement
• establishes and maintains a formal writing style
• applies 6+1 Trait Writing
October, 2011
1
School District of New London
Standard 2: Writes informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information clearly and accurately
ELA9.2.1
Selects, organizes, and analyzes content
• uses relevant and sufficient facts, definitions, details, and quotes
• uses sources and organization that are appropriate to task, audience, and
purpose
• introduces and develops topic
• arranges ideas, concepts, and information to show interrelationships
• uses transitions to link together the major sections of the text
• writes a concluding statement that supports the information presented
ELA9.2.2
Takes tasks, purpose, and audience into careful consideration
• recognizes the correlation between developing a topic and organizing a paper
• chooses words, information, structures, and formats deliberately
• maintains a tone that is free of bias
ELA9.2.3
Publishes informational/explanatory essay
• introduction: gains readers’ interest by providing a statement that makes the
reader want to go on reading; the focus is to tell what paper is about
• body paragraphs: uses transitions to connect the paragraphs, supports
explanation with convincing details and examples, varies the sentence
structure and the choice of words, checks paper for usage, spelling
capitalization, and punctuation
• closing paragraph: makes a generalization and/or a personal observation
• establishes and maintains a formal style
• applies 6-Trait Writing
Standard 3: Writes narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event
sequences
ELA 9.3.1
Provides form or structure based on a progression of events that build upon each
other
• organizes an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically
• uses dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines to
develop experiences, events, and/or characters
• correctly uses punctuation including quotation marks, commas, capital letters
and paragraphing
• provide a conclusion to the events that are set out at the beginning of the
narrative
October, 2011
2
School District of New London
ELA 9.3.2
Establishes point of view(s)
• introduces a narrator
• provides characters and presents a situation
ELA 9.3.3
Publishes narrative
• introduction: chooses an effective introduction of characters, setting, context,
and point of view
• body: describes characters and events in story, shows chronological order,
develops a problem/solution within story
• conclusion: provides a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the
narrated experiences or events
• applies 6+1 Trait Writing
Standard 4: Produces clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
ELA 9.4.1
Produces clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• creates an organizing structure appropriate to purpose/audience/context
• extends understanding by creating products for different
purposes/audience/context
• uses technology, as appropriate, to produce and publish writing, and
collaborate with others
• strengthens writing by using the writing process (i.e., planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, publishing)
• focuses on how well purpose and audience have been addressed
• writes routinely over extended time frames for a range of tasks
• reflects on progress
Standard 5: Conducts short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several
sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate
ELA 9.5.1
Gathers relevant information from multiple print and digital sources
• uses a variety of strategies to plan research (Task Definition)
• defines the problem
• identifies information needed
October, 2011
3
School District of New London
ELA 9.5.2
Uses a variety of relevant sources (Information Seeking Strategies)
• determines all sources
• selects best sources
• uses note-taking skills
• assesses the credibility of each source
• paraphrases data from resources to avoid plagiarism
• uses text verbatim with appropriate source documentation
• provides appropriate bibliographic information for sources
• uses parenthetical citations
ELA 9.5.3
Uses a variety of strategies to locate, gather and record information (Location and
Access)
• uses a variety of resources to gather information
• reads, listens, views carefully to acquire information
• determines if a source is valid
• uses multiple representations from within sources
• utilizes graphic organizers
• takes notes
ELA 9.5.4
Uses strategies to organize information (Use of Information)
• extracts information from a source
• creates outlines to organize information clearly and cohesively
LA 9.5.5
Uses strategies to compile information (Synthesis)
• incorporates notes from multiple sources
• draws conclusions from data
• presents information in ways appropriate to the task
• cites sources of information appropriately
ELA9.5.6
Reviews product and process (Evaluation)
• judges effectiveness and efficiency of the product
Language
Standard 6: Demonstrates conventions of standard English
ELA 9.6.1
Demonstrates command of standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking
• understands and uses parallel structure
• uses various types of phrases and clauses to convey specific meanings and add
variety and interest to writing or presentations
October, 2011
4
School District of New London
ELA 9.6.2
Demonstrates command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing
• uses a semicolon to link two or more closely related independent clauses
• uses a colon to introduce a list or quotation
• spells correctly
ELA 9.6.3
Applies knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts
• makes effective choices for meaning or style and to comprehend more fully
when reading or listening
• writes and edits works so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style manual
(e.g., MLA Handbook) appropriate for the discipline and writing type
• applies what is known about language to understand how language will
function in various forms—how a student comprehends when reading and
listening and how a student uses style when speaking
Standard 7: Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
ELA 9.7.1
Determines or clarifies the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words or
phrases based on grade 9-10 reading and content.
• uses context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase
• correctly uses patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or
parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy)
• consults general and specific reference materials (e.g. dictionary, glossary,
thesaurus, technology), both print and digital to find the pronunciation,
meaning, or part of speech of a new word, or its etymology
• verifies the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g.,
by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary)
ELA 9.7.2
Demonstrates understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances
in word meanings
• interprets figures of speech in context (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context
and analyzes their role in the text
• understands figurative language, word relationships, and subtle differences in
word meanings in context
• analyzes nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations
ELA 9.7.3
Acquires and uses general academic and domain-specific words and phrases
sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level
• acquires and uses general academic and domain specific words (e.g., words related
to a domain or field of study) and phrases
• demonstrates independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering
a word or phrase important to comprehension
October, 2011
5
School District of New London
Reading
Standard 8: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand, interpret and analyze a
variety of literary texts
ELA 9.8.1
Determines what the text says explicitly and makes logical inferences
• cites strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text
says explicitly
• draws inferences and/or conclusions
ELA 9.8.2
Determines a theme or central idea of a text
• summarizes key supporting details and ideas
• recognizes characters, setting, and plot help to contribute to plot or theme
development
• distinguishes between text that provides strong support and text that is not
related, uncertain, or is insufficient as evidence
• derives understanding from details that are directly stated as well as from
those that are implied
• analyzes theme and central ideas in literature and other texts in relation to
personal issues/experience
ELA 9.8.3
Analyzes how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the
course of a text
• recognizes characters, setting, and plot help to contribute to plot or theme
development
• analyzes how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting
motivations) develop over the course of a text
• identifies the details that developed characters as complex rather than as static
or flat
• recognizes how complex characters propel the action in the story or add to the
development of a theme
ELA 9.8.4
Interprets words and phrases as they are used in a text
• determines technical, connotative, and figurative meanings
• analyzes how specific word choice determines meaning or tone
• analyzes the cumulative impact of word choice (e.g., how the language evokes
a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone)
• understands how the author crafts the structure of a text to produce a
particular effect
ELA 9.8.5
Analyzes structure of text
• understands how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text
relate to each other (e.g., parallel plots, flashbacks)
• understands organization of the text and how it influences the whole
October, 2011
6
School District of New London
ELA 9.8.6
Assesses how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of the text
• analyzes a particular point of view or cultural experience reflected in a work
• understands the effect of point-of-view in a story
ELA 9.8.7
Integrates and evaluates content presented in diverse formats and media
• compares two works that use different artistic mediums (e.g., painting, poetry,
sculptures) but share a common subject
• evaluates various artistic mediums and integrates the understandings taken
from each
• recognizes allusion and understands it has an affects on text
ELA 9.8.8
Analyzes how two or more texts address similar themes or topics
• builds knowledge to compare the approaches the author’s take
ELA 9.8.9
Reads and comprehends literature, including stories, dramas, and poems in the 9-10
grade range with proficiency
• uses feedback from formative assessment (e.g., end of text assessments,
Rigby, DRA, Scantron, SRI, etc.) to monitor progress
• encounters appropriately complex texts in order to develop language skills and
conceptual knowledge needed for success in school and life
• determines when they are not comprehending and making meaning
• understands and applies appropriate strategies in order to increase
comprehension when faced with difficult text
• reads independently and critically
Standard 9: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of
informational texts
ELA 9.9.1 Determines what the texts says explicitly and makes logical inferences
• uses textual evidence that is convincing and complete to support ideas
• cites formal or verbal references (i.e., MLA)
• understands how much evidence is needed to support a claim
• introduces the skills needed to determine the difference between “strong
evidence” and insufficient or unreliable details
• analyzes using inferred and literal meanings
ELA 9.9.2 Determines central ideas of a text
• summarizes the key supporting details and ideas
• provides an objective summary of the text
• analyzes the development of the central idea over the course of the text
• distinguishes between text that provides strong support and text that is not
related, uncertain, or insufficient as evidence
• derives understanding from details that are directly stated as well as from
those that are implied
October, 2011
7
School District of New London
ELA9.9.3
Analyzes how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the
course of a text
• analyzes how the author structures an analysis or series of ideas or events
• includes the order in which the points are made, how they are introduced and
developed
• finds connections that are drawn
• reviews connections between ideas
ELA9.9.4
Determines the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text
• determines the figurative, connotative, and technical meanings of words and
phrases as they are used in a text
• analyzes the cumulative impact of a specific word choice on meaning and
tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a
newspaper)
• understands that an author’s word choice is selective and deliberate
• understands words influence the tone and meaning of a text
ELA9.9.5
Analyzes the structure of texts
• understands how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text
(e.g., section chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole
ELA 9.9.6
Determines author’s point of view or purpose in a text
• understands how author’s purpose shapes the content and style of a text
• analyzes how the author distinguishes his/her position from that of others
• examines how language is used for specific effect (e.g., persuasive
techniques)
• recognizes author’s bias
ELA 9.9.7
Integrates and evaluates content presented in diverse formats and media
• analyzes various accounts of a subject told in different mediums (e.g., a
person’s life story in both print and multimedia)
• determines which details are emphasized in each account
ELA 9.9.8
Delineates and evaluates the argument and specific claims in a text
• assesses whether the reasoning is relevant to the argument or provides enough
proof
• determines false and misleading statements
• evaluates sources by understanding what a reliable source is and what makes
one questionable
• knows the tools to legitimately evaluate sources
ELA 9.9.9
Analyzes how two or more texts address similar themes or topics
• understands how two or more texts may present the same topic from differing
viewpoints
• studies and evaluates influential U.S. documents, especially how they deal
with similar themes and concepts
October, 2011
8
School District of New London
ELA 9.9.10 Reads and comprehends literary nonfiction in the 9-10 grade range with proficiency
• uses feedback from formative assessment (e.g., end of text assessments,
Rigby, DRA, Scantron, SRI, etc.) to monitor progress
• encounters appropriately complex texts in order to develop language skills and
conceptual knowledge needed for success in school and life (e.g., personal
essays, speeches, opinion pieces, essays about art or literature, journalism, and
historical, scientific, technical or economic accounts including digital sources)
written for a broad audience
• recognizes structural differences between informational text and literary
nonfiction
• determines when they are not comprehending and making meaning
• understands and applies appropriate strategies in order to increase
comprehension when faced with difficult text
• makes fuller use of text, including making an increasing number of
connections among ideas and between texts
• reads independently and critically
Listening and Speaking
Standard 10: Comprehension and Collaboration
ELA 9.10.1 Participates effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with
diverse partners
• prepares for discussions by reading or researching; explicitly referring to
evidence from texts and other research on a topic or issue to stimulate a wellreasoned exchange
• works with peers to create rules for collegial discussions and decision-making,
clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed
• drives conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes, ideas and conclusions
• responds appropriately to diverse perspectives, summarizes points of
agreement and disagreement, and qualifies or justifies their own views and
understanding, and makes new connections with evidence and reasoning
presented
ELA 9.10.2 Integrates and evaluates information presented in diverse media and formats
• integrates research throughout ever-changing domains
• evaluates reliable sources and knows what makes one questionable
ELA 9.10.3 Evaluates a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and
rhetoric
• evaluates whether the reasoning a speaker uses is logical/legitimate
• understands if the evidence that is used is relevant to the argument or provides
enough proof
• identifies statements that are false or are misleading
• moves from passive listeners to active participants
October, 2011
9
School District of New London
ELA 9.10.4 Presents information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning and organization
• presents information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners
can follow the line of reasoning and organization, development, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
• makes strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual,
and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance findings and reasoning
of the finished product
• transitions communication from writing to speaking
ELA 9.10.5 Adapts speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of
formal English when appropriate
• understands audiences and adapts speech as necessary
• understands text messages, text abbreviations, and slang are inappropriate in
most cases when presenting knowledge and ideas
October, 2011
10