Planning to Teach: What to Do—and How
Craft and Structure
Reading Standards: Craft and Structure
Reading 4: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
9–10 Literature
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
11–12 Literature
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings of language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as others.)
9–10 Informational Text
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language of a court opinion differs from that of a newspaper).
11–12 Informational Text
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term or terms over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
9–10 History/Social Studies
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
11–12 History/Social Studies
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
9–10 Science/Technical Subjects
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 9–10 texts and topics.
11–12 Science/Technical Subjects
Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context relevant to grades 11–12 texts and topics.
Source: Copyright © 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
Common Core Reading Standard 4: What the Student Does
9–10 Literature
Gist: Determine what words mean and how context affects the meaning of these words and phrases, (i.e., is the author using a word in a literal or a more figurative, connotative way to suggest something else). Consider how the repeated use of words and phrases work together to achieve some cumulative effect (e.g., a series of words and phrases evoking images or notions of conflict might contribute to meaning or tone).
Which words or phrases contribute the most to the meaning in the text?
Does the author use these words literally or figuratively?
How do the different words contribute to the author’s tone?
How does the author’s choice of words affect the meaning of the text?
11–12 Literature
Gist: Examine what words mean and how context affects the meaning of these words and phrases, analyzing whether the author is choosing to use a specific word in a literal or more figurative way to suggest something else. Readers study how specific words and phrases make the text beautiful, powerful, or otherwise engaging. Such language is common in Shakespeare and writers such as Hopkins, Morrison, and Conrad.
Which specific words most affect the meaning in the text?
What does the dictionary say about the different meanings and etymology of these key words?
How does this author use words to evoke a sense of wonder in the reader?
Which key words have multiple meanings in this context?
9–10 Informational Text
Gist: Examine what words mean and how context affects their meaning, assessing whether the author is using words literally or figuratively and how the repeated use of words achieves some cumulative effect. For example, an article reporting a court opinion about gun rights would differ from an op-ed responding to the opinion the next day.
What are the different possible meanings of this word or phrase as it is used in this text?
How do the words chosen reflect or respond to the original setting, occasion, or audience?
How would this subject be described in a newspaper or a blog, for example?
What is the cumulative effect of the author’s chosen words on the purpose, setting, meaning, or tone?
11–12 Informational Text
Gist: Examine how the author uses specific words in relation to context and the author’s purpose, determining whether the author uses the words literally or figuratively and analyzing how their meaning affects the text. For example, students might track how Madison uses the word faction over the course of Federalist No. 10.
What are the different possible meanings of this word or phrase as it is used in this text?
How do the author’s words reflect or respond to the original setting, occasion, or audience?
How would this subject be described in a newspaper or blog, for example?
How do the author’s words and phrases contribute to the meaning of the text?
9–10 History/Social Studies
Gist: Focus on words and phrases that describe ideas, movements, or eras discussed in articles, textbooks, primary source documents, and other text types. Such words often express concepts and abstractions such as liberty.
What are the key words in this document? How are they used?
Why does the author use this word or phrase in this context?
How has the meaning of this word changed over time?