What does a student learn in StateDelaware,GradeGrade 7,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students back up their ideas with direct quotes or details from the story. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the author implies but never states outright.

Students find the main message or lesson in a story and trace how it builds from start to finish. They can also summarize the key details that support it.

Students track how characters, events, and ideas change and connect as a story unfolds. They explain why those changes happen, using details from the text to back up their thinking.

Students figure out what words really mean in context, including when an author uses figurative language or loaded word choices. They also look at how those choices change the feeling or message of a story.

Students look at how a story or poem is built, tracing how one paragraph sets up the next and how each part connects to the whole. The goal is to see why the author arranged things in that order.

Students figure out who is telling a story and why, then explain how that choice changes what gets included, what gets left out, and how the writing sounds.

Students compare how the same story or idea comes across in different formats, like a written passage versus a film clip or a graph. They consider what each format shows well and what it leaves out.

Students read a persuasive passage and judge whether the author's argument holds up. They check if the reasoning makes sense and if the evidence actually supports the claim being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic or theme, then explain how each author handles it differently. The goal is to see what comparing those choices reveals that reading one text alone would not.

Students read full-length stories, novels, and poems on their own without much help. The focus is on handling challenging texts at the level expected in seventh grade.

Students back up what they say about a nonfiction passage by pointing to specific sentences or details from the text. They also read between the lines to draw conclusions the author implies but never states directly.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction article or passage, trace how that point builds across paragraphs, and sum up the key details that support it.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea changes from the beginning of a text to the end, and explain what caused those changes. The focus is on connection: how one thing shapes another as the text moves forward.

Students figure out what words mean in context, including technical terms, implied feelings, and figures of speech. They also look at how an author's word choices shift the mood or meaning of a passage.

Students look at how a paragraph connects to the rest of an article or essay, and why the author placed it where they did. The goal is understanding how each part shapes the whole piece.

Students figure out who wrote a text and why, then notice how that shapes what the author included, left out, or chose to emphasize. A news article and an opinion piece on the same topic will look very different for a reason.

Students read the same information across different formats, like a written article, a chart, and a video, then judge how each one adds to or changes what they understand.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument holds up. They look at whether the reasons make sense and whether the facts and details actually support the point being made.

Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author handles it. They look at what each writer includes, what each leaves out, and what conclusions they reach.

Students read grade-level articles, essays, and other nonfiction on their own, without help decoding or following the ideas. By seventh grade, they handle challenging texts independently.

Students write a paragraph or essay that takes a clear position on a topic, then back it up with solid reasoning and specific evidence from a text or source. The goal is to convince a reader, not just state an opinion.

Students write a report or explanation that digs into a complex topic and presents the facts clearly. The goal is accuracy, not opinion.

Students write a story, real or made-up, with a clear sequence of events and specific details that make scenes and characters feel real.

Students write pieces where the structure, tone, and details fit the assignment. A persuasive letter sounds different from a lab summary, and students learn to make those adjustments on purpose.

Students improve a piece of writing by rereading it, making changes to what they said or how they said it, fixing errors, and sometimes starting fresh when a new angle works better.

Students use computers and the internet to write, publish, and share their work. That includes collaborating with other students on shared documents or online platforms.

Students pick a focused question and research it, then write up what they found. Short projects might take a day or two; longer ones unfold over several weeks.

Students find information from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and weave the facts into their own writing without copying someone else's words.

Students find quotes and details from a book or article to back up their ideas in writing. The evidence has to connect clearly to the point they're making.

Students practice writing often, in both quick assignments and longer projects, for different purposes and different readers. The goal is to make writing feel like a normal part of every school day, not just a special event.

Students come to a discussion ready to build on what classmates say, not just wait for their turn to talk. They add their own ideas clearly and back them up with enough detail to be convincing.

Students take information from a video, chart, or speech and decide how well it supports the topic at hand. They look for what each source adds and where it falls short.

Students listen to a speaker and judge whether the argument holds up: is the reasoning sound, and does the evidence actually support the point being made?

Students organize a spoken presentation so listeners can follow the argument from start to finish. The examples and details they choose fit the purpose of the talk and the audience hearing it.

Students choose charts, images, or short video clips to make a presentation clearer. The visual has to earn its place, adding something the spoken words alone can't.

Students adjust how they speak based on the situation, using formal language for a class presentation or discussion and more casual language in a small group. The goal is knowing when each style fits.

Students apply the rules of standard English grammar when they write and speak. That means using correct verb tenses, pronoun forms, and sentence structure in both assignments and class discussions.

Students apply correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their writing. This means knowing when to capitalize, where to place a comma or apostrophe, and how to spell words correctly on the page.

Students learn how word choice and sentence structure shift depending on the situation, like the difference between texting a friend and writing a report. They use that awareness to make clearer choices in their own writing and to understand more of what they read.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out what it means by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots or prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or glossary.

Students read phrases like "she was a rock" or "the crowd roared" and explain what they really mean. They also explore how words connect to each other and how slight differences in meaning change the feeling of a sentence.

Students build a working vocabulary of precise, subject-specific words and use them correctly in writing and discussion. The goal is the kind of word knowledge that holds up in high school coursework and beyond.