What does a student learn in StateNew Jersey,GradeGrade 10,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students back up their ideas with specific lines or passages from the text. They also read between the lines, drawing conclusions the author implies but never states outright.

Students identify the main idea a story or poem is really about, then trace how that idea builds across the text. They can also sum up the key details that support it, in their own words.

Students track how characters, events, and ideas change across a story or play, and explain why those changes happen. The focus is on cause and effect: what drives a character's choices, and how one event sets the next in motion.

Students figure out what words really mean in context, including hidden meanings, emotional weight, and comparisons like metaphors. Then they look at how an author's specific word choices shape the mood or message of the whole piece.

Students look at how a story or essay is built, tracing how one paragraph sets up the next and how individual sentences connect to the larger point the whole piece is making.

Students figure out who is telling the story and why, then explain how that choice changes what gets said and how it sounds. A narrator with something to hide tells the same events very differently than one with nothing to lose.

Students compare what a written story or poem says with how a film, audio recording, or image tells the same story. They weigh what each format adds or leaves out.

Students read a persuasive text, identify the main argument, and judge whether the reasons actually make sense and the evidence genuinely supports the claim.

Students read two or more texts on the same theme and compare how each author handles it. The focus is on what's different about each writer's choices, not just what the texts share.

Students read full-length novels, plays, poems, and essays on their own, without heavy teacher support. The goal is handling challenging texts independently by the end of tenth grade.

Students read a nonfiction passage closely, then back up their conclusions with specific lines or details pulled directly from the text. The evidence should support what they claim, not just relate to the topic.

Students find the main point of a nonfiction text and trace how the author builds on it across paragraphs. Then they summarize the key details that support it, in their own words.

Students trace how a person, event, or idea changes across a full piece of writing and explain what drives those changes. The focus is on how one part of the text shapes what comes next.

Students figure out what words actually mean in context, including technical terms, implied meanings, and figurative language. Then they look at how an author's word choices shape the feeling or argument of the whole piece.

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 to understand how each part builds on the others to make the whole piece work.

Students figure out who wrote a piece, why they wrote it, and how that purpose changes what the writer included or left out. A news article and an opinion column can cover the same event and tell very different stories.

Students compare information across formats, like a news article, a chart, and a video clip on the same topic, and judge whether each source makes the point clearly or leaves something out.

Students read a nonfiction passage and decide whether the author's argument actually holds up. They check if the reasoning makes sense and if the evidence is relevant, not just convincing-sounding.

Students read two texts on the same topic and compare how each author approaches it. The goal is to see what each text adds and where the authors agree, disagree, or make different choices.

Students read full-length articles, essays, and nonfiction books on their own, without help decoding or following the ideas. The goal is handling challenging real-world reading independently.

Students write a paper that takes a clear position on a real topic or text, then back it up with solid reasoning and evidence from sources. The argument has to hold up, not just sound convincing.

Students write essays or reports that explain a complex topic clearly, using well-organized evidence and precise language. The goal is accurate, useful explanation, not persuasion.

Students write a story, real or made up, with a clear sequence of events and details that make the experience feel true. The writing uses specific choices in structure and language to pull the reader through what happened.

Writing fits the assignment. Students shape what they say, how they organize it, and how formal they sound based on who will read it and why.

Students learn that a first draft is a starting point. They practice going back to their writing to rethink, revise, and edit until the piece actually says what they meant.

Students use word processors, online tools, and the Internet to write, publish, and share their work with an audience or collaborate with classmates on a piece of writing.

Students pick a focused question and research it, reading and gathering information until they understand the subject well enough to write about it with authority. Projects can be short or span several weeks.

Students find facts from books and websites, check whether each source can be trusted, and weave the information into their own writing without copying it word for word.

Students pull quotes and details from stories, articles, or research sources to back up their ideas in writing. The evidence has to connect clearly to the point they're making.

Students practice writing in many forms and for many reasons, from quick in-class responses to longer research papers. The goal is to write often enough that it becomes a natural part of how students think and communicate.

Students come to discussions having read or thought about the topic beforehand, then build on what classmates say while making their own points clearly. The goal is a real back-and-forth, not just waiting for a turn to talk.

Students pull together information from videos, charts, speeches, and other sources to form a complete picture of a topic. They evaluate what each source adds and where the details hold up.

Students listen to a speaker and judge whether the argument holds up: Is the reasoning sound? Is the evidence real? Are persuasion tactics getting in the way of the facts?

Students organize a speech or presentation so listeners can follow the argument from point to point. The structure, detail, and tone fit the purpose and the audience.

Students choose charts, images, or video clips to make a presentation clearer, not just more colorful. The visual has to do real work: explain a number, show a process, or back up a point the words alone can't carry.

Students adjust how they speak depending on the situation, using formal English for a class presentation or debate and a more relaxed tone in a small group discussion.

Students use correct grammar when writing essays and speaking in class. This includes knowing when to shift verb tenses, how to use phrases and clauses correctly, and how to fix errors that muddy the meaning of a sentence.

Students use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling in their writing. This standard covers the basic mechanics that make written work clear and credible to a reader.

Word choice shapes meaning. Students study how shifting a single word or sentence structure changes the tone of a piece of writing, then use that same awareness to read and listen more closely.

When students hit an unfamiliar word, they figure out its meaning by reading the surrounding sentences, breaking the word into roots and prefixes, or looking it up in a dictionary or subject-specific reference.

Students interpret figurative language like metaphors and analogies, explore how words relate to each other, and notice the subtle shades of meaning that separate a word like "chilly" from "freezing."

Students build a working vocabulary of precise, subject-specific words and use them correctly in writing and conversation. The goal is the kind of language range that holds up in college coursework or a professional setting.