C Curriculum Explorer
English·Reading Comprehension·procedural

Explaining Events & Ideas

Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in an informational text, including what happened and why, by citing specific textual evidence about causes, effects, and steps in a process

Suggested ages 9–10

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Learning journey

Your child is developing sophisticated reading skills — analysing how authors structure texts, comparing different perspectives, understanding themes and literary devices, and integrating information from multiple sources.

Evidence of understanding

  • Explain a historical event described in an informational text by identifying both what happened and the causes leading to it, using specific details from the text
  • Describe the steps in a procedure or process presented in an informational text, explaining why each step is necessary based on information in the text
  • Identify cause-and-effect relationships between ideas or events in an informational passage and explain them using evidence from the text

Assessment prompt

After reading a non-fiction article that explains how something works — like how volcanoes form — can Explaining Events & Ideas write down the main steps or causes in their own words, citing the specific evidence the author used?

Standards alignment

RI.4.3US · ccss-ela

RI.4.3

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects · 4