Courses of Study : English Language Arts (Grade 11)

Reading Standards for Literature
Key Ideas and Details
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
1 ) Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. [RL.11-12.1]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.1- Answer who, what, when, where, and why questions to analyze stories, using textual evidence and inferences as support.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
2 ) Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text. [RL.11-12.2]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.2- Identify how two themes develop throughout a text; create an objective summary of a story.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
3 ) Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed). [RL.11-12.3]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.3- Describe how characters interact and develop in a story; identify the setting of a story; identify the problem in a story.


Craft and Structure
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
4 ) 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 or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.) [RL.11-12.4]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
5 ) Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact. [RL.11-12.5]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.5- Describe how the sequence of events contributes to the tension, mystery, or surprise in a story.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
6 ) Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or understatement). [RL.11-12.6]

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
7 ) Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.) [RL.11-12.7]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.7 - Read or listen to different interpretations of a story, drama, or poem analyzing the various interpretations.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
8 ) Demonstrate knowledge of twentieth- and twenty-first-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics. [RL.11-12.9] (Alabama)

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
9 ) By the end of Grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the Grades 11-College and Career Readiness (CCR) text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. [RL.11-12.10]

Reading Standards for Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
10 ) Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain. [RI.11-12.1]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.10- Answer who, what, when, where, and why questions to analyze informational text, using textual evidence and inferences as support.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
11 ) Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text. [RI.11-12.2]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.11- Identify two central ideas of an informational text; create an objective summary of an informational text.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
12 ) Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text. [RI.11-12.3]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.12- Identify the connections between the ideas or events in an informational text.


Craft and Structure
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
13 ) 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 The Federalist No. 10). [RI.11-12.4]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
14 ) Analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the structure an author uses in his or her exposition or argument, including whether the structure makes points clear, convincing, and engaging. [RI.11-12.5]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
15 ) Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text. [RI.11-12.6]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.15- Determine the author's point of view and identify parts of the text that helped explain the point of view.


Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
16 ) Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem. [RI.11-12.7]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.16- Identify and use multiple sources of information to answer a question or solve a problem.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
17 ) Analyze seminal United States documents of historical and literary significance (e.g., Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech, King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"), including how they address related themes and concepts. [RI.9-10.9] (Alabama)

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
18 ) By the end of Grade 11, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the Grades 11-College and Career Readiness (CCR) text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range. [RI.11-12.10]

Writing Standards
Text Types and Purposes
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
19 ) Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence. [W.11-12.1]

a. Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. [W.11-12.1a]

b. Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases. [W.11-12.1b]

c. Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. [W.11-12.1c]

d. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. [W.11-12.1d]

e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. [W.11-12.1e]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.19- Compose an argument to support a claim by stating a claim, providing facts or reasons supporting the claim, and providing an appropriate conclusion related to the stated argument.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
20 ) Write informative or explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content. [W.11-12.2]

a. Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. [W.11-12.2a]

b. Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. [W.11-12.2b]

c. Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. [W.11-12.2c]

d. Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic. [W.11-12.2d]

e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. [W.11-12.2e]

f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). [W.11-12.2f]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.20- Compose informative or explanatory texts by stating a topic, providing facts or details, providing an appropriate conclusion related to the topic.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
21 ) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences. [W.11-12.3]

a. Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. [W.11-12.3a]

b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. [W.11-12.3b]

c. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution). [W.11-12.3c]

d. Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. [W.11-12.3d]

e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. [W.11-12.3e]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.21- Compose narrative texts by introducing characters or a narrator, organizing events in sequence, and providing an ending related to the event sequence.


Production and Distribution of Writing
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
22 ) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 19-21 above.) [W.11-12.4]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
23 ) Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of the first three standards in the Language strand in Grades K-11.) [W.11-12.5]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
24 ) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information. [W.11-12.6]

Research to Build and Present Knowledge
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
25 ) Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation. [W.11-12.7]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
26 ) Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation. [W.11-12.8]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.26- Conduct research using two sources and create a product.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
27 ) Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. [W.11-12.9]

a. Apply Grade 11 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Demonstrate knowledge of twentieth- and twenty-first-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics"). [W.11-12.9a] (Alabama)

b. Apply Grade 11 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., Analyze seminal United States documents of historical and literary significance [e.g., Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms" speech, King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail"]), including how they address related themes and concepts. [W.11-12.9b] (Alabama)


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.27- Draw evidence from a literary or informational text to support an analysis or research topic.
ELA.AAS.11.27a- Read works from the twentieth and twenty-first century and determine how two or more texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
ELA.AAS.11.27b- Analyze seminal United States documents of historical significance.


Range of Writing
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
28 ) Write routinely over extended time frames, including time for research, reflection, and revision, and shorter time frames such as a single sitting or a day or two for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences. [W.11-12.10]

Speaking and Listening Standards
Comprehension and Collaboration
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
29 ) Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on Grade 11 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively. [SL.11-12.1]

a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. [SL.11-12.1a]

b. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. [SL.11-12.1b]

c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. [SL.11-12.1c]

d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. [SL.11-12.1d]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
30 ) Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. [SL.11-12.2]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
31 ) Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. [SL.11-12.3]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.31- Identify a speaker's point of view; identify evidence to support the point of view of a speaker.


Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
32 ) Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. [SL.11-12.4]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
33 ) Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. [SL.11-12.5]

English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
34 ) Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See Grade 11 Language standards 35 and 37 for specific expectations.) [SL.11-12.6]

Language Standards
Conventions of Standard English
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
35 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. [L.11-12.1]

a. Apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested. [L.11-12.1a]

b. Resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed. [L.11-12.1b]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.35 - Demonstrate standard English grammar when communicating; use a complete sentence with details when asking and answering questions.
ELA.AAS.11.35a - Use a complete sentence with appropriate grammar and usage when asking and answering questions.
ELA.AAS.11.35b - Demonstrate the ability to correctly use references as needed.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
36 ) Demonstrate command of the conventions of Standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. [L.11-12.2]

a. Observe hyphenation conventions. [L.11-12.2a]

b. Spell correctly. [L.11-12.2b]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.36- Demonstrate command of standard English conventions when communicating; use correct capitalization; use a period, a question mark, an exclamation point, and commas in a series correctly.


Knowledge of Language
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
37 ) Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening. [L.11-12.3]

a. Vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte's Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style) for guidance as needed; apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading. [L.11-12.3a]

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
38 ) Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on Grade 11 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. [L.11-12.4]

a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase. [L.11-12.4a]

b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable). [L.11-12.4b]

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its standard usage. [L.11-12.4c]

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary). [L.11-12.4d]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.38- Identify the meaning of an unknown word or phrase.
ELA.AAS.11.38a - Use context clues to determine the meaning of a word or phrase that may have multiple meanings.
ELA.AAS.11.38c- Identify reference materials and their purposes; demonstrate the ability to use reference materials to find the pronunciation of a word or determine its meaning.
ELA.AAS.11.38d - Verify the meaning of a word using a dictionary.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
39 ) Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. [L.11-12.5]

a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their role in the text. [L.11-12.5a]

b. Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations. [L.11-12.5b]


Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
ELA.AAS.11.39- Determine the meaning of figurative language in context.
ELA.AAS.11.39a- Identify the meaning of a simile or metaphor used in a text.


English Language Arts (2015)
Grade(s): 11
All Resources: 0
40 ) Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. [L.11-12.6]