What does a student learn in StateAlabama,GradeGrade 11,SubjectEnglish Language Arts?

Students read American stories, essays, and other writings, then examine how an author's background and point of view shape what gets said and what gets left out.

Students read two or more charts, graphs, or infographics together and use what they find across all of them to build an argument or reach a conclusion.

Students read a text and explain how an author's background and cultural viewpoint shape the word choices, tone, and overall message of the piece.

Students read a novel, story, or poem and explain how the author's choices (a character's voice, a metaphor, the narrator's angle) shape what the work actually means. The focus is on the "why behind the how."

Students examine how a text's structure shapes its message. They consider why an author chose a particular form (a memoir, a news article, a documentary) and how that choice helps make the argument or story more convincing.

Students read closely enough to spot what a text states directly and what it leaves unsaid, then use both to figure out the central idea and why the author wrote it.

Students read texts from different times, places, and cultures, then explain how the viewpoints in each one differ or overlap. The texts can be stories, articles, videos, or websites.

Students read articles, reports, and other nonfiction from science and history classes, then explain how each field uses its own specialized words and structures its information differently from the others.

Students read step-by-step instructions, like a manual or how-to guide, and follow them to complete a real task. The focus is on reading carefully enough that the steps actually work.

Students listen to a speech or presentation and judge whether the speaker is believable, by noticing word choice, body language, and how well the argument holds together.

Students write and revise short pieces and longer ones, matching the structure, tone, and word choice to what the writing is actually for and who will read it.

Narrative techniques like scene-setting, dialogue, or a single vivid moment can sharpen an argument or explanation. Students learn when and how to pull those moves into essays and other writing that isn't technically a story.

Explanatory writing at this level means taking a complicated idea or process and making it clear on the page. Students build their explanation with credible sources, careful word choices, and transitions that guide the reader from one point to the next.

Students write an argument about a real topic or text, backing each claim with solid evidence and choosing words and transitions that set a deliberate tone. The conclusion goes beyond summarizing to show why the argument matters.

Students write together in groups, dividing the work fairly and adjusting their own ideas when the group needs to move forward. Everyone's contribution counts toward the final piece.

Students pull information from several sources, including videos, articles, and podcasts, check whether each one is trustworthy and accurate, then present what they found out loud to an audience.

Students talk through a text or topic with classmates, listening carefully and pushing back or building on what others say. They back up their ideas with specific evidence from the reading.

Students read online articles, posts, or videos and judge whether the source is trustworthy, who it was written for, and whether it actually does what it sets out to do.

Students listen to podcasts, speeches, or other recorded content and judge how well the speaker fits the message to the audience, stays credible, and sets the right tone for the situation.

Students choose images, sound, or animation to build a digital project that fits its purpose and audience. A presentation for a school board looks different from one made for classmates, and this standard is about making those judgment calls.

Students work together to build and deliver a spoken presentation, dividing the work among group members. The final presentation fits the audience and setting, whether that's a classroom debate, a community meeting, or a formal pitch.

Students examine how an author's sentence structure and word choices shape the meaning of a text. This applies to poems, stories, and nonfiction writing like speeches, news articles, and workplace documents.

Students listen to speeches, podcasts, interviews, and conversations, then figure out how formal or casual the language is and adjust how they respond.

Students listen to or read a speech and figure out why the speaker made specific word choices, how they arranged their argument, and whether those choices actually worked to persuade the audience.

Students adjust their word choice and tone to fit the situation, whether writing a formal essay or an everyday message. They apply grammar, punctuation, and spelling to make sure the writing lands clearly with the intended reader.

Writing at this level means students go beyond correct sentences to make deliberate choices about tone, structure, and word selection that fit the audience and purpose of the piece.

Students write and deliver a speech for a real audience and purpose, using formal language when the situation calls for it.

Students learn to judge whether a source is worth trusting by asking who wrote it, how recent and relevant it is, and what the author was trying to accomplish.

Students read sources and decide which ones actually answer their research question and which ones don't. That judgment shapes the argument or solution they build.

Students practice finding trustworthy sources by using search engines, databases, and library tools the right way. The goal is knowing where to look and how to tell a reliable source from an unreliable one.

Students listen to podcasts, interviews, speeches, or other audio sources to find information that answers a question or supports an argument. They judge whether what they hear is relevant and trustworthy before using it.

Students pull information from multiple sources, weigh what's reliable, and write a research-based piece that fits the audience and purpose. The writing shows a clear grasp of the topic, not just a collection of quotes.

Students pull information from at least three different source types, including a chart, graph, or image, and weave it into a research paper using direct quotes, paraphrasing, and citations that follow one style guide consistently.

Students gather sources, scholarly and everyday, and write a paper that takes a clear position or answers a real question. The writing holds together and shows that students evaluated what they read, not just collected it.

Students pull together research from multiple sources, then shape it into a clear written or spoken presentation for a real audience. The focus is on citing sources honestly and matching the language to whoever is listening or reading.