CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.2

ELAGrades 11–12Key Ideas and Details

The Standard

Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies 6—12

What This Standard Means

Students need to read a history or social studies source and figure out the main ideas, not just list interesting facts. They also need to summarize the source accurately, showing how key details connect to each other and to the author’s point or purpose.

Mastery looks like a summary that is brief, fair, and organized around ideas instead of copying the source’s order. Students often get stuck by choosing minor details as main ideas, adding personal opinions, or writing a summary that leaves out cause, effect, contrast, or change over time.

Ways to Teach It

  • Give students a marked-up primary source and have them sort highlighted sentences into main idea, supporting detail, and background information.
  • Ask students to write: What is the author mainly saying, and which three details best prove that reading?
  • Use an exit ticket with a short paragraph and require one central idea plus two connected details in under five minutes.
  • Have students summarize a news analysis article by mapping the main claim, evidence, and how the evidence is connected.

Before This Standard

If students are struggling here, check these first.

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Related Standards

Standard text verified against corestandards.org on July 10, 2026.

Page updated July 10, 2026.

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