CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1
The Standard
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Informational Text
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify what an informational text directly states and make reasonable inferences from it. They choose strong, relevant details and explain how each one supports their analysis.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students can answer a question with an accurate claim, then cite several precise details from the text. They clearly explain how the evidence supports both direct analysis and reasonable inferences.
Common Misconceptions
- Students often choose the longest quotation instead of the most relevant evidence. They may treat an inference as a guess or include evidence without explaining how it supports their analysis.
How to Assess It
- Give students a short editorial and ask: “What can you infer about the writer’s purpose? Cite two details and explain how each supports your inference.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Cut an article into paragraph strips, then have pairs arrange two strong evidence strips beneath a claim and justify their choices.
Ask students to write: “Which two details best reveal the author’s viewpoint, and what does each detail show?”
Play Evidence Match by having teams pair claim cards with quotation cards, earning points only when they explain the connection accurately.
Compare claims from a product advertisement with facts from a consumer review, then identify which evidence supports or challenges each claim.
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Printable RI.9-10.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
Download the worksheetLearning progression
Where This Standard Sits
See the whole path on the Reading: Informational Text progression map.
Before This Standard
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What This Unlocks
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.1
The Grades 9–10 version of this standard.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.1
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 ...
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