CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.9-10.1

ELAGrades 9–10Key Ideas and Details

The Standard

Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to the precise details of explanations or descriptions.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts · Reading Standards for Literacy in Science and Technical Subjects 6—12

What This Standard Means

Students need to read a science or technical text closely, find exact lines or details that support an idea, and explain how that evidence proves their point. They should not rely on vague references like “the article says” or pick facts that are only loosely related.

Mastery looks like a student making a clear claim, quoting or paraphrasing precise evidence, and explaining the link between the two. Students often get stuck choosing details that sound scientific but do not support their analysis, or they copy evidence without explaining why it matters.

Ways to Teach It

  • Give students a short lab procedure and have them highlight steps that explain why a result happened, then label each highlight with its purpose.
  • Ask students to answer: Which sentence best supports the author’s explanation, and how does that detail help prove it?
  • Use an exit ticket with one claim about a science paragraph, asking students to cite one precise detail and explain the match.
  • Bring in a product safety label and have students identify the exact wording that supports a claim about safe use.

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What This Unlocks

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

Related Standards

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

Page updated July 10, 2026.

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