CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.9a

ELA6th GradeResearch to Build and Present Knowledge

The Standard

Apply grade 6 Reading standards to literature (e.g., "Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres [e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories] in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics").

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts

What This Standard Means

Students need to use reading skills as evidence in their writing about literature. They should compare how two texts handle a similar theme, topic, character type, conflict, or lesson. They need to point to specific lines, scenes, or choices by the author, not just give opinions.

Mastery looks like a clear claim, accurate details from both texts, and an explanation of how the form or genre changes the message. Students often get stuck summarizing both texts side by side. They may also name a theme, like courage, but not explain how each author builds it differently.

Ways to Teach It

  • Give pairs a poem and a short story on friendship, then have them fill a two-column chart for theme, speaker, conflict, and evidence.
  • Ask students to write: How does each author show fear, and which text makes the feeling stronger for you?
  • Use an exit ticket asking students to name one shared theme and one author choice from each text that develops it.
  • Compare a movie trailer and book excerpt from the same genre, then discuss how each one creates suspense differently.

Before This Standard

If students are struggling here, check these first.

Plan a Lesson for CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.9a

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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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