CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2d
The Standard
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic and convey a style appropriate to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers.
Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students choose exact nouns, verbs, and technical terms that explain a complex subject accurately. They adjust vocabulary and tone for the discipline, purpose, and readers' knowledge.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can replace vague words such as “things,” “stuff,” and “got” with accurate terms. They use technical vocabulary correctly, define unfamiliar terms when needed, and keep the tone consistent.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may think precision means using longer words or adding as much jargon as possible. They may use technical terms incorrectly, leave abbreviations unexplained, or ignore the reader's background knowledge.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Rewrite “The thing changed when heat was added” for a grade 10 lab report. Underline two precise terms and explain one choice.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups vague and precise lab report sentence strips to sort, then have them revise each vague sentence for accuracy.
Rewrite a paragraph about erosion for a fifth grader and a geologist, then explain three vocabulary choices.
Play Vocabulary Swap, where teams replace vague words in technical sentences and earn points for accurate, audience-friendly revisions.
Compare two phone setup guides, then rewrite one set of directions for a first-time user unfamiliar with technical terms.
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Printable WHST.9-10.2d Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2d, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.
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Where This Standard Sits
What This Unlocks
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Related Standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.7.2d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.2d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
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