Kentucky Reading and Writing RI.4.3
The Standard
Explain the individuals, events, procedures, ideas or concepts in a historical, scientific or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information over the course of a text.
Kentucky Academic Standards for Reading and Writing (2025) · Key Ideas and Details
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students follow a person, event, process, or idea through an informational text. They explain what happened and why, using details from different parts of the text.
What Mastery Looks Like
- After reading about a flood, a student explains how heavy rain raised the river and what people did next. The student points to text details that support each part of the explanation.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may retell only the first paragraph and miss details that appear later. They may mistake what happened next for why it happened, or give a reason the text does not support.
How to Assess It
- After a short article about seed germination, ask: “What happens after the seed takes in water, and why? Use two details from the article.”
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs sentence strips from a seed germination article; have them order the steps and match each step to a detail explaining why it happens.
After reading about an early flight, ask: “What problem did the pilots face, and how did they solve it? Find two supporting details.”
Read an article about rainstorms, say “streets flooded,” and have teams race to find the sentence that explains why.
Post a mock school notice about a bus route change due to roadwork; have students explain what changed and why, citing the notice.
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Printable RI.4.3 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- RI.2.3
Describe the connection between individuals, historical events, scientific ideas or concepts or steps in technical procedures over the course of a text.
- RI.K.3
With prompting and support, identify the individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information presented over the course of a text.
- RI.3.3
Describe the relationship between individuals, a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts or steps in technical procedures over the course of a...
- RI.5.3
Explain the relationships or interactions between individuals, events, ideas or concepts in a historical, scientific or technical text based on specific informa...
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